Author: Craig Lloyd / Source: howtogeek.com
You know how much electricity you use overall each month, because you pay the bill. But, you can also figure out how much electricity each appliance uses individually and how much it contributes to your total usage.
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Unless you have some fancy equipment monitoring every electrical connection in your house, you likely have no idea what the energy usage is of individual appliances.
Your monthly bill shows you your overall usage, but that’s it. However, you can get a general idea of how much electricity your appliances use by looking at overall averages, calculating your usage, and, in some cases, using a nifty electricity monitor called the Kill A Watt if you want to do your own investigating.Check Whether It’s an Electric or Gas Appliance First
Before we get started, it’s important to first check whether your appliances run off of electricity or natural gas (in some houses there’s also propane or oil for heating, but for the vast majority of residences, you’ll have electric and gas connections).
Appliances like your water heater, oven, stove, furnace, and clothes dryer could very well be powered by natural gas instead of electricity. One easy way to find out is by looking behind the appliance (or sometimes just right in front, like on your water heater) at the connections.
If it’s clearly plugged into an electrical outlet, then you know it runs off electricity. However, if you see a flexible, corrugated hose of sorts (it will most likely be bright yellow) connected to a shut-off valve (like the one pictured above), then the appliance runs off gas.
If you have appliances that run off of natural gas, then you’re actually in luck money-wise, as the cost of natural gas is around two to three times cheaper than the cost of electricity. However, if…
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