How much electricity does a treadmill use?”, or “Does a treadmill use a lot of electricity? One of the first questions that comes to mind when buying a treadmill or looking to buy one.
Although most of us focus on the initial cost of a treadmill (or other piece of training equipment) when we purchase it, we should also consider maintenance costs. You may be wondering how much power does a treadmill use in US. As a result, we wrote this post to definitively address your question.
Table of Contents
Factors Affecting Power Consumption
Keeping track of your energy usage for any powered device, no matter what it is, will be difficult. Whether you’re talking about your coffee maker, a space heater, or your treadmill, there are a number of variables to consider.
Appliances that are always on (such as a refrigerator) are usually more easier to calculate because you have less control over the power usage. However, when it comes to treadmills, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- The capacity of the motor
- The weight of the person using it
- How many person are using it
- How frequently is the treadmill used
- How long do they use it for
- What speed do they use the treadmill for
- How well-maintained the treadmill is
The electricity consumption and cost to run a treadmill at home may vary every month depending on the above factors. When you make decisions to buy an electrical treadmill it is better to think energy efficient treadmill. Additionally, there are some other factors which would be too boring and technical to discuss here.
How Much Electricity Does a Treadmill Use And Cost Calculation
The conversion of watts to kilowatts will be necessary when trying to figure out how much electricity your treadmill is consuming. This is required because your residential utility bill is listed that way.
- The most important thing to do is to check the wattage rating of your treadmill. You should be able to find this number in the manual, but if you don’t, you can check it up online. Treadmills can consume anywhere from 300 to 900 watts on average.
For a quick and simple calculation, you will want to take the maximum wattage of your treadmill (let’s say 600) and multiply it by the amount of hours per month that you use it.
Therefore, when you run 1 hr every day and 26 days in a month, this will result in a power calculation that looks somewhat like this – 600 x 26 = 15,600 watts. Given that, a kilowatt is 1000 watts, you’re consuming 15.60 kilowatts every month. The average price per kilowatt hour in the United States is 12 cents, therefore this will cost around $1.87 per month.
- Typically, a label on the frame will display information about the treadmill motor, such as its voltage and amps (120V and 15 amps). Then treadmill watts calculations can be done using a simple formula of: Watts (W) = Volts (V) x Amps (A).
If your treadmill runs for one hour, it will cost (120X15)=1800 watts =1.8 killo watts hours (KWH). If 1KWH costs for 12 cents then the total electric power cost is (1.8×12) = 21.60 cents per hour.
When you run 1 hr every day and 26 days in a month then your monthly treadmills power cost will be about (21.60×26)=561.6 cents or 5.62 dollars per month.
- If your motor is rated in horsepower rather than watts, you can use this method to convert the horsepower to watts.
1 horsepower = 745.7 Watts and divide the watts by 1000 to convert to kilowatts, So, a 1 HP treadmill will use 745.7 Watts or 0.745 Kilo Watts (KW) units of electricity per hour.
Similarly, 2.0 HP = 2.0×745.7 = 1,491.4 watts or 1.49 KW per hour.
Then, calculate the amount of electric costing per month as mentioned earlier.
If you want to get the precise results as possible, you should buy a power meter and connect it directly to the machine. You may therefore estimate how the different variables influence your output so that accurate numbers can be obtained.
Some newer treadmills have a huge display with Google maps and audio speakers so you may listen to music while exercising. As a result, you’ll need more electricity to use this feature.
There are online calculator available for calculating power consumption and electricity cost per month of a treadmill. You have to just put the necessary information and they will automatically calculate how much power does a treadmill use.
Summary
Investing in a treadmill for personal usage in your home is a great way to stay fit and healthy. However, make sure you’ve considered the expense of running your treadmill, as well as where you’ll put it and how often you’ll use it. Many people overlook these points while making impulsive fitness purchases.
We hope that this article is helpful to understand the electricity consumption and costs of using a treadmill. If you have any questions, then leave a comment below.
FAQs
How much does it cost to run a treadmill for an hour in the US?
Making an estimate of your energy use can be time-consuming and difficult to calculate. Unless you have an extremely structured training regimen in which you know exactly how many minutes you’ll spend jogging, how many minutes you’ll spend walking, and what incline you’ll use, it can vary greatly.
Let’s say you run for one hour every day for six days of the week. In other words, you’re putting in approximately 24 hours each month just on your treadmill.
Calculate your monthly time commitment by multiplying the number of hours you spend walking on your treadmill by the wattage your treadmill is rated at.
Assume your treadmill is running at 600 watts.
600 x 24 = 14,400 watts.
In most cases, energy prices are calculated based on the number of kilowatts consumed. 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts.
As a result, you are consuming 14.4 kilowatts per month in this instance. In the United States, the cost of a kilowatt of electricity is normally around 12 cents (although this can vary based on energy supplier).
Should I turn off my treadmill when not in use?
When the machine is not in use, it is always best and safe to unplug it from the wall. Many accidents that could be caused by carelessness are avoided as a result of this. Unplugging the machine also prevents harm from a steady flow of electricity, which might cause your treadmill to stop suddenly.
How much watts does a treadmill use?
Treadmills are the most popular machines in the gym, but they are the most prodigious consumers of energy. On average, a treadmill uses between 300 and 900 watts of energy. When a treadmill gets older, it might use up to 30% more energy than it did when it was new.
Which treadmill is better AC or DC?
The majority of home treadmills are powered by direct-current (DC) motors. DC motors are quieter than alternating-current (AC) motors because they start slowly and respond consistently to speed, inclination, and weight demands. You’re dealing with fewer internal parts with DC, which could mean fewer repairs.
Does all treadmills consume energy?
Not all treadmills require electricity to operate. Some treadmills are called manual treadmills, which means that they can be operated without electricity. There is no motor in a treadmill that is operated manually. The belt only moves when you walk or run on it.
The majority of manual treadmills still includes consoles that show exercise data like time, speed, and calories burned. Some models have an inclination that may be manually changed. Manual treadmills not only save money on electricity, but they also have fewer moving parts and require less maintenance.