Customer Newsletter, March 2008

Estimating Appliance & Home Electronic Energy Use

If you're trying to decide whether to invest in a more energy-efficient appliance or you'd like to determine your electricity loads, you may want to estimate appliance energy consumption. You can use this formula to estimate an appliance's energy use:

Wattage × Hours used per day × Days used per year ÷ 1000 = Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption per year

For example:
Personal computer (120 Watts) and monitor (150 Watts): (120 Watts + 150 Watts) × 4 hours per day × 365 days per year ÷ 1000 = 394 kWh/year

Then, calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by Southern’s rate per kWh consumed.
394 kWh × $0.104 (current national average) = $40.98 per year

You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its nameplate. The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of settings (hair dryers), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time.

Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:
  • Clothes washer = 350-500 Watts
  • Clothes dryer = 1800-5000 Watts
  • Dishwasher = 1200-2400 Watts (heat drying feature increases energy use)
  • Hair dryer = 1200-1875 Watts
  • Microwave oven = 750-1100 Watts
    • Personal computer:
  • CPU - awake/asleep = 120 / 30 Watts
  • Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30
  • Laptop = 50 Watts
  • Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725 Watts
    • Televisions:
  • 27" = 113 Watts
  • 36" = 133 Watts
  • 53"-61" Projection = 170 Watts
  • Flat screen = 120 Watts
  • Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500-5500 Watts
Source: U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Other stories you'll find inside this edition:
  • New Leaders Selected for Holdrege Office
    • Southern Power District is pleased to announce the newn leadership in place at the Holdrege Area Office. More>>>
  • Slow Down!
    • Southern's linemen experience added hazards on the job site due to traffic that is movoing too quickly past their work area. More>>>
  • Customer Comment Feature Added to Website
    • If you have a question for a member of Southern's staff, or would like to leave a comment regarding your electrical service, you have a new option available to you on our website. More>>>
  • Aggressive Work Schedule Underway for 2008
    • In January we told you that in response to rising costs, the Distriact would be taking on a very ambitious work schedule this year, andn will not take advantage of contracted labor--both in line construction and engineering. More>>>
  • Fireflies Installed at Platte River Near Shelton
    • Southern recently installed 140 devices supplied by the US Fish & Wildlife Service on our transmission line crossing the Platte River south of Shelton. More>>>