News

May 27, 2023

Illinois Electric Bills: Here's How Much Your Appliances Add On

I recently thought of my grandparents, and this weird thing (at the time I

I recently thought of my grandparents, and this weird thing (at the time I thought it was weird, anyway) that they used to do:

Unplug many of their appliances when they weren't in use.

When grandma was done watching "As The World Turns" and "Guiding Light," she'd reach behind the TV and pop the plug out of the wall. Later on, my grandpa would come into the room, plug the TV back in (a black and white 17" screen), and settle in to watch Walter Cronkite doing the evening news.

They did this with their TV, blender, toaster, radio, coffee maker, mixer, and I'm sure, other stuff that I didn't know about.

Why? When I asked that very question, they looked at me like I was an idiot and told me it was to "save electricity, of course."

I laughed at them, as people who are ignorant about something often do, but it turns out that they were on to something.

The website, MoneyTransfers.com, took a look at ways consumers can save some utility money by showing you the monthly and annual costs of your everyday electrical appliances and gadgets, especially the ones that still use power even when they're turned off (but not unplugged).

It should come as no surprise that the top electricity-gobbling item in your home is your air-conditioner. Running it 8 hours a day costs you about $88.50 per month.

Next in line is the electric heater. Assuming you run it 2 hours a day, you're looking at $10.80 being tacked on to your electric bill monthly.