The following is an aid for the calculation of energy rates on the appliances you might use everyday. Check with your local energy supplier if you want more specific rates for your household.
Most of this rate information is from WE Energies. Their site provides tips and hints on how to save energy. WE Energies
The costs to run specific appliances were from the 2006 season in Wisconsin at summer rates and were approximated and averaged out. Each year will be slightly different as prices rise and fall.
Rates as follows:
| Heating | |
| Electric Space Heater | $7 for 60 hours or 10-18 ¢ per hour |
| Electric Furnace | $90 for 90 hours or 80¢ - $1.20 per hour |
| Natural Gas Furnace | $100 for 150 hours or 60-80¢ per hour |
| Pilot Light | $36 annually or 8 -11¢ per day |
| Cooling | |
| Central Air Conditioner | Typical new $19.50 for 100 hrs |
| Central Air Conditioner | Energy Star $15.60 for 100 hrs |
| Room Air Conditioner | $14 for 175 hrs |
| Whole House Fan | $2.50 for 100 hours |
| Portable Fan | $1 for 100 hrs |
| Kitchen | |||||||||||||||||||
| Electric Range | $12 for 100 hrs per burner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Electric Gas Range | $5 for 100 hrs per burner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Electric Oven | $16.40 for 100 hrs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gas Oven | $7 for 100 hrs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Microwave Oven | 60¢ per hr -1¢ for 5 mins | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Dishwasher | 13-18¢ per cycle | ||||||||||||||||||
| Blender | less than 1¢ per use | ||||||||||||||||||
| Toaster | 0.3-0.4¢ per use | ||||||||||||||||||
| Waffle Iron/Sandwich Grill | 5¢ for 30 mins | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coffee Maker | 10-14 ¢/brew | ||||||||||||||||||
| Laundry | |||||||
| Electric Clothes Dryer | 30-45¢ per load | ||||||
| Gas Clothes Dryer | 10-16¢ per load | ||||||
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| Lighting | |
| 75-watt incandescent | 0.5¢ per hour |
| 18-watt fluorescent | 0.1¢ per hour |
| 25-watt tube fluorescent | 0.2¢ per hour/hr |
| 300-watt halogen | 2¢ per hour |
| Night Light | 0.3¢ per day |
| Water Heating | |
| Conventional gas water heater | 40-60¢ per day |
| Conventional electric water heater | 90¢-$1.30 per day |
| Electric heat pump water heater | 40-60¢ per day |
| Oil Water Heater | 60-75¢/day |
| Home Entertainment | |
| Television | 1-2¢ per hour |
| VCR | .5¢ per hour |
| Boombox | less than 1 ¢ per hour |
| Stereo, Component System | 2-4¢ per hour |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Computer | 0.20¢ per day running 10 hours a day |
| Clock | 0.05¢ per hour |
| Aquarium | 6-10¢ per day |
| Hair Dryer | 3-5¢ per 15 min use |
| Cordless Phone | 16¢ a month |
| Christmas Lights | 8¢ per hour for 100 lights |
| Sewing machine | Less than 2¢ per hour |
| Vacuum Cleaner | 5¢ per hour |
Get the most out of your appliances by keeping them clean, especially around moving parts.
Keep dirt and hair vacuumed out from around the refrigerator motor by removing back panel once every month or two after unplugging the appliance.
Fill the freezer to get the most efficient use of its space.
Keep the lint screen of the dryer clear after each load and avoid using the dryer sheets that clog the screen.
Fans run more effectively when the blades are clean and any accumulated hair or dirt is cleaned away from the motor.
Turn the water heater off if you are going to be gone for an extended period of time. Turn off the circuit breaker for an electric heater or to vacation setting for a gas heater. It only takes an hour to heat the water up again.
Put an insulation blanket around the water heater to keep the water hot longer. Set your water heater to 120 degrees F.
