Note: The following is a description of each assumption used to calculate the electricity
use in your home. We needed to make some assumptions about the way electricity is
used in peoples’ homes in order to create a simple audit tool. Please note that these
assumptions may not reflect the precise reality of your household electricity use, but they
will still help you determine the overall impacts of your electricity-related behaviour
changes between the baseline audits and the final audit. Also, these assumptions are
being applied to everyone’s audit data in the same way so as to be able to compare
participants’ efforts fairly.
KITCHEN
1. We will assume that each compact fluorescent light bulb in the room is used for 6
hours a day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and
5 hours in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 6.
2. We will assume that each incandescent light bulb in the room is used for 6 hours a
day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and 5 hours
in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 6.
3. If the compact fluorescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we
will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light
bulb only needed to be on for 6 hours a day (see assumption #1), which means
that out of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for
18 hours of that day (24 – 6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as the watts x
18.
4. If the incandescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light bulb
only needed to be on for 6 hours a day (see assumption # 2), which means that out
of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for 18 hours
a day (24 – 6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 18.
5. If the _________ (choose: coffee maker, microwave, stereo, television, desktop
computer, laptop computer, chargers [check all chargers that apply (cell phone,
music players, portable phone)] is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We will also assume that the
_________ only needs to be on for 6 hours a day (for example: 1 hour in the
morning before you leave for school, and 5 hours in the evening after school),
except for the coffee-maker and microwave, which means that out of 24 hours in
the day, the _________ use was technically unnecessary for 18 hours a day (24 –
6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 18. We will calculate the
coffee-maker’s electricity use as watts x 23 (assuming it only needs to be on for 1
hour in the morning, which means energy use was technically unnecessary for the
remaining 23 hours), and the microwave’s electricity use as watts x 22 (assuming
it only needs to be on for 2 hours total in a day, which means energy use was
technically unnecessary for the remaining 22 hours).
6. If the _________ (choose: stereo, television, DVD player, modem, router, laptop
computer, desktop computer, monitor, printer, digital photo frames, chargers
[check all that apply (cell phone, portable phone, music players)] is off but
plugged in at the time you conduct the audit, we will assume that it has been left
off but plugged in for all the remaining hours of the day that it was not in use. We
will also assume the _________ was in use for 6 hours of the day, and therefore
could have been off and unplugged (or off and plugged into a smart power bar
which was then turned off) for the remaining 18 hours of the day (24 – 6 = 18).
This would have saved phantom electricity use. Electricity use will be calculated
as phantom watts x 18.
7. We will assume that running the dishwasher takes 1 hour. Electricity use will be
calculated as watts x 1.
BEDROOM S, LIVING ROOM, ETC.
1. We will assume that each compact fluorescent light bulb in the room is used for 6
hours a day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and
5 hours in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 6.
2. We will assume that each incandescent light bulb in the room is used for 6 hours a
day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and 5 hours
in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 6.
3. If the compact fluorescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we
will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light
bulb only needed to be on for 6 hours a day (see assumption #1), which means
that out of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for
18 hours of that day (24 – 6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 18.
4. If the incandescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light bulb
only needed to be on for 6 hours a day (see assumption #2), which means that out
of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for 18 hours
a day (24 – 6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 18.
5. If the _________ (choose: stereo, television, DVD player, modem, router, laptop
computer, desktop computer, monitor, printer, digital photo frames, chargers
[check all that apply (cell phone, portable phone, music players)] is on at the time
you conduct the audit, we will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours).
We will also assume that the _________ only needed to be on for 6 hours a day,
which means that out of 24 hours in the day, the _________ use was technically
unnecessary for 18 hours a day (24 – 6 = 18). Electricity use will be calculated as
watts x 18.
6. If the _________ (choose: stereo, television, DVD player, modem, router, laptop
computer, desktop computer, monitor, printer, digital photo frames, chargers
[check all that apply (cell phone, portable phone, music players)] is off but
plugged in at the time you conduct the audit, we will assume that it has been left
off but plugged in for all the remaining hours of the day that it was not in use. We
will also assume the _________ was in use for 6 hours of the day, and therefore
could have been off and unplugged (or off and plugged into a smart power bar
which was then turned off) for the remaining 18 hours of the day (24 – 6 = 18).
This would have saved phantom electricity use. Electricity use will be calculated
as phantom watts x 18.
BATHROOM (you use the most)
1. We will assume that each compact fluorescent light bulb in the room is used for 3
hours a day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and
2 hours in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 3.
2. We will assume that each incandescent light bulb in the room is used for 3 hours a
day (for example: 1 hour in the morning before you leave for school, and 2 hours
in the evening after school). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 3.
3. If the compact fluorescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we
will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light
bulb only needed to be on for 3 hours a day (see assumption #1), which means
that out of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for
21 hours of that day (24 – 3 = 21). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 21.
4. If the incandescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light bulb
only needed to be on for 3 hours a day, which means that out of 24 hours in the
day, the light bulb use was unnecessary for 21 hours a day (24 – 3 = 21).
Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 21.
LAUNDRY ROOM
1. We will assume that each compact fluorescent light bulb in the room is used for 2
hours a day (for example: 2 hours in the evening when you are helping your
parents do laundry). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 2.
2. We will assume that each incandescent light bulb in the room is used for 2 hours a
day (for example: 2 hours in the evening when you are helping your parents do
laundry). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 2.
3. If the compact fluorescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we
will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light
bulb only needed to be on for 2 hours a day (see assumption #1), which means
that out of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for
22 hours of that day (24 – 2 = 22). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 22.
4. If the incandescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light bulb
only needed to be on for 2 hours a day, which means that out of 24 hours in the
day, the light bulb use was unnecessary for 22 hours a day (24 – 2 = 22).
Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 22.
5. We will assume that each load of laundry put in the washer takes 1 hour to
complete. Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 1 x number of loads of
laundry.
6. We will continue to assume that each load of laundry put in the washer takes 1
hour to complete. In addition, we will multiply the original watts use by 2 since it
will take more electricity to run an additional load for each partial load. Electricity
use will be calculated as watts x 1 x number of loads of laundry x 2.
7. We will assume that each load of laundry put in the dryer takes 1 hour to
complete. Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 1 x number of loads of
laundry.
8. No assumptions made. Instead, any number greater than 0 is a savings. The
response ‘no laundry was done today’ is also a “savings” [avoidance – pop up
about preventing your clothes from ending up in the laundry prematurely]. An
answer of 0 receives a “hog.”
OUTDOORS (in your yards, driveway, etc.)
1. We will assume that each compact fluorescent light bulb for outdoor use is on for
12 hours (overnight). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 12.
2. We will assume that each incandescent light bulb for outdoor use is on for 12
hours (overnight). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 12.
3. If the compact fluorescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we
will assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light
bulb only needed to be on for 12 hours a day (see assumption #1), which means
that out of 24 hours in the day, the light bulb use was technically unnecessary for
12 hours of that day (24 – 12 = 12). Electricity use will be calculated as watts x
12.
4. If the incandescent light bulb is on at the time you conduct the audit, we will
assume that it has been left on all day (24 hours). We assumed that the light bulb
only needed to be on for 12 hours a day, which means that out of 24 hours in the
day, the light bulb use was unnecessary for 12 hours a day (24 – 12 = 12).
Electricity use will be calculated as watts x 12.