How to work out electrical usage of a device?

-Mike-

-Mike-

-Mike-

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Hi guys,

Am having a wee arguement with my step dad about my electrical use. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me the formula to work out how much electric a given device will use over a period?

Thank you:)
 
Basically say I have my pc... it used a given amount of electric in a hour. I want to work out how much it costs to run for a hour and the formula to do so. I'd also like to be able to apply it to boiling the kettle etc.
 
-Mike- said:
Basically say I have my pc... it used a given amount of electric in a hour. I want to work out how much it costs to run for a hour and the formula to do so. I'd also like to be able to apply it to boiling the kettle etc.
Click to expand...

So in other words you have had a big leccy bill and he is blaming the pc yet drinks tea all the time? :D
 
Okay, here's how you do it:

Let' say your PC is consuming 250W (or .25 kW) in normal usage (this is NOT the rating of your PSU, by the way).

In one hour you will consume:

.25 kW hour

Check what you pay for elecky, let's say that is 8p per kw hour.

.25 x 8

The PC will cost you 2p per hour to run. This scales up to approx' £42 per quarter if you had it running 24/7, and approx' £10 for 6 hours a day every day per quarter. This assumes the 250W is about right, to be honest it's probably less most of the time.

Here's a link:

http://www.npower.com/Education/Documents/CalcuCost_EApps.pdf
 
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You can buy a plug in monitor that you then plug your device into and it will tell you how much power it uses over a given time, then work out from that the cost.

Think they are called plug in mains power and energy monitors.
 
Best bet is one of these, it'll tell you how much in watts a device is using, or if you leave it in, it'll tally up the kwh (kilowatt hours)

http://www.******.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38343&source=2001&doy=search

You will be billed in kilowatt hours (sometimes called units by the power company) they cost about 9p each (although if your meter has a night rate on it, that generally halves in the small hours)

a kilowatt hour is bascially what it says, its the amount used by a load of 1000w for one hour, which will be the same as a 3kw load for 20 mins, or a 250w load for 4 hours, etc

WRT to the kettle: if you assume around 0.12 units for each litre of water you shoudn't be too far wide of the mark
 
Thanks guys! :) I apparently cost them £1.11 a week in electric so I think his £20 plus a week is a wee bit off.

Once again, thank you kind sirs ;)
 
Its starred out your link, but I know where you were meaning, have seen them on there before :) I shall pick one up when I get paid :)
 
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