Description
Check what your appliances could cost to run in a typical week. Enter their input power and usage in a compact electricity worksheet to see estimated weekly energy, monthly cost and annual cost together.
The worksheet combines:
* Input power in watts, hours per day and days per week.
* The number of identical appliances in use.
* An editable electricity rate per kWh, using the currency selected by the site owner.
Use the input watts shown on the appliance label or in its specifications. A heater or air conditioner’s heating or cooling output is not its electricity input. For appliances that cycle on and off, the estimate depends on the usage assumption you enter.
Check your electricity bill for the appropriate usage rate. The starting rate of 0.30 AUD per kWh is an editable example, not a current tariff quote. The site owner can change that example and choose AUD, USD, EUR or GBP in Settings.
Weekly energy = watts ÷ 1000 × hours per day × days per week × units. Annual estimates use 365 ÷ 7 weeks; monthly estimates use annual ÷ 12. Energy multiplied by the rate gives the estimated cost. Supply charges, time-of-use rates, demand charges and discounts are excluded. Actual consumption may differ because of thermostats, duty cycles and standby use. This is not electrical-work advice.
Add the block or [wattpencil_appliance_running_cost] shortcode. Each worksheet works independently, with labelled keyboard controls and a layout that adapts to narrow content areas. Save a plain-text cost summary or print the worksheet for your own reference.
Calculations run locally using bundled files, without a tariff service, account or API connection. The plugin makes no external requests and adds no analytics, cookies, lead capture or visitor-data storage. Inputs remain on the current page and disappear when you reload or leave; download a copy to keep them. After the host page has loaded, the calculator itself does not need a network connection.
All functionality works without attribution.
Developed by Busselton Electrician.
Screenshots
Blocks
This plugin provides 1 block.
- WattPencil Appliance Running Cost A simple electricity worksheet. Add appliance power and weekly usage, then apply the rate from your bill to estimate running costs.
Installation
- Upload the ZIP through Plugins Add New Upload Plugin and activate it on a single-site staging install.
- Open Settings WattPencil Appliance Running Cost to review defaults.
- Add the WattPencil Appliance Running Cost block, or a Shortcode block containing [wattpencil_appliance_running_cost].
- Preview the page and verify the tool in your theme before publishing.
FAQ
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Which power figure should I enter?
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Enter electricity input power in watts. Use the appliance label or manufacturer specifications; heating or cooling output is a different figure. If the input power is shown in kilowatts, multiply it by 1000 to get watts.
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What about refrigerators, thermostats and standby power?
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The worksheet assumes the entered watts apply for all the hours you enter. A thermostat-controlled appliance may draw that power for only part of the time it is switched on. Choose usage hours that reflect your assumption; standby consumption is included only if you enter it. A measured energy reading can give a better picture of actual use.
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Does the estimate include every charge on my bill?
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No. It multiplies estimated energy by one usage rate per kWh. It excludes daily supply charges, demand charges, time-of-use variation and discounts. Use the relevant rate from your bill; the editable starting rate is only an example and is not fetched from a provider.
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Can I change the rate and currency?
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Visitors can edit the rate in their worksheet. The site owner sets the starting rate and selects AUD, USD, EUR or GBP under Settings WattPencil Appliance Running Cost. Currency changes the displayed denomination; it does not convert rates or exchange money.
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How are monthly and annual figures calculated?
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The worksheet estimates a typical week first. Annual energy uses 365 ÷ 7 such weeks, and the monthly figure is one twelfth of that annual estimate. These are averages, rather than predictions of a particular bill or calendar month.
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Can I compare several appliances and keep the calculation?
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Add up to 50 appliance rows. Identical appliances can share a row using Units. Blank rows are ignored; incomplete or invalid rows must be corrected before exporting. Save a cost summary as a text file or print the worksheet. Reloading the page clears your inputs, and the plugin does not send or store them.
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Can I change the heading?
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Use the block sidebar, or [wattpencil_appliance_running_cost title=”My electricity worksheet”].
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Is multisite supported?
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This release supports single-site installations. Network activation and network-wide uninstall cleanup are not validated or implemented. Uninstall removes this site’s settings only.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“WattPencil Appliance Running Cost” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
0.1.0
- Initial release with a dynamic block, shortcode and local summary export.