Energy Use Adds Up
Adapted from AVR - Teachers' Resource Guide, by Association for Vermont Recyclers
Back to Trash Goes To School
GRADE LEVELS: 9-12
SUBJECT AREAS: math, economics, social studies
CONCEPT: Producing energy costs us money, affects our environment, and produces waste
products.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the amount of power used in your home and what appliances
use the most.
MATERIALS:
- handout: Energy Consumption of Appliances
- home, school, or apartment to assess
KEYWORDS: kilowatt hour, wattage
BACKGROUND: As you will see upon completion of this activity, we use a lot of energy in
our lives. Something as simple as leaving the television on for 8 hours can cost us 2656 watts.
We tend to flip a switch without thinking about the source of the energy or the waste products
produced as a result of our use. What are the environmental effects of power produced by
water, burning, wind, sun, or nuclear reactions?
PROCEDURE:
Using the attached list, check off the appliances you and your family use. List any others not
included. (Check for wattage printed on the UNPLUGGED appliance.)
Estimate your hours of usage and find the total consumption per day. Find out the cost and
source (oil, coal, gas, hydroelectric, nuclear) of energy from your local utility company, and
add up your average daily energy cost. Then check off the appliances you think you could do
without or use less, such as turning off the T.V. when no one is watching it. Compare the new
list with the original:
1. What are the environmental costs per kilowatt hour consumed?
2. What are the sources of energy? (i.e. solar, nuclear, coal)
3. Where does the waste from energy generation go? (i.e. ash, nuclear waste)
FOLLOW-UP:
Explore the waste products produced by the use of power from water, wind, nuclear, burning
of waste or other fuel source, batteries, sun or others.
Energy Consumption of Appliances
Average
Item
Wattage/hour
Air condition
1,566
Blanket, electric
177
Boiler
1,436
Clock
2
Clothes dryer
5,000
Coffee maker
1,225
Dehumidifier
257
Dishwasher
1,201
Disposal (sink)
445
Fan
200
Food Blender
386
Food freezer (15-21 cu. ft.,
conventional)
375
Food freezer (15-21 cu. ft., frost-free)
562
Frying pan
1,196
Heater, portable
1,322
Humidifier
117
Iron
1,088
Lighting
100
Microwave oven
1,500
Personal computer
50
Radio
71
Range
2,207
Refrigerator (16-18 cu. ft., frost-free)
615
Self-cleaning oven
2,500
Sewing machine
75
Television, color
332
Toaster
1,146
Vacuum cleaner
630
VCR
40
Washing machine
512
Water heater, quick recovery
4,500
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