If you own a treadmill, you may wonder how much electricity a treadmill uses. This will depend on a number of factors, such as how many hours you use it, and how fast you run. Whether or not your treadmill has an incline will also impact its power consumption. If you are a heavy user, you'll be using more energy than someone who is a light jogger.
The average treadmill will use around 1.5 kilowatts. This is less than most household appliances, which will generally use 4.5 kilowatts per hour. You can find out the wattage of your treadmill by reading the label, which is usually the max rated horsepower. If you want to keep your power bill down, consider putting the treadmill away during peak times. Likewise, you can minimize your energy usage by running the treadmill at a slower speed.
Treadmills make a lot of noise, which is why they are best used between 1 pm and 3 pm. This will also help you avoid the dreaded afternoon rush. But if you're going to use a treadmill for long periods of time, you'll need to plug it in to keep it working. As such, you'll need to find out how often you need to charge your machine.
It is important to remember that the cost of electricity can vary, and you'll likely be charged more if you live in a time of use pricing zone. For example, in California, the cost of 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity will rise by 19 cents by 2020. As a result, the cost of using a treadmill is likely to increase over time. However, you can mitigate the impact of the cost by saving up your shorter runs for the days you don't need to use your machine.
A good rule of thumb is to look at your monthly power bill and figure out how much power your treadmill is drawing. For example, if you have a 3 mile run at a 2% incline, you'll need between 300 and 900 watts. If your treadmill is rated for one HP, you'll be using about 745.7 watts, which is more than enough for a decent workout. But, if your treadmill is a top of the line model, you may be able to get away with using just 200 watts. This is a good way to save on your electric bill, especially if you are living in an area with a high price tag on electricity.
You can also use your meter to determine how many kilowatts you're using. You'll be able to see how much energy your treadmill uses in kilowatt-hours, which is the standard unit of measure for most electricity companies. For example, a 1 kW machine will consume about 19 cents per hour, while a 7 kW machine will use about 26 cents. You can even find out how often your treadmill gets cleaned by checking the frequency of your electric bill.
Depending on the treadmill you own and how frequently you use it, you could be using a lot more electricity than you think. If you are unsure of how much electricity your treadmill uses, you can consult your electric company's website, or just ask them to tell you.