Home Appliances - Estimate Usage Costs
We determine the electricity you use (and your electric bill) by measuring the kilowatt-hours or kWh, you use. One kilowatt-hour is equal to operating a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours. Many factors may affect how much electricity an appliance may use where it's located, your home wiring, how the appliance is used.
Your largest appliances generally use the most kilowatt-hours, while your smaller ones need much less electricity to operate. Look at the chart below for an idea of average kilowatt hours used by some common appliances.   Comfort   Average KWH Use Per Month Central Air Conditioning 840 Electric Hot Water Tank 300 Portable Electric Space Heater 66 Dehumidifier 64 Window Fan 60 In the Kitchen 15 cu. ft. upright frostless refrigerator/freezer 153 Dishwasher 30 Oven (on Abake@) 22 Slow cooker (crock pot) 11 Garbage Disposal 3 Toaster 3 Help Around The House   Dryer 83 Iron 13 Washing Machine 9 Sewing Machine 1 Entertainment   Color (solid state) 19" TV 17 Stereo 10 Beauty Aids   Hairdryer 4 Hairsetter/curlers 1 Shaver .03 Working at Home   Personal Computer (CPU Only) 33 Laser Printer 25 Color Monitor 9 Estimate Your Costs The costs of operating an appliance can be estimated to help you manage your electricity use and the size of your bill. First, determine the wattage used by the appliance, the number of hours it is used per month, and the rate you pay per kilowatt-hour (shown on your electric bill). Then use this simple formula:

Choose an appliance and try the formula!