Find out if Alexa consumes a lot of energy per month, the monthly consumption in kWh, and the amount to be paid on the electricity bill.
So if you want to learn more about this subject, keep reading this article.
This article was written in Portuguese and translated into English. Click here to check the original version.
Find out if Alexa consumes a lot of energy per month
Before explaining whether Alexa consumes a lot of energy and the monthly consumption in kWh.
And also the amount to be paid on the electricity bill, let’s use the example below.
In this case, let’s use the example of a third-generation Amazon Echo Dot.
The Echo Dot is a successful smart speaker or virtual assistant from Amazon.
In practice, it is voice-controlled with Alexa and is perfect for any environment.
In this case, you can ask for music, news, information, and much more.
And even make calls to friends and family and control compatible smart home devices with your voice.
After these instructions above, let’s follow these steps below to calculate the consumption of this virtual assistant, check it out.
But how many Watts does an Alexa consume, that’s what we need to find out now.
How many Watts does an Alexa consume
In this first step, we need to find out how many Watts an Alexa consumes.
According to some tests, it can be observed that the third-generation Amazon Echo Dot consumes about 3.3 W.
But this consumption occurs when it is performing a function like playing music at maximum volume.
But when it is idle or in standby mode, it consumes a maximum of about 1.9 W.
Now we need to understand how much time this Alexa is used per day, check below.
How many hours is Alexa used per day
In the first step, we found that Alexa consumes 3.3 W when in use and 1.9 W in standby mode.
But in this case, we want to find out how much an Alexa consumes when it is on for 24 hours a day.
Therefore, let’s consider that Alexa is used for about 3 hours a day playing music, and the rest of the day it remains in standby mode.
But before moving forward, check the recommendation below.
Important recommendation
It is important to note that we have already written a complete article explaining how much energy a router consumes when turned on 24 hours a month.
So if you’re interested, access the article above to learn more.
Now our next step is to determine the number of days that Alexa will be used for our calculation, check below.
How many days per month is Alexa used
In the third step, we are trying to find out if an Echo Dot with Alexa consumes a lot of energy per month in a residence.
So in our calculations, we are considering a period of 30 days.
This is because the consumption of electricity from the utility company is based on a monthly bill.
In practice, this means that Alexa will be used to play music for about 90 hours per month.
And in a month, it will be in standby mode or idle for 630 hours.
So after following the steps above and obtaining all the answers.
We will use this information to perform the calculations below, check it out.
What is the monthly consumption in kWh of Alexa
To find out the monthly consumption in kWh of the Echo Dot with Alexa.
Simply multiply the electrical power of Alexa by the number of hours used and the number of days per month.
Then divide by 1000 to find the value of the monthly consumption in kWh.
How many kWh does Alexa consume while listening to music
If our Alexa is used for three hours a day to listen to music for a month.
To find out how many kWh it will consume per month, let’s check the calculation below:
- Consumption = 3.3W * 3h * 30d / 1000
- Consumption = 0.30 kWh/month
In the above calculation, we found that Alexa will consume only 0.30 kWh per month when listening to three hours of music per day.
But how many kWh will Alexa consume when it is not being used or in standby mode, let’s find out now.
How many kWh does Alexa consume in standby mode
If our Alexa is in standby mode or not used for 21 hours a day for a month.
To find out how many kWh it will consume per month, let’s check the calculation below:
- Consumption = 1.9W * 21h * 30d / 1000
- Consumption = 1.2 kWh/month
In the above calculation, we found that Alexa will consume about 1.2 kWh per month in standby mode.
But then, how many kWh does Alexa consume when it is on for 24 hours a day, let’s find out now.
How many kWh does Alexa consume per month
If our Alexa consumes about 0.30 kWh per month when we listen to three hours of music per day.
And it also consumes 1.2 kWh for the rest of the day for a month.
Then this Echo Dot with Alexa will consume a total of about 1.5 kWh per month.
Now we need to find out how much Alexa consumes per month on the electricity bill.
How much does Alexa cost per month
If our Alexa has a monthly consumption of 1.5 kWh as calculated above.
In this case, to find out if our Alexa consumes a lot of energy, we will multiply the monthly consumption value, which is 1.5 kWh/month, by the kWh rate in our region.
But what is the rate of 1 kWh in our region, let’s find out now.
What is the rate per kWh in the region
In this case, we will consider that this Echo Dot with Alexa is being used in a residence located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
This means that it will be using the services of Cemig, which is the local power utility.
By accessing the Cemig website, we can check the following kWh rates for consumers, check below.
Note that in the table above, we can see that the Cemig rate for March 2023 may vary depending on the type of flag.
Types of Cemig tariff flags
Analyzing the table above, it can be noted that R$ 0.65313 per kWh will be charged in the green flag, or R$ 0.68002 per kWh in the yellow flag.
But if it is in the red flag, the consumer will be charged R$ 0.71513 per kWh.
And if it is in the red flag 2, it will be charged R$ 0.74808 per kWh.
Lastly, a rate of R$ 0.79303 per kWh can also be charged if it is in the water scarcity flag, in addition to other charges such as public lighting.
So after explaining the kWh rate of Cemig, let’s find out how much Alexa consumes per month.
How much energy does Alexa consume per month
If we consider a situation where the green flag rate is being used on the electricity bill.
In the calculation below, you can see how this simple mathematical operation will look like, check it out:
- Cost = 1.5 kWh/month * R$ 0.65313
- Cost = R$ 0.98
According to the above calculation, we can see that a Cemig consumer would pay only R$ 0.98 for electricity per month using Alexa.
But out of curiosity, how much does Alexa consume per month when listening to three hours of music per day in a month.
How much does Alexa consume while listening to music
In our calculation above, we found that our Alexa will consume about 0.30 kWh per month when we listen to three hours of music every day.
In the calculation below, you can see how this simple mathematical operation will look like, check it out:
- Cost = 0.30 kWh/month * R$ 0.65313
- Cost = R$ 0.20
According to the above calculation, we can see that a Cemig consumer would pay only R$ 0.20 for electricity per month while listening to three hours of music on Alexa.
But how much does Alexa consume in standby mode or when not in use, let’s find out now.
How much does Alexa consume in standby mode
In our calculation above, we found that our Alexa will consume about 1.2 kWh in standby mode during a month.
In the calculation below, you can see how this simple mathematical operation will look like, check it out:
Cost = 1.2 kWh/month * R$ 0.65313
Cost = R$ 0.78
According to the above calculation, we can see that a Cemig consumer would pay only R$ 0.78 for electricity per month with Alexa in standby mode.