Saving Money On Electricity

Sometimes we don’t think about actions we take in a way that puts into perspective their consequences.

Today I want to talk about how this affects our electricity usage.

Different perspectives:

1 watt running all year costs $1.

1 watt running all year from Coal sources emits ~20 lbs of CO2.

1 watt running all year from Coal sources emits ~.068 mg of mercury.

One watt isn’t too bad, but one watt is about enough power to keep a high-efficiency LED night light running.

The average home in the US uses about 5,000 kW hrs of energy from electricity a year. That’s equivalent to running 570 watts of power all year.

5,000 kW Hrs a year costs $600.
It emits 4.75 tons of CO2 / yr, and emits 38 mg of mercury.

What I find interesting is that for every watt of average electricity usage you stop using, you’ll save a dollar every year.

If you replace an old refrigerator or old air conditioner, this could quickly turn into hundreds of dollars.

A new air filter might cost fifty dollars, in one year the savings in electricity would pay back for itself compared to the old filter, if the average power use dropped 50 watts. After the first year, I’ll be saving $50 bucks every year after that compared to maintaining the status quo.

How much potential savings is there out there for the average person to tap into?

It depends on what kinds of things you have running in your house. There are plenty of good sources on how to make your house more efficient.

Just remember that 1 watt of average usage equals 1 dollar, and you will be more aware of the consequences of the amount of electricity you use.