How to calculate your heating cost
Keeping your home warm is crucial for your whānau's health - yes, you can put on another coat, but the air you breathe will still be cold. The World Health Organisation recommends heating your rooms to at least 18°C. Here's a simple guide to calculating your heating costs.
Step 1: Check your heater's label
Find the power usage
- Look at the label on your heater to see how much power it uses, measured in watts (W).
- Convert watts to kilowatts (kW) by dividing by 1000. For example, a 2400W heater is 2.4kW.
- This means if you run the heater on full for one hour, it uses 2.4 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power.
Step 2: Check your power bill
Find the price per unit
- Your power bill will show the cost per unit of electricity, usually in cents. For example, it might be 18.37 cents per kWh.
Step 3: Calculate the cost
Do the math
- Multiply the unit price (in cents) by the power used (in kWh) to find out how much it costs to run your heater for an hour.
Bonus Tip: Use a power meter
Measure power usage
- Use a power meter to measure how much electricity your heater (or any appliance) is using. This is especially helpful for heaters with thermostats that turn off once the room reaches the desired temperature.