Household electrical appliances – energy consumption and tiered electricity bills

Design & TechnologyElectrical Engineering & SafetyAges 11–12

The house has nine familiar electrical appliances with realistic power ratings: a 9 W LED bulb, a 60 W fan, a 100 W TV, a fridge, a 700 W rice cooker, a 500 W washing machine, a 1000 W iron, an 1800 W electric kettle, and a 900 W air conditioner. Students click to switch each appliance on or off, click the arrows to raise or lower its daily hours of use, then watch the energy A = P(kW) × t(h) for each device, the total kWh for the month, and the bill calculated under California's (USA) tiered electricity rates.