DIY Energy Audit: Appliances

Your appliances can be energy hogs–especially that old fridge you keep in the garage. Want to know just how much it’s costing you?

1. Do some math. (This works if you know the wattage of your appliance.)
Multiply the wattage of the appliance by the number hours you use it each day.
Divide that total by 1000 to get your daily Kilowatt-hour use.
Multiply by the number of days you use the appliance each year.
Multiply by the amount you pay per Kilowatt-hour to get the amount you spend on that appliance every year.

2. Don’t know the wattage of your appliance? Consider a watt meter. Watt meters can help you figure out how much energy each of your appliances is using.

3. If you have older appliances, it may be time to consider a replacement. So long, olive-green dishwasher! There are rebates available to help make parting easier.

PHOTO: Flickr user Pantonality.