Clock radios etc- how much could you save in a year if they weren't on?

needmoneyadvice

Just wondered how much money could be saved in a year if clock radios and clocks on videos etc were turned off?

Is it possible to work it out without constantly checking the meter or is this general knowledge? If it is so sorry for wasting everyone's time.

Ben84

Almost certainly not a lot of electric. Battery powered examples of these devices can run for several years on the same batteries. My alarm clock has been running for over two years on the same four AAA batteries. It takes very little energy to run a modern quartz clock circuit and an LCD display.

A_fiend_for_life

Should say on the back but it is very low.
Might cost you lots if you don't get up for work.:eek:

Jonesya

Well a typical LED clock is probably going to be using a few watts at most, say 4W which is the same as 0.004kW. Electricity costs ~9p/kwh and there are 8760 hours in a year so in 1 year the clock uses:

0.004*8760 = 35.04 kwh costing ~£3.15 (at 9p/kwh)

geordie_joe

Well I just hiked up two flights of stairs and looked at my alarm clock. It's just an alarm clock, no radio or any fancy gadgets, and it's over 15 years old.

The label says it uses 5 watts, but I'm not about to unplug it to check with my meter. At 5 watts my spreadsheet says it will cost 4 pounds per year, with units of electricity costing 9.21p.

I could switch it off and save that 4 quid, but I would be late for work some mornings!

Magentasue

Off on a tangent, I've always had the idea that using batteries is generally more expensive than plugging in at the mains but it would seem that's not true if geordiejoe's calculation is accurate.

needmoneyadvice

Thank you so much for your replies.

Interest point Magentasue-perhaps batteries is the way to go?

geordie_joe

Magentasue wrote: »

Off on a tangent, I've always had the idea that using batteries is generally more expensive than plugging in at the mains but it would seem that's not true if geordiejoe's calculation is accurate.

My calculations are accurate, but they are based on what the label says and not what is actually used. I don't know what modern clocks will use, mine is around 15 years old and I'm not about to change it. It was bought by my daughter about 15 years ago when she started her first job. I suspect it was the cheapest one in the argos catalogue, or that she could find. She bought an alarm clock/radio with her first wage and gave this one to me. It replaced my wind up clock and has not let me down since, so I am not going to change it.

It may be that a battery clock will be more economical, but I have a battery clock in my living room and it works fine right up until it doesn't. It doesn't give any warning when the batteries are going, it just stops. I would hate it if my alarm clock "just stopped" during the night because the batteries had run out.

Four quid a year for an alarm clock that works is a small price to pay IMO.

Of course, if you need to buy a clock, then a wind up one may do for you.

But personally, the last time I thought "Have I wound the alarm clock" before going to sleep, young girls, and boys were queuing up and paying good money just to be in the same room as Gary Glitter.

Ben84

The wattage labels on appliances only state the maximum energy the appliance can use, for example a three setting heater will only have the wattage for the highest setting printed on it, despite the other two settings using much less energy. So I'm going to assume that the alarm clock labelled 5w is only using 5w when the bell is ringing or it's being used as a radio. I doubt this is a constant figure, but I'd be curious to test it and find out.

The reason I doubt it is because a typical battery contains very little energy. By my calculations a 2800 mAh AA contains about 4w, and yet 2 or 4 or these will power a clock for a long time.

I can see that a mains powered clock will have a significant voltage conversion to bring down the voltage of the mains to something more suitable, and that creates losses. Also that battery powered items might simply be designed to be more efficient. However, the suggestion that a typical alarm clock uses 35 kWh a year seems very high.