Bangor Hydro Electric Company

Calculating Electricity Use

Electricity usage for household items will depend on the watt rating
and on t he length of time the it em is operating. To det ermine the
electricity usage of your electrical item, use the following steps:

A. Find the watt rating of the item. This is usually on a small metal plate on the back or bottom of the item. Some items will list the volts and amps instead of watts. To obtain the watts, simply multiply

(Volts x Amps = Watts).

B. Estimate the hours per month the item is used.

C. Using the formula below, calculate the approximate number of
kilowatt-hours for each item.

watts x hours of operation = kWh
1,000 watts

Example: A 1,500 watt microwave oven with estimated use of 10 hoursper month (20 minutes per day).

1,500 watts x 10 hours/month = 15 kWh per month
1,000 watts

D. By multiplying the number of estimated kilowatt-hours used per
month times the price per kWh, you can determine the approximate
operating cost per month of your electrical item.

kWh per month x price per kWh = cost per month

Example: 15 kWh per month x $.17 per kWh* = $2.58 estimated cost per month.

E. The cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity is made up of three separate components in residential accounts. Add all three together, then use that total in the above calculation.

Example:	Distribution Charge	$ 0.07427
	Transmission Charge	$ 0.01036
	Electricity Supply Charge	$ 0.08712
	Total Cost per kWh	$0.17175

To obtain current Transmission & Distribution charges click here.
To obtain current Standard Offer electricity supply charges go to the MainePublic Utilities web site at http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/

Return to Energy Manager