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Background Electricity Usage 8760 hours a year

cx6
cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
1,000 Posts Name Dropper
edited 20 March 2022 at 6:44PM in Energy
With the looming electricity rise I have been going round the house checking the power usage of 'always on' things.

The first thing I found is my clock radio by the bed. I use my mobile phone for alarms now so no idea why I left it on. It uses 6w continuously.

There are 8760 hours in a year. 6 x 8760 is 52 kwh a year. The price cap rate is 28.4p per kwh so that clock radio alone is costing me nearly £15 a year.

It is off now and I will continue hunting.
«13456720

Comments

  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 18 March 2022 at 8:47AM
    How are you measusuring the consumption? The wattage shown on labels is a maximum offered to prevent socket overloading.
  • Ultrasonic
    Ultrasonic Posts: 4,265 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I tend to think my total background energy use is fairly low at 29 W but a contribution will be an old radio alarm clock. You've got me wondering now what this uses so I'll check over the weekend.
  • cx6
    cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    measuring it using a plug-in thingy
  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 19 March 2022 at 8:40AM
    6w is a lot. I've got older Roberts and Sony FM radios that use 1.5w when switched on. The clock display must be power hungry.
  • david1946
    david1946 Posts: 47 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    My Sky Q box uses 25 watts so 219 kWh a year which is the most power hungry device I have which is on continuously.

  • cx6
    cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    david1946 said:
    My Sky Q box uses 25 watts so 219 kWh a year which is the most power hungry device I have which is on continuously.

    Except maybe the fridge / freezer :)
  • cx6
    cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    6w is a lot. I've got a older Roberts and Sony FM radios that use 1.5w when switched on. The clock display must be power hungry.
    Yes I think it must be the display - it is quite bright and large (one of the reasons I bought it many moons ago)
  • razord
    razord Posts: 566 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 18 March 2022 at 1:51PM
    david1946 said:
    My Sky Q box uses 25 watts so 219 kWh a year which is the most power hungry device I have which is on continuously.

    They've definitely done significant work on this recently. I've got a v3 1TB box and it's standby usage is 11.5-12.5w (it seems to either be 11.5 or 12.5w... seemingly random each time I switch it off!) - that said, I do have all the wifi aspects turned off, as it's all wired for me.
  • cx6
    cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Just tested my Samsung wireless mobile phone charger which is always plugged in. It used 0.045kwh in a 24 hr period (no charging done, just plugged in sitting there).

    that's about 16 units nearly £8 a year and is another thing getting unplugged
  • Benny2020
    Benny2020 Posts: 525 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Technically those items are heating your house so not actually wasted in the winter.
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