Changing Your Habits Can Lower Utility Bills


	BEXAR COUNTY SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Changing Your Habits Can Lower Utility Bills
BY
COMMISSIONER TOMMY ADKISSON
May 23, 2002
______________________________________

Last week I told you about the Metropolitan Partnership for Energy taking dead aim at energy inefficiency. I told you I would share with you some of our findings about energy efficiency. This week I would like to share with you some of the prices we pay for various electrical appliances.

Some of the electrical appliances are used quite often and some are not. Contrast a coffee maker costing 7.8 cents per hour versus a central air conditioning unit costing 27 to 37.8 cents per hour. One is used for perhaps an hour or so and the latter is used intermittently through the day and night.

Other electrical appliances are used in multiple numbers, at the same time. An example of such is the use of electrical light bulbs which cost anywhere from .4 cents to .7 cents for each bulb per hour of operation. When you add the daily, weekly and monthly use of light bulbs and an array of other appliances, you can produce a significant CPS bill.

You should also know about a joint effort by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to recommend energy efficient appliances kind of like the familiar "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval". The program is called ENERGY STAR and it provides businesses and consumers with energy-efficient solutions that save money while protecting the environment for future generations. Look for the ENERGY STAR label and you will know that you are saving electricity!

In the meantime, consider the following information as you decide how you might save at least just a little and maybe a whole lot.


	The Cost to Operate Your Appliances

Lighting (Incandescent)

Laundry

Home Entertainment

Kitchen Appliances

Air Conditioning

Heating

Fans

Other Appliances

Average Est. Cost
Appliance Wattage PerHour

Lightbulb                  40                              .4¢
Lightbulb                  60                              .5¢
Lightbulb                  75                              .7¢

Washing Machine    512                           3.3¢
Iron                       1100                           7.2¢
Water Heater         4475                        29.1¢
Dryer                     4856                        31.0¢

Video Game              40                          0.3¢
VCR                         65                          0.4¢
Television 19"           65                          0.4¢
Stereo                     109                         0.7¢
Television 25"         115                          0.7¢
Home Computer
w/Monitor              150                          1.0¢

Waste Disposal       445                         2.9¢
Refrigerator/Freezer    720                         4.5¢
Dish Washer         1201                         7.8¢
Coffee Maker       1200                         7.8¢
Microwave           1450                         9.4¢
Range w/oven     12200                       79.3¢

Room Units
9,000 BTU 750-1059 4.9¢-6.9¢
12,000 BTU 1348-1600 8.8¢-10.4¢

Central Air Units
36,000 BTU 3462-4444 22.5¢-29.9¢
48,000 BTU 4156-5818 27.0¢-37.8¢

Central Heat Pumps
3 Ton             3600-4390              23.4¢-28.5¢
4   Ton            4776-5783              31.0¢-37.6¢
Heater (Portable) 1322                          8.6¢

Ceiling 100 0.7¢
Box 200 1.3¢

Trash Compactor 400 2.6¢
Vacuum Cleaner 630 4.1¢


	The information was compiled by a 1995 CPS cost projections study. The cost projections were based on $0.065 per kilowatt-hour. The Edison Electric Institute provided the average wattage per appliance.


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