Figuring appliance costs
Try our online calculator
Let’s say you’re trying to choose between a new LCD television and a new plasma TV. In addition to comparing price and picture quality, you probably want to consider operating costs, too. That’s where our online appliance calculator comes in handy.
Our appliance calculator can quickly show you that a 50-inch LCD television will use about $30 of electricity annually, but your costs would more than double to nearly $70 a year with a 50-inch plasma model. If you opt for the LCD, you’ll save $200 over five years. That’s helpful information to have before you make your purchase.
Here are some other ways the appliance calculator can help:
- Time to buy a new refrigerator?
If you have a pre-1993, 24-cubic foot refrigerator, it costs $171.78 a year to operate. But the calculator will show you that you could move up to a new ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerator of the same size and drop annual energy costs to $111.54 (plus, the new refrigerator may qualify for cash-back incentives and an Oregon Residential Energy Tax Credit).
- Remember to turn off the computer
Need some motivation to remind you — or your family — to turn off the computer when you’re not using it? The calculator will show you that a 60-watt computer left on 24 hours a day can eat up $47.83 in electricity annually. But if you turn it on only when you’re actually using it — say five hours a day — it drops your operating costs to $9.96. You’ll save more than $37 each year!
- Know what certain choices costs
Think a portable space heater can save you money? The calculator will show you it will cost $40.95 to run it for three hours a day over a 100-day period. Consider whether that extra comfort is worth the added cost to your electric bill.
Or, if you compare the cost of cooking a roast in the oven for two hours versus using a slow cooker for eight hours, you’ll see a slow cooker costs just a fraction of the energy.
Try the appliance calculator for yourself and discover where you can save around the house.