Power Usage Guide

Home Appliance Power Usage Guide for MEPCO Users

MEPCO users often see a high electricity bill but are not sure which appliances use the most units. When you understand basic power usage at home, it becomes easier to control your monthly bill without giving up all comfort.

This guide explains, in simple language:

  • How appliance power use is measured
  • Typical usage examples for common home appliances
  • How to roughly estimate units (kWh) yourself
  • Practical tips to reduce unnecessary consumption

This is general information only. Actual power use depends on your specific appliance model, settings and habits. For final billing information, MEPCO and NEPRA rules apply.

1. Basic Idea: What Is a “Unit” of Electricity?

On your MEPCO bill, energy use is usually shown in units.

  • 1 unit = 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh)

In simple words:

If you use a 1,000‑watt (1 kW) appliance for 1 hour, you use about 1 unit of electricity.

The formula is:

Units (kWh) ≈ (Watt × Hours of use) ÷ 1000

This is an approximation, but it is good enough to understand which appliances are “heavy” and which are “light”.

2. Where to Find Power Rating on an Appliance

Most appliances have a small sticker or plate that shows their power rating, for example:

  • “Power: 800 W”
  • “Rated input: 1200 W”
  • “220–240V, 50 Hz, 1500 W”

You can usually find it:

  • On the back or bottom of the appliance
  • Near the plug or power cord
  • Inside the door (for some ovens, fridges, washing machines)

If you cannot find it, you can use the approximate values in the next sections as a general guide.

3. Heavy, Medium and Light Power Appliances

For a simple overview, think of appliances in three groups:

  • Heavy use (high wattage, long hours) → big impact on bill
  • Medium use → noticeable but manageable
  • Light use → smaller impact unless used for many hours

Heavy Power Users

These often use 1000–3000 W or more, and many people run them for long periods:

  • Air conditioner (AC)
  • Electric water heater / geyser
  • Electric room heater
  • Iron
  • Water pump / motor
  • Electric oven

Even small changes in how long you use these can save many units.

Medium Power Users

These may use 100–1000 W, often for shorter periods:

  • Refrigerator (compressor cycles on and off)
  • Washing machine
  • Microwave oven (short bursts)
  • Desktop computer
  • LED TV
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Rice cooker, electric kettle

Usage pattern matters: a 700‑watt appliance used 1 hour a week is very different from daily use.

Light Power Users

These are usually below 100 W, especially newer efficient models:

  • LED bulbs
  • Mobile phone chargers
  • Wi‑Fi router
  • Small fans (some types)

Individually these are not very heavy, but many small items left on 24/7 add up.

4. Approximate Usage of Common Home Appliances

These numbers are rough estimates only. Always check your own appliance label.

Air Conditioner (AC)

  • Typical power: 900–2000 W or more, depending on size and type
  • If you run a 1500 W AC for 8 hours:

    Units ≈ (1500 × 8) ÷ 1000 = 12 units per day

  • Running this every day can have a very big effect on your MEPCO bill.

Electric Geyser / Water Heater

  • Typical power: 1500–3000 W
  • Used, for example, 2 hours a day at 2000 W:

    Units ≈ (2000 × 2) ÷ 1000 = 4 units per day

Shorter heating time or using alternative heating methods can reduce this.

Iron

  • Typical power: 800–1500 W
  • If you iron clothes for 1.5 hours a day with a 1000 W iron:

    Units ≈ (1000 × 1.5) ÷ 1000 = 1.5 units per day

Many small sessions across the week can add up.

Refrigerator

  • Label might say something like “150 W”, but the compressor does not run all the time.
  • Average daily use is usually lower than simple 24‑hour × wattage.

You can think of it as:

  • Important to keep, but buying an energy‑efficient fridge and using correct settings helps reduce long‑term consumption.

Washing Machine

  • Typical power: 300–1000 W, depending on size and mode
  • If you use a 500 W washing machine for 1 hour:

    Units ≈ (500 × 1) ÷ 1000 = 0.5 units per wash

Reducing the number of small loads and using full loads can lower total units.

LED TV

  • Typical power: 50–150 W, depending on size and model
  • A 100 W TV for 4 hours:

    Units ≈ (100 × 4) ÷ 1000 = 0.4 units

Keeping the TV on all day, every day, increases this more than most people expect.

Lighting

  • Old filament bulb: around 60–100 W
  • LED bulb (same brightness): around 8–15 W

If you replace 5 old 60‑watt bulbs with 10‑watt LEDs and use them 5 hours per day:

  • Old bulbs: (5 × 60 × 5) ÷ 1000 = 1.5 units/day
  • New LEDs: (5 × 10 × 5) ÷ 1000 = 0.25 units/day

The saving is more than 1 unit per day just from lighting changes.

Again, these are only illustrative examples.

5. How to Roughly Estimate Your Own Appliance Usage

You do not need special tools to get a basic idea. Use this simple method:

  1. Find the watt rating on the appliance (for example, 800 W).
  2. Estimate daily usage time (for example, 2 hours per day).
  3. Use the formula:

    Units per day ≈ (Watt × Hours) ÷ 1000

  4. Multiply by days in the month to get a rough monthly usage.

Example:
A 1500 W AC used 5 hours daily for 30 days:

  • Per day: (1500 × 5) ÷ 1000 = 7.5 units
  • Per month: 7.5 × 30 = 225 units (approx.)

This is not exact, but it shows clearly why AC use has a big effect on your MEPCO bill.

Use our simple MEPCO bill calculator to instantly estimate your monthly bill – perfect for users who only want the final amount without doing any manual calculations.

6. Which Appliances MEPCO Users Focus?

If you want to reduce your bill, start with appliances that are both:

  • High wattage, and
  • Used for many hours

For most households these are:

  1. Air conditioners
  2. Electric water heaters / geysers
  3. Electric room heaters
  4. Irons (if used very often)
  5. Water pumps / motors
  6. Electric ovens or large cooking equipment

Lighting and electronics matter too, but adjusting heavy appliances usually gives the fastest visible results.

7. Practical Tips to Reduce Bill

These tips are general and can help many MEPCO users.

7.1 Air Conditioners

  • Set temperature a bit higher (for example 26–27°C instead of very low).
  • Use fans together with AC; you can feel comfortable at a higher temperature setting.
  • Close doors and windows properly when AC is on.
  • Clean AC filters regularly to keep efficiency high.
  • Avoid running multiple ACs at the same time if possible.

7.2 Water Heaters and Geysers

  • Use timers or manual control instead of leaving geysers on for long periods.
  • Insulate hot water pipes where possible.
  • If climate permits, consider solar or instant water heating options, following professional advice.

7.3 Irons

  • Collect clothes and iron in batches instead of many small sessions.
  • Use the correct heat setting for fabrics so the iron does not overheat unnecessarily.
  • Turn the iron off a few minutes before you finish; it stays hot long enough to complete easy items.

7.4 Water Pumps / Motors

  • Fix leaking taps and pipes so you do not have to run the pump extra.
  • Pump water to storage tanks at non‑peak hours if your tariff has time‑based pricing.
  • Service pumps if they sound unusual or take longer than normal to fill tanks.

7.5 Lighting and Electronics

  • Switch to LED bulbs instead of old bulbs or tubes.
  • Turn off lights in rooms you are not using.
  • Unplug chargers and electronics when not needed; some still use small amounts in standby mode.
  • Choose energy‑efficient TVs, fridges and fans when you buy new ones.

8. Simple Home Power Checklist for MEPCO Users

You can do a quick “home energy check” by walking around and asking:

  • Which appliances run for the longest hours each day?
  • Which ones feel very hot when working (often higher wattage)?
  • Are there devices that stay on even when nobody is using them?
  • Are you using heavy appliances at peak hours when your tariff might be higher?

Write down:

  • Appliance name
  • Approximate watts (from label or guide)
  • Approximate hours per day

This small exercise can reveal surprisingly easy places to save units.

9. Important Notes and Disclaimer

  • The wattage values and unit calculations in this guide are rough examples, not exact measurements.
  • Real consumption depends on:
    • The specific brand and model
    • Age and condition of the appliance
    • Room temperature and insulation
    • How you use settings (for example, fan speed, temperature, load size)
  • This guide does not give tariff rates or financial calculations. Actual billing is done according to:
    • MEPCO’s official tariffs
    • NEPRA decisions
    • Government taxes and surcharges

For detailed, official information about your bill, always check:

  • Your printed MEPCO bill
  • Official MEPCO website or customer service
  • Relevant regulatory publications