DIYbanter - View Single Post - how accurate are "energyguide" numbers vs. Kill-A-Watt?

HeyBub[_3_]

wrote:

I replaced my 24 year old side by side with a new Kitchenaid energy
star model last year. According to the energy guide it was supposed
to use about $90 a year in electricity. I measured it with a
kilowatt meter and it was spot on. I also measured the old one and
it was using $185 a year. I performed the test over 3 days with both
units. So, in this case, the energy guide is right and I'm saving
$95/year, which helps pay for the new unit.

How much did the new unit cost? If, say, $1000, you lose $40/year in
opportunity costs (interest on your money). If you had to borrow to buy the
unit at, say, 8%, that's $80/year in interest.

To take this concept to a ridiculous extreme, one could spend $50,000 for
solar heating, wind turbines, etc., to save an ENTIRE electric bill of
$200/month.

Saving money on power usage is good, but, in the view of some, saving money
might be way down on the list of reasons.