How to Read an Electric Bill

Be honest, how many of you actually know what the numbers on your BC Hydro bill represent? Do you just see the dollars owing line and pay it? You’re not alone!

In an Instructional Skills Workshop at TRU (Equivalent to PIDP 3220), I taught a group of non-electricians how to interpret their power bill and, as a group activity, find out how to calculate the power consumption of different appliances in their houses and the cost to run them.

This activity was very well received in the workshop and became the basis of a lesson I use in the Norkam Construction Trade Sampler and any First Year Electrical class I teach. I have found that the best way to introduce the concept of kWh (Kilowatt-hour) is to establish that it is a measurement of energy, then talk about BC Hydro power bills.

In these times of increasing electricity rates, knowing how to calculate consumption in both energy terms and dollar terms can give people the knowledge to make educated decisions as to where they can get the most “bang for their buck” when it comes to reducing consumption. After an initial lesson on calculating the kWh consumption of a ceiling light fixture, I have the class work together to populate the table below with estimates of how long each appliance would normally be in use, and then calculate the corresponding cost for each use of the appliance.

Students are often surprised to notice that appliances that create heat for long periods of time are the most expensive to run. The cost of making a cup of coffee, leaving a light on, or watching TV is largely inconsequential to their overall power bill if electric space heat, an electric dryer, or electric range are used. This lesson is a perfect example of how engagement activities and group work can be brought into almost any topic to make learning more impactful and memorable!