That old window AC unit cost me $80 more on my electric bill last summer

I was complaining about my July power bill to my neighbor Bob, and he pulled out his kill-a-watt meter and showed me what my ancient window unit was pulling... 1500 watts an hour just to keep one room cool. He let me borrow the meter and I tested all my appliances, the fridge alone was drawing double what it should because the coils were caked with dust. Cleaned those up and swapped the AC for a newer energy star model from Facebook marketplace for $60, my August bill dropped by $45. Has anybody else tested their older appliances to see what they're really costing?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.phoenix1mo ago

1500 watts an hour" sounds about right for one of those old beasts. My grandmother had one in her living room that would dim the lights when it kicked on. We finally replaced it with a modern one a few years back and her bill dropped by $30 a month. She still calls the new one "fancy" because it has a remote.

the_wyatt1mo ago

My buddy Mike had an old window unit that sounded like a lawnmower having a seizure. He swore it was fine until his power bill hit $90 in August. @taylor.phoenix your grandma is right about that remote thing though. Mike's new one has a little screen that shows the temperature and he acts like he's piloting a spaceship. The old one was just a knob and a prayer.