Knowing how much your appliances costs to run can help you keep control of your energy bills.
Each of these points can reduce costs but combining them will help you achieve minimum running costs:
- choose an appliance that has the lowest input power for your needs - use the energy rating label for larger appliances
- operate the appliance for the shortest amount of time possible
- use thermostat controls, settings or energy saving features
- choose the best energy deal for your circumstances.
Finding the input power
An appliance’s input power is shown in:
- watts (W) and kilowatts (kW)
- Joules and megajoules (MJ)
The amounts are on the label or in the instruction manual. If the label shows a range, use the higher number to work out a maximum running cost.
Not all appliances run at full power all the time. Appliances with high and low settings or thermostats. For example, air conditioners or fridges.
Electrical appliance running cost calculator
This calculator uses a default price of 42 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Use the electricity tariff on your electricity bill for more accurate results - understanding bills.
In section 3, you will need to type:
- the name of your appliance
- input power in watts (1kW = 1000W)
- the hours and minutes used per day.
Electrical appliance running cost calculator
1
What is the cost of your electricity (cents per kWh)?
If you're unsure, the calculator uses 42 cents as its default.
2
Find out the input power rating of your appliance in watts.
The input power (in watts or kilowatts) can usually be found on a label on the appliance or in its instruction manual.
3
List the details below for as many appliances as you would like.
Appliance
Power rating
(watts)
Usage per day
(hours / mins)
Daily
running cost
Quarterly
running cost
Manually calculating costs
Electrical appliances
| Step | Action | Electrical appliance example |
|---|---|---|
1 | Find out the appliance's input power in W or kW | Label shows 2400W |
2 | convert input power to kW | Divide 2400W by 1,000 = 2.4kW |
3 | Check your bill for your energy tariff rate | If you're unsure, use 42 cents per kWh |
Multiply the input power by the energy tariff | 2.4 x 42 = 100.8 cents per hour | |
5 | Multiply the hourly running cost by the number of hours per day you run the appliance | If the appliance is turned on 10 hours per day: |
Natural gas appliances
| Step | Action | Gas appliance example |
|---|---|---|
1 | Find out the appliance's input power in J or MJ | Label shows 26MJ |
2 | Convert input power from J to MJ | Convert J to MJ by dividing by 1,000,000. In this case, no conversion is required |
3 | Check your bill for your energy tariff rate | If you're unsure, use 4 cents per MJ |
4 | Multiply the input power by the energy tariff | 26 x 4 = 104 cents per hour |
5 | Multiply the hourly running cost by the number of hours per day you run the appliance. | If the appliance is turned on 10 hours per day: |
LPG appliances
| Step | Action | LPG cylinder example |
|---|---|---|
1 | Find out how much you pay to refill your LPG cylinder (ignore rental costs) | $122.25 to fill LPG cylinder |
2 | Divide the cost by how many kilograms (kg) the bottle weighs | For a 45kg bottle - |
3 | Divide the cost per kg by 49.8. | $2.72/49.8 = $0.05 per MJ |
