The cost of a microwave on standby

[RobinBHM]

Apparently a microwave typically uses more energy per year powering the clock than heating food.

cost of keeping a microwave on for one year = £15


could I be arzed to turn it off after every use…..Mmm not sure.

 

[Sandyn]

That figure will not be correct for all microwaves. I just checked mine and it uses 89p a year on standby. Would I spend 10 seconds of my life turning it off then 10 seconds to turn it on again at my age for 89p a year? No effin way.

 

[flying haggis]

And everytime you turn it back on you have to reset the clock.....

 

[XH558]

And every time you turn it back on you have to reset the clock.....

Do we actually need to set the clock? Haven't set our microwave clock in years. Just a thought. Watch, phone, oven, wall clock all within eyesight of the microwave. Nah, CBA.

 

[Sandyn]

Most equipment should comply with the One Watt Initiative EC 1275 2008 which limits power on standby.

 

[Lorenzl]

Some microwaves won't work without the clock set - at least one of ours wouldn't - we just set any time and it was happy.

 

[John Brown]

I tend to buy microwaves with mechanical timers. I'd be very surprised if they draw any current when idle.

 

[Richard_C]

Ah, but you don't get the precision of a digital timer. With small quantities or reheating your coffee you might be giving it 15 seconds more than you need. So you need to work out the energy cost of (say) 15 seconds unneeded use each day, about 7 minutes a month against the standby cost of a digital timer. Unless the clock is brightly back lit the latter will be minimal.

 

[Spectric]

This issue really comes down to building regs which are really outdated. What is required is an electrical system that has circuits with timers so for example all the entertainment devices like the Tv, set top boxes etc are on a radial that turns of at a certain time and comes back on in the morning, again at a preset time.

The other area where energy can be saved is having devices correctly setup, many have power saving modes which mean the device may take longer to power back up but consumes less when not in use, an example is our Freesat box.

 

[John Brown]

Ah, but you don't get the precision of a digital timer. With small quantities or reheating your coffee you might be giving it 15 seconds more than you need. So you need to work out the energy cost of (say) 15 seconds unneeded use each day, about 7 minutes a month against the standby cost of a digital timer. Unless the clock is brightly back lit the latter will be minimal.

On the positive side, pretty much anybody who walks into my kitchen can operate the microwave, without having to consult instructions.
I honestly don't care that much about saving money on the microwave. We have two electric cookers, one of which is induction, two condenser tumble dryers that seem to be running permanently, two dishwashers and a plug-in hybrid car.

 

[flying haggis]

Trouble with having tv's etc being turned off is that some will lose stored channels and what if you have the sky box etc set to record something during the off time? Or what if you can't sleep for any reason and want to watch TV, you would need an override system.

 

[John Brown]

I find it hard to imagine that any TV made since the switch to digital would lose stored channels on power cycling. Does the TV need to be on for a Sky box to record? I wouldn't have thought so. On the other hand, I've never owned one. Certainly the Humax I had, and the Samsung recorder worked just fine with the TV off.

 

[Fidget]

My microwave has an 'Eco mode' button.
When I finally looked in the instructions as to what it did, the answer was 'Turns off the clock display' I use it religiously, thinking how much electricity I'm saving and how I am helping save the planet

 

[TRITON]

Im not really a fan of leaving things plugged in, the TV on standby the only exception. Certainly dont see the need to leave a microwave powered,be it on standby, or even the clock for that matter. What is the obsession with time
If you really need a kitchen clock, and are desperate to know the time at any given second, go and bloody well make one.
This is UK Workshop after all and making a clock isn't exactly difficult.

I now look forward to the 'Look at the kitchen clock I made' thread

 

[flying haggis]

I find it hard to imagine that any TV made since the switch to digital would lose stored channels on power cycling. Does the TV need to be on for a Sky box to record? I wouldn't have thought so. On the other hand, I've never owned one. Certainly the Humax I had, and the Samsung recorder worked just fine with the TV off.

As you say the tv doesnt need to be on for a sky box to record but the suggestion was to turn off devices at certain times so the sky box etc couldnt be connected to that circuit. Some radios etc will lose the stored channels if unplugged so again couldnt be on that circuit. for the effort involved in fitting such a system I dont think it is worth it.

 

[scholar]

I tend to buy microwaves with mechanical timers. I'd be very surprised if they draw any current when idle.

So you have to wind up the clock on the microwave??

 

[guineafowl21]

Apparently a microwave typically uses more energy per year powering the clock than heating food.

cost of keeping a microwave on for one year = £15


could I be arzed to turn it off after every use…..Mmm not sure.

Assuming average unit price of 15p, that’s 100 units a year, or 0.27 units/day, equivalent to running a one-bar fire for 16 minutes every single day. Also equates to about 11W idle consumption.

Ours is a Panasonic inverter type, and uses 1.8W idle, equivalent to £2.36 per year at 15p/unit.

For those interested:
At idle, it draws 314mA at a phase angle of 88.61deg, which means it’s drawing about 77W of reactive power, which just bounces back and forth between me and the grid, and the 1.8W which I’m actually charged for.

I do wonder if the smart meter rollout will be used to introduce charging for low power factor usage such as this ^^^ in homes.

 

[Spectric]

Trouble with having tv's etc being turned off is that some will lose stored channels and what if you have the sky box etc set to record something during the off time

The chanels are stored in non volatile memory so they will not be lost but a good point regards recording, how many of us will record programs that may be on after our bedtime that we will watch later when there is nothing else on but shiete.

The only difference between actual and reactive power is that only actual power performs useful work, you will still pay for both as they are energy usage. Large industrial consumers will apply power factor correction to reduce the lead or lag between voltage and current because it can save a lot of money..

 

[guineafowl21]

you will still pay for both as they are energy usage

My understanding is that domestic meters only measure, and charge for, real power, not apparent or reactive.

 

[Richard_C]

I do wonder if the smart meter rollout will be used to introduce charging for low power factor usage such as this ^^^ in homes.

I worked in a gas meter factory in the 70s. They were wholly mechanical, bellows and levers, and didn't register very low flow at all. It would have been possible to have free gas if you got a big enough gas proof bag and filled it very very slowly all year. There were other issues with that of course, not least having a huge bag of methane in the house.