Energy Savings Calculator

Energy Savings Calculator compares your current setup with regular LEDs, smart lighting, a smart thermostat, and standby controls. See which changes lower your bill and which add to it.

Start with your electricity bill and device wattages. The filled-in numbers are examples, not a quote or a promise of savings.

By Marlo Strydom

Your electricity price

Use the usage charge from your bill, in the currency selected below. Fixed monthly charges do not change with usage.

All money inputs use this currency. Changing it does not convert the amounts.

Lighting

Compare bulbs with similar brightness. Set the count to 0 to leave lighting out.

Use actual watts on the bulb, not its equivalent wattage.

This cannot exceed your current daily hours.

Example: 0.5 W. Replace it with your product's measured or listed draw when the light is off. Blank means 0 W.

Heating and cooling

Use only the part of your annual bill spent on heating and cooling. Enter 0 if you are not changing your thermostat.

8% is an ENERGY STAR average for certified smart thermostats. Your savings may be lower or higher.

Standby power

Include only devices you can switch off without interrupting needed functions. Set both counts to 0 to leave this section out.

Count the controls themselves. One smart power strip may control several devices.

Example: 0.5 W, charged for 24 hours per day. Use your product's average draw. Blank means 0 W.

Optional payback estimate

Enter the purchase and installation cost of the upgrades included above. Leave blank to skip payback.

Adjust the examples, then calculate your annual estimate.

How the estimate works

Electricity cost is watts × hours × 365 ÷ 1,000 × your price per kWh. Lighting compares the current bulbs with regular LEDs, then adds the effect of smart bulb wattage, shorter hours, and standby draw. Smart plugs use power too, so their full-day use is subtracted from the standby electricity they prevent.

Thermostat savings are your annual heating and cooling cost multiplied by your chosen percentage. ENERGY STAR reports about 8% average savings for certified smart thermostats. Climate, equipment, and your current schedule affect the result.

Smart bulb standby power varies by product, as shown in research from Canada's National Research Council. The 0.5 W entries here are editable examples. Use measured values where possible.

The estimate assumes the same pattern each day. It excludes changes in energy prices, separate lighting hubs, thermostat power differences, heating effects from bulbs, equipment life, and rebates. Include any extra control draw you want to model in the smart controls section. Payback only includes the upfront cost you enter.

Other ways to reduce energy costs

Window coverings can reduce unwanted heat gain or heat loss, as explained in the Department of Energy's cellular shade guide (PDF). Some utilities also offer electricity prices that vary by time of day. Compare your utility's rates before moving appliance use to a new time.

Plan your next change

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