We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Sust-it: Find out how much your appliances really cost.
MSE_Martin
Posts: 8,272 Money Saving Expert
in Energy
What's it all about?
Energy inefficiency costs. There's a new free website that calculates the relative prices of different appliances to show you whether they're worth it or not. The difference can be huge, some computers cost £30 to run, others £270; something that should be incorporated into the purchase price.
How does it work?
Simply go to Sust-it Choose the type of appliance you want to look at - the site lists products ranging from washing machines to High Definition Tellys. When you click View, it then displays a list of models and makes, ranked by how much they cost to run.
Even bigger savings come from switching to the cheapest provider.
Of course as well as using less energy, ensuring your paying less is important, you can cut up to 25% of your energy bills by switching to the cheapest provider. Read the Cheapest Gas & Electricity plus cashback article.
Knowing the cost of appliances should also improve the way you budget. You may find a top bargain for a new TV or laptop, yet factor in the electricity you'll use, and it's possible you'd be better off plumping for something more expensive now, to save in the future.
There's an environmental saving too
Of course, this also lets you see the the cost to the environment, and potentially cut down the resources you use up. For more ideas about how to use less energy, see the Energy Saving Trust website which has full guides, and information about cash grants available for making your home more energy efficient.
Anything else?
The listings are by no means complete, and mostly include new products, so it's better as a resource for people planning to buy appliances than for checking those they already own. However, it's certainly worth having a look if you're trying to drive down the cost of your energy bills, even if you're not in the market for new stuff.
Martin
Energy inefficiency costs. There's a new free website that calculates the relative prices of different appliances to show you whether they're worth it or not. The difference can be huge, some computers cost £30 to run, others £270; something that should be incorporated into the purchase price.
How does it work?
Simply go to Sust-it Choose the type of appliance you want to look at - the site lists products ranging from washing machines to High Definition Tellys. When you click View, it then displays a list of models and makes, ranked by how much they cost to run.
Even bigger savings come from switching to the cheapest provider.
Of course as well as using less energy, ensuring your paying less is important, you can cut up to 25% of your energy bills by switching to the cheapest provider. Read the Cheapest Gas & Electricity plus cashback article.
Knowing the cost of appliances should also improve the way you budget. You may find a top bargain for a new TV or laptop, yet factor in the electricity you'll use, and it's possible you'd be better off plumping for something more expensive now, to save in the future.
There's an environmental saving too
Of course, this also lets you see the the cost to the environment, and potentially cut down the resources you use up. For more ideas about how to use less energy, see the Energy Saving Trust website which has full guides, and information about cash grants available for making your home more energy efficient.
Anything else?
The listings are by no means complete, and mostly include new products, so it's better as a resource for people planning to buy appliances than for checking those they already own. However, it's certainly worth having a look if you're trying to drive down the cost of your energy bills, even if you're not in the market for new stuff.
Martin
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Don't miss out on urgent MoneySaving, get my weekly e-mail at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.
Debt-Free Wannabee Official Nerd Club: (Honorary) Members number 000
0
Comments
-
I heard this morning that DEFRA has launched a carbon use calculator so we can work out our individual 'carbon footprints' - haven't tried it yet but it's here:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2007/climate-0620.htm
Hope that works, have never posted a link before! Not strictly money-saving, I know, but maybe a little planet-saving instead... Happy self guilt-inducing!0 -
MSE_Martin wrote: »
The difference can be huge, some computers cost £30 to run, others £270; something that should be incorporated into the purchase price.
In what way is this not money saving?!
Choose to buy an appliance that's energy efficient and pay less for your electricity bills.0 -
I meant that my post wasn't strictly money saving, not Martin's! Wouldn't have been a member for two and a half years if I didn't worship the airwaves Martin broadcasts on!
Hope that clears things up!0 -
Not sure if sus -it is based on testing, a quick look at the computer pages makes me think that they just looked at the wattage rating and applied a formula for daily/annual useage to that.
Its a bit like light bulbs, the cheapest computer, to run has a rating of 6 watts, whereas the dearest is a server rated at 980watts, not rocket science.
Anyone can do that for themselves when buying.ac's lovechild0 -
Not sure if sus -it is based on testing, a quick look at the computer pages makes me think that they just looked at the wattage rating and applied a formula for daily/annual useage to that.
Its a bit like light bulbs, the cheapest computer, to run has a rating of 6 watts, whereas the dearest is a server rated at 980watts, not rocket science.
Anyone can do that for themselves when buying.
Agreed.
The problem is that many of the heavy consumption items have a thermostat and without monitoring equipment(not an Electrisave) it is very difficult to determine consumption.
For instance the 'sus' site gives the consumption of my Washing Machine as 1.02kWh per cycle. In reality it can be between 0.4kWh to 1.9kWh, the majority of times it is 0.6kWh.
So for the site to break consumption down to one hundredth of a kWh and price it to one pence per year is pretty pointless. Particularly as the prices used are not representative.
My A rated chest freezer is kept in a garage. It consumes far less in the winter, when the garage is cold, than the summer. With upright freezers consumption is affected by how often, and for how long, the door is open.
Those who understand electrical appliances and billing have little need for 'Sus'.
I am not convinced it is a great deal of help for those who don't; it is too simplistic.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.4K Spending & Discounts
- 243.6K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.7K Life & Family
- 256.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards