How to work out how much something costs to run

sb44

I can't find the details we had with our electric bill but I am trying to work out how much it costs to run my slow cooker.

If it is 120w and my tariff is 6.816p a kwh, does that work out at 6.816p if I have it on for 8 hours?

120 x 8 div by 1000 = 0.96 kwh so just under 7p ?

albyota

that's spot on however I'm not sure about slow cookers, whether they continuously use 120 watts or cycle on and off via thermostatic control, either way between 4.5p and 7p as you say is very good to cook a meal.

albyota

I suppose I ought to work out how much my breadmaker costs to run, 2 pound loaf takes 3 and a quarter hours.

sb44

albyota wrote: »

that's spot on however I'm not sure about slow cookers, whether they continuously use 120 watts or cycle on and off via thermostatic control, either way between 4.5p and 7p as you say is very good to cook a meal.

That's great, thanks for the info.

It has a low, high and auto setting so as I usually cook everything on low I think it will be around the 7p mark.

Best I start meal planning and try to use that every day to save on cooking costs.

albyota

I have never used a slow cooker, apparently they hold in the nutrients better, is this true?, if so maybe I should invest in one as well, usually cooking a 20 minute meal using oven and two rings (electric) costs roughly 30p.... 3 x 3 kW elements = 9kW at 9p/kwh = 81p / 3 (20 mins) = 27p

Cardew

albyota wrote: »

I have never used a slow cooker, apparently they hold in the nutrients better, is this true?, if so maybe I should invest in one as well, usually cooking a 20 minute meal using oven and two rings (electric) costs roughly 30p.... 3 x 3 kW elements = 9kW at 9p/kwh = 81p / 3 (20 mins) = 27p

The element(s) on an oven and rings are all thermostatically controlled or variable power, so you cannot take the maximum power and assume it will be consuming 9kW* for 20 mins.

A slow cooker does not have a thermostat so if it is rated at 120w it will use that all the time. So the OP is correct in his/her calculation - 0.96kWh for 8 hours.

* Are you sure your cooker rings are 3kW? I have never seen one larger than 2 kW and many are 500w to 1.5kW

albyota

cardew, I was advising with quick rough calculations, the element size of most electric cookers are as you say between 1.5, and 2kW most oven elements are between 2 and 3 kw so you are correct as usual..... I wasn't expecting the headmaster to be around at this time of the night, sorry I will try harder next time...;)

100 lines for me

I need to check before I post
I need to check before I post
I need to check before I post
I need to check before I post
I need to check before I post......

Cardew

albyota wrote: »

100 lines for me

Only 100 lines? what a soft school you must have attended!

Birch cane and headmaster's study in my school!

Simon22

Cardew wrote: »

Birch cane and headmaster's study in my school!

Now modified to a minor telling off and hoping the parents don't sue you for telling lovely little "Timmy" he's badly behaving brat.