THE AVERAGE RUNNING COST OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES WITHIN AUSTRALIA ARE:
Refrigerators and freezers – 336kWh per year costing $96
Clothes washers – 166kWh per year costing $47
Clothes dryers – 1080kWh per year costing $308
Dishwashers – 657kWh per year costing $188
Home entertainment and office equipment – 471kWh per year costing $119
Swimming pools and spas – 1250kWh per year costing $357 (swimming pool) and 330kWh per year
costing $94 (spa)
HOW CAN YOU SAVE MONEY ON YOUR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE ENERGY BILL?
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Appliances on standby use a small amount of power, constantly - ‘phantom load’ and it
accounts for 10 % of your energy bill!
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Avoid using this excess electricity by switching appliances off at the wall.
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Specific appliances can be used more efficiently as well.
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When using a dryer
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try to separate light items from heavy items
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dry full loads rather than single items
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do multiple loads in a row to make the most of the residual heat in the dryer.
Fridges - temperature settings can be adjusted so perhaps only the beer fridge really needs to be
uber cold.
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Kitchen - try using the appropriately sized saucepan for the element, and there’s no need to
preheat a gas oven.
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Star ratings are an important way of measuring the efficiency of any new appliance you
purchase.
HOW TO CALCULATE ELECTRICITY USAGE COSTS
The above power calculator uses a simple formula to calculate annual energy usage and costs.
Here's how it works:
Electricity Usage Per Year = (Watts / 1000) * Hours/Day * Days/Week * Weeks/Year = kWh/year
Electricity Cost Per Year = kWh/year * (cents/kWh / 100) = $/year
Using the calculations that were used in the example, calculate which Dryer is the most energy
efficient?
Explain your reasons for your choice.
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