If you are wondering how much electricity do treadmills consume? Then all your doubts will be answered with complete information in this article. Treadmill’s financial responsibility does not end right after you purchase the machine, even though you are through for most of it.
You will also need to factor in the cost of electricity it consumes and the maintenance costs to have a clearer plan of your further costs and understand if you are up to it.
Once you learn the power consumption details, we will provide you below, and you can get a better idea.
You may be wondering how much power does a treadmill use in the US. As a result, we wrote this post to address your question definitively.
What Factors Affect Power Consumption?
You need to consider several factors before preparing to calculate a treadmills power consumption. A treadmill’s power usage is not easy to define when a user’s actions and other factors define the consumption. The below list lays out the complete details of what factors do we need to examine.
- Motor capacity
- Weight of the user
- Number of users
- Frequency of use
- The duration of usage
- The speed at which you operate it
- Level of maintenance
Though this is not a comprehensive list of factors affecting electricity usage, it does give you a solid base to build on.
Most details mentioned here are laid out such that even a layperson with a little technical knowledge can understand it.
So, few highly technical factors are not discussed here.
Look for energy-efficient treadmills to save on electricity if you are purchasing a new treadmill.
It can save you money on power bills as you keep using it in the long run, compared to treadmills that are not energy efficient.
Calculating the Cost of Electricity Consumption of a Treadmill
When calculating electricity consumption, you need to convert the watts to kilowatts to figure out the electricity utilized by your machine.
The residential utility bill is calculated similarly, which is why you need to do this conversion.
You start by checking your treadmill’s wattage rating. It is available either in the manual, or you can look it up online if you do not find it.
Usually, it is anywhere between 300 to 900 watts. For instance, let us assume 600 watts of maximum wattage is what it takes for your treadmill.
Now multiply it by the number of hours you use it every month.
If you use it for one hour every day, it will be about 26 hours every month when you exclude the rest days. So, it will be 600 x 26 = 15,600 watts.
You need to divide the result by 1000 as you want to convert the watts unit into kilowatts giving you 15.60 kilowatts. Since the price of each kilowatt is 12 cents per kilowatt hour, your power expense would be $1.87 a month.
If you have access to voltage and amps information of the treadmill motor, which is usually displayed on the label on the frame.
Say it is listed as 120V and 15 amps as its voltage and amps, then calculate Watts by multiplying them since Watts (W) = Volts (V) x Amps (A).
For one hour of usage, you will need 120 x 15 = 1800 watts of electricity, which will be 1.8 kilowatts hours.
When you calculate cost per hour by multiplying it with the 0.12 as cost of a 1-kilowatt hour of electricity costs 12 cents in the U.S., you get 21.60 cents per hour.
Finally, multiply it with the 26 to get the total power consumption cost per month which gives you 21.60 x 26 = 561.6 cents or 5.62 dollars per month.
Sometimes you have your motor rated in horsepower, and then you need to convert the horsepower to watts as follows.
1 horsepower = 745.7 watts which when converted to kilowatts by dividing it with 1000 becomes 0.745 kilowatts of electricity per hour. If it is 2 HP, then it will be 2.0×745.7 = 1,491.4 watts or 1.49 KW per hour.
Simply multiply it by 0.12 x 26 to know the cost per month. While these are approximate calculations, if you need precise ones, you need to invest in a power meter and attach it to the machine directly.
It also helps you examine various factors to determine which variable has what influence.
Few modern treadmills have advanced technology such as google maps displayed on the huge screen, audio speakers for entertainment while working out, and so on.
All these are high electricity consuming features which increase your power bill considerably.
There is another easy way to calculate power consumption using the online calculators where you need to input the necessary values, which will calculate
There are online calculators 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 a treadmill uses.
Summary
Choosing a treadmill as your exercise machine for a workout at home gives you excellent fitness maintenance along with good health.
But most people fear its cost and are not sure if they can afford it at their home.
By considering all possibilities, you will understand the actual expenses you should look forward to and not be surprised when you purchase them.
Like any other important consideration, even electricity consumption costs are also one of the major expenses you should be prepared for.
If you overlook this and do impulse buying, you might regret your decision later.
Hopefully, this article will provide the necessary answers for your doubts about power usage by your treadmill and the expense incurred by it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the cost of running a treadmill for an hour in the US?
Precise calculation of power consumption is tedious as you need to consider several factors such as what exercise you performed at how much speed and how many minutes along with each intensity. You get the idea, right?
However, approximate values can be deduced with few calculations.
For instance, if you are using a treadmill that consumes 600 watts, then you consume 0.6 kilowatts every hour.
For usage of 24 hours a month at the cost of 12 cents, you will get the electricity expenditure per month, i.e., 0.6 x 24 x 0.12 = $1.78
Is It Necessary To Turn Off The Treadmill When Not In Use?
A steady flow of electricity can harm your machine, leading to sudden issues, and can be prevented by unplugging the machine after use.
Even sudden surges and power socket malfunction can cause possible damage to the expensive treadmill, which could otherwise be avoided by just unplugging.
So, it is safer to unplug it from the wall after use until your next use.
Also, this way, you can make sure that your pets and small children will not turn it on accidentally.
How Many Watts Do A Treadmill Require?
Treadmills use 600 to 700 watts of energy, and the consumption might increase up to 30% as the treadmill gets older.
They use higher power than other exercise machines. It is an average estimation, and more amenities mean more energy consumption.
Which Treadmill Is Better AC Or DC?
Most treadmills made for home purposes operate using direct-current (DC).
Motors working on DC are quiet when compared with alternating-current motors.
DC motors start slowly and offer consistent speed, weight demands, and inclination.
DC motor also has lesser internal parts meaning fewer repairs.
Do All Treadmills Consume Energy?
Manual treadmills do not require power to operate as it does not come with a motor and utilized your manual power to operate.
Meaning the belt moves only when you run or walk on it. Even though you do not use electricity, they do have consoles on them.
These consoles operate using batteries and display exercise data such as calories burned, speed, and time.
These treadmills are money savers, safer, less expensive, occupy lesser space, and need lower maintenance.
However, they are not as comfortable and convenient as their electronic counterparts, but if you need a budget treadmill that does not consume electricity, then the manual treadmill is.