Motorised Treadmills - Eat up electricity?

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thor
thor Posts: 5,483 Forumite
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in Techie Stuff
I am currently considering getting in a treadmill(I am starting to go soft and no longer look forward to 6 to 8 mile runs in the freezing cold dark of winter) but am being put off by the cost. It is not the price of the treadmill itself that I am worried about but that of the electricity required to run it. Motorised treadmills are much more superior to manual ones but I have heard that their power requirements are about 2KW. The thought of plugging in such a device several times a week for 30 minutes or more at a time fills me with dread in these days of skyhigh energy costs.
So I want to know if there is anyone out there who has noticed a big jump in the leccy bills when they started using an electric treadmill?
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  • fwor
    fwor Posts: 6,811 Forumite
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    I suspect that the power requirement is slightly misleading - It's probably specifying the peak load, which you only typically see at startup.

    TBH I wouldn't worry about the power consumption too much for something that will probably be used relatively infrequently. Almost all of the power consumed ends up as heat anyway, so if you are using it mainly in the cold/dark months that will simply end up heating you house up a bit, with a (almost) corresponding drop in your heating bill.
  • thor
    thor Posts: 5,483 Forumite
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    I hope that you are right about the power rating being the peak for starting up only. The machine will be used more frequently than most treadmills because apart from myself I can see a couple of other family members being interested in using it as well so it could be in use for several hours per week.
    If the room does warm up it won't be of much use since I will be running late in the evening when there will be no one around.
    With electricity costing roughly 10p per kW I calculate an hour of running will cost 20p if the peak current was required constantly and at that rate I'll be adding considerably to my electric bill.
  • PROLIANT
    PROLIANT Posts: 6,396 Forumite
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    Motorised exercise equipment? Bit like cycling to work on your honda :rolleyes: Can you not get a "manual" powered treadmill? :confused:
    Since when has the world of computer software design been about what people want? This is a simple question of evolution. The day is quickly coming when every knee will bow down to a silicon fist, and you will all beg your binary gods for mercy.
  • thor
    thor Posts: 5,483 Forumite
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    As far as running goes nothing is better than running out in the open but a motorised treadmill at least helps you run more naturally. It is not as easy as it looks. If you stop or slow down while the machine is going you are going to get a rude awakening.
  • littleange
    littleange Posts: 1,431 Forumite
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    We have this treadmill and I have just measured how much it is using for you quickly, I think these are correct but will double check them tomorrow:

    1 km/h = 35 watts
    2 km/h = 55 watts
    3 km/h = 75 watts
    4 km/h = 100 watts
    5 km/h = 120 watts
    6 km/h = 145 watts
    7 km/h = 165 watts
    8 km/h = 190 watts
    9 km/h = 215 watts
    10 km/h = 240 watts
    11 km/h = 265 watts
    12 km/h = 290 watts

    It is much less than I thought it would be, I tend to powerwalk on it at 6km/h.

    So if your electricity is 10p you would get nearly 7 hours for that at 6km/h.

    Our electricity has just gone up to 14p :(
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
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    Could you not rig up a bike that would create electricity then use that power to run the electricity for the house
  • littleange
    littleange Posts: 1,431 Forumite
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    DCFC79 wrote: »
    Could you not rig up a bike that would create electricity then use that power to run the electricity for the house

    I'd like one of those :)
  • thor
    thor Posts: 5,483 Forumite
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    littleange_com wrote: »
    We have this treadmill and I have just measured how much it is using for you quickly, I think these are correct but will double check them tomorrow:

    1 km/h = 35 watts
    2 km/h = 55 watts
    3 km/h = 75 watts
    4 km/h = 100 watts
    5 km/h = 120 watts
    6 km/h = 145 watts
    7 km/h = 165 watts
    8 km/h = 190 watts
    9 km/h = 215 watts
    10 km/h = 240 watts
    11 km/h = 265 watts
    12 km/h = 290 watts

    It is much less than I thought it would be, I tend to powerwalk on it at 6km/h.

    So if your electricity is 10p you would get nearly 7 hours for that at 6km/h.

    Our electricity has just gone up to 14p :(
    Very useful info there.
    How did you measure the power? Did you use one of those doodahs(as uttered by the immortal Jethro Gibbs) that sits in between the mains and the plug?
  • littleange
    littleange Posts: 1,431 Forumite
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    thor wrote: »
    Very useful info there.
    How did you measure the power? Did you use one of those doodahs(as uttered by the immortal Jethro Gibbs) that sits in between the mains and the plug?

    Yeah, got a doodah :)
  • Coveredinbees!!!!
    Coveredinbees!!!! Posts: 3,927 Forumite
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    Which ever way you look at it it's cheaper than gym fees
    Nothing to see here, move along.
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