As consumers we are generally concerned about the cash price of things like smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. Whenever a manufacturer releases our favorite smartphone or tablet, we rush to check out the price tag that it carries. But what about the actual embodied cost of that device over its lifetime? The majority of people will charge their smartphone on an almost daily basis, and while we may wait longer between charges for tablet computers, but there’s still a frequent charging pattern. A new report into the subject now shows the cost associated with charging our devices.
One of Apple’s iPads may set you back upwards of $700 if you purchase it outright directly from Apple, but the cost associated with charging that device on an annual basis is much, much lower. Charging an iPad every other day over the course of twelve months would require approximately 12kWh of electricity. At current rates that would equate to about $1.50 annually in utility costs.
An iPhone 5/5s with a battery capacity of 1,440mAh would cost significantly less. Those who go through a full charge cycle on a daily basis can expect to feed it approximately 2kWh over the course of the year. That equates to a financial outlay of approximately $0.25 annually. A larger battery would obviously raise the cost, but the change would not be so significant.
Those figures show that there’s clearly no need to feel bad about plugging that device into the socket to top it up. The statistics also show just how much profit is being raked in by public charging points in shopping malls and the like that are charging an arbitrary fee for the privilege of plugging a smartphone into an outlet for a few minutes. The report also took a look at some other generic household items to see exactly how much they cost to charge on an annual basis. Oh, and there’s a Tesla thrown in there as well for good measure.
- Laptop computer: An average laptop uses approximately 72kWh at a cost of $8 per year.
- Desktop computer: On average, a desktop computer with a wireless modem and router uses about 390kWh each year, costing about $46 per year.
- Plasma TV: An average plasma television set will consume around the 360kWh mark annually at a cost of $45.
- LCD TV: More efficient than its Plasma counterparts, LCD TVs will cost you about $20 annually.
- Xbox One: Gaming consoles are an extremely popular household item. Microsoft’s Xbox console will chew through approximately $40 per year based on average usage habits.
- Tesla: The average motor car eats up approximately $2,200 annually in fuel costs. A Tesla on the other hand looks to cost around the $450 mark in electricity.
The moral of the story here, seems to be to purchase a Tesla. Oh, and don’t worry about how much electricity you’re using if you charge your iPhone or iPad at a friend’s house.
(Source: Forbes)
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