Calculate Your Electric Costs Gadget by Gadget

QUESTION: My family seems to have hundreds of small electric gadgets around the house. How can I tell how much electricity is used to run these small convenience appliances, such as an electric can opener?

ANSWER: Although most small convenience appliances use only a small amount of electricity, the total can be quite significant. In the United States, lighting and small appliances account for 8% of the total energy consumed in a home.

Generally, heating appliances--electric cooking pans, irons, hair dryers--use the most electricity. At an average rate of 8 cents per kilowatt-hour, it costs about 9 cents to use your iron for one hour. An electric cooking pan costs about 8 cents per hour.

In contrast, small motorized appliances--can openers, electric knives, hand mixers--use very little electricity. You can open more than 100 cans for about one cent of electricity.

In the non-heating season, there is also a hidden energy cost in using electric appliances. All the electricity used by an appliance, even for non-heating ones, eventually ends up as heat inside your home, which forces an air conditioner to run longer to remove it.

There are some simple things you can do to reduce the electricity usage of appliances. If you have an instant-on TV, unplug it when you don’t plan to have it on for a long while. Use a radio for background sound instead of a TV.

Cook several foods simultaneously in the same appliance when possible. This not only saves electricity, but it also lowers dishwashing costs. Brew only as much coffee as you need, and don’t keep a half-full pot steaming for hours.

You can determine how much each appliance pushes up your electric bills. Multiply the wattage of the appliance by the length of time you use it to figure the watt-hours consumed. (Wattage is usually shown somewhere on its label.)

Then divide the number of watt-hours by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours. Multiply this number by your electric rate in cents per kilowatt-hour and you have the cost to operate it.

For example, a 1,500-watt hair dryer used for 15 minutes at a rate of 8 cents per kilowatt-hour costs 3 cents per use. A 200-watt slow cooker costs less than 2 cents per hour used.

You can write to me for Utility Bills Update No. 031 showing a chart of typical wattages and costs to operate 100 common household appliances, entertainment items and workshop tools. Please include $1 and a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

Cold Water Disappears When Toilet Flushes

Q: We try to take showers instead of baths to reduce hot water usage. But whenever a toilet is flushed while someone is showering, he or she almost gets scalded. What should we do?

A: When the toilet flushes, there is a reduction in cold-water pressure, and only hot water comes out of the shower head. First, try setting the water temperature lower at the water heater. This will also save energy.

If you still have a problem, you can get a pressure-balancing bathtub faucet at most plumbing outlets. They run about $100.

Block Off Air Registers to Seal Unused Room

Q: I have closed off the supply air registers to an unused bedroom in my house to save energy. Is it also important to close the return air register from it? There are no movable louvers in it to close.

A: It is important to block off both the supply and return registers. You can often close the baffle in the supply air duct leading to the room. For a better seal, stretch plastic film beneath the register.

The return register often does not have louvers to close it. For the neatest appearance, remove it and stretch some plastic film behind it. Screw it back in place. Then, with a knife, carefully cut off the excess around the edge of the return register cover.

James Dulley has written a 100-page book, “Solarize Your Home,” compiling 22 solar-energy-related columns. The book can be ordered for $9.95, including postage and handling. Mail to James Dulley, Solarize, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.