Fuel and energy are inter-related as energy production is mainly depending on fossil fuels. Increasing fuel price eventually will cause an increase in electricity cost. It is important to for us to know how you calculate your own energy consumption in and around our home or office.

For most consumers the largest single energy source in and around their home or office is electricity. These tips will focus exclusively on electricity consumption and how to calculate it. The wasteful lifestyles are identified as one of the reason for increasing usage of electricity per capita. Selection of electrical devices and design of home or office will also contribute to this.

Since many appliances have a range of settings (for example, the volume on a radio), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time. Use the following formula to estimate the amount of energy a specific appliance consumes:

Wattage x Hours Used Per Day = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption (1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts)
Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption. You can then calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by the cost per kWh consumed.
(Note: The Wattage value can be found on the equipment label together with the voltage, the unit of Wattage is Watt)

Example of Wattage of Electrical Appliances in Watts:
Aquarium = 50-1210 Watts
Clock radio = 10
Coffee maker = 900-1200
Clothes washer = 350-500
Clothes dryer = 1800-5000
Dishwasher = 1200-2400
Electric blanket = 60 / 100
Ceiling fan = 65-175
Window fan = 55-250
Furnace = 750
Hair dryer = 1200-1875
Heater = 750-1500
Clothes Iron = 1000-1800
Microwave oven = 750-1100
Personal Computer:
CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
Laptop = 50
Radio (stereo) = 400
Refrigerator = 725
Television (color):
19" = 110
27" = 113
36" = 133
53"-61" Projection = 170
Flat Screen = 120
Toaster = 800-1400
VCR/DVD = 17-21 /20-25
Vacuum cleaner = 1000-1440

Also note that many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched "off.". These "phantom loads" occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. Most phantom loads will increase the appliance's energy consumption a few watts per hour. These loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance.