Appliance Power Usage Tracker

Pick appliances, enter monthly hours of use, and (optionally) adjust default power (kW). The tool instantly calculates kWh and cost using your electricity price.

Developed by Audrie Brooks, this tool translates appliance use into clear monthly kWh and $ figures so households cut waste and keep predictable bills.

Why tracking usage counts?

Residential electricity spending in the U.S. typically lands around $120-$160 per month on 900-1,100 kWh at average rates near $0.15-$0.17/kWh. When bills exceed that band, the drivers usually concentrate in a handful of loads: water heating, cooling/space heating, laundry drying, electric cooking, and devices left on for hours. The tracker converts your own appliances, power draw, and hours into a verified subtotal for each device, letting you attack cost where it concentrates rather than guessing.

How the Appliance Power Usage Tracker works?

1. Set Price, $/kWh to match your utility rate (default: 0.175).
2. Use the search field to find appliances faster.
3. Tick the checkbox for each appliance you use.
4. For each selected appliance, review Power (kW) (ⓘ shows what it means) and Hours/mo; edit both to reflect your home.
5. If needed, click Select popular to prefill common household devices.
6. Add any missing item via Add your own device (enter Device name, Power (kW), Hours/month, then Add).
7. Check the Results table: see kWh/mo and $/mo per appliance and the Total line above.
8. Read the Expert tip in each row and apply the action most relevant to your top-cost devices.
9. Use Clear all to reset the selection and rebuild your scenario (e.g., for seasonal months).

Interpreting Results and Turning Them into Savings

The tracker is a decision tool, not a guessing engine. Calibrate it once, then use it monthly to direct action and verify outcomes.

Start with accuracy. Enter the exact $/kWh from your latest bill and align Power (kW) with your device label or manual. For seasonal loads, set Hours/mo to reflect the current month rather than an annual average. This establishes a clean baseline.

Prioritize by impact. In the Results table, sort mentally by $/mo. Focus on the top two or three devices that drive most of the total. Apply the built-in tips, then cut hours or intensity in ways that do not reduce comfort - lower dryer time via high-spin, raise AC setpoint by two degrees with fan support, shift cooking to microwave for small portions, and set water heater to 120°F.

Measure the effect. Revisit the tracker after two weeks and update hours. Your new total should move in the expected direction. Cross-check with your utility's online usage graph; the drop in kWh converts directly to dollars at your rate.

Plan upgrades with numbers, not slogans. If an appliance remains a heavy contributor after habit changes, compare the current kWh/mo to a high-efficiency replacement's documented draw. Multiply the kWh difference by your price to see monthly dollars saved; this gives a concrete payback period in months.

Use scenarios. Duplicate your setup and change only one variable - summer AC hours, a reduced water-heater setpoint, or a new appliance wattage. The gap between scenarios is your forecasted savings, which anchors realistic goals for the next billing cycle.