Introduction
In the Home Electricity Audit, students will measure and analyze electricity use in their own homes. Students will practice reading utility bills, calculating appliance energy consumption, visualizing their results, and identifying realistic ways to reduce unnecessary electricity use. This activity connects classroom lessons to everyday life and gives students practical tools for understanding and managing energy use.
Suggested Timeline
| Class 1: Introduction and Set Up | – Explore a sample electric bill and practice cost/energy calculations. – Predict “Top 10” energy-using applications. – Assign the home electricity audit as homework (give students sufficient time ~1 week) |
| Class 2: Data Analysis | – Students bring completed audits, compare predictions to results, and calculate daily energy use. – Create graphs/charts to visualize household electricity patterns. – Research an energy-saving strategy. |
| (Optional) Class 3: Reflection and Sharing | – Prepare a short communication piece (poster, infographic, or mini-presentation). – Share findings and recommendations with the class. |
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Explain key electricity concepts and units (watts, volts, amps, kilowatt-hours).
- Collect and interpret data on household electricity use.
- Calculate appliance energy consumption and total daily use.
- Visualize patterns in energy consumption with graphs.
- Propose realistic ways to reduce energy waste and communicate findings clearly.
Materials
- Student Handout
- Printed sample electric bill for each student or student group (example: Eversource)
Note: Many electric providers have sample electricity bills on their websites to educate users on how to understand the billing. Ideally, find a sample electric bill from a common provider in the local area. - Graph paper or digital graphing tool
Procedure
Class 1: Introduction and Set Up
Students will be able to:
- Interpret a monthly electric bill.
- Make calculations and conversions related to energy use.
- Increase their understanding and proper use of energy units, such as watts, volts, amps, and kilowatt-hours.
- Determine the amount of energy used by different appliances.
- Conduct an energy audit or survey of electrical appliances in their home, in terms of the energy used and costs involved.
Exploring an Electric Bill
- Provide each student with a copy of the Student Handout and a sample electric bill from a local provider.
- Part 1: Exploring an Electric Bill guides students through an exploration of a sample home electric bill. In the first part, students will highlight and identify common sections of an electric bill, and then differentiate between generation vs. distribution. They will also practice calculating cost per kilowatt-hour and answer some analysis questions.
- Next, students will survey Part 2: Home Electricity Audit. Students can complete the first part (Top 10 Prediction) and complete the sample calculations to gain confidence in doing the calculations for the home electricity audit independently.
- Important: The “Lighting” sections of the Home Electricity Audit Data Table will need to be discussed with the students. Lighting is often between 6-10% of a home’s total electricity use. Homes often have a mix of incandescent, fluorescent, and LED lights. Determining the cost of lighting can be organized in various ways and will take time and effort to calculate. Students should be able to show their lighting calculation work, whatever method they choose.
- Give students enough time to complete the home audit as homework. The recommendation is 1 week.
Class 2: Data Analysis
Students will be able to:
- Compare predicted vs. actual electricity consumption of household appliances.
- Identify the top energy-consuming appliances in their homes and evaluate how usage habits affect overall electricity costs.
- Create and interpret graphs (pie charts, bar graphs) to visualize household energy use.
- Research more efficient appliance alternatives and calculate potential energy and cost savings.
- (Optional) Communicate findings through a visual product that summarizes audit results and efficiency recommendations.
Data Analysis Exercises
- Students will return to class with their home electricity audit data and use it to complete the Part 3: Data Analysis section of the Student Handout.
- Optional: Show students the Switch Classroom Introduction to Efficiency video.
- Step 1: Visualize the data: Students will create at least one graph, using graphing paper or a digital graphing tool, to represent their audit results. Options include a pie chart showing which appliances use the largest share of electricity, or a bar graph showing daily energy use (kWh) for each appliance.
- Step 2: Explore efficiency: Students will select one appliance or device they use often, and research a more energy-efficient version. They will calculate the potential energy and cost savings of switching to the new appliance.
- Optional: Have students work together in small groups of 2 or 3. Each student will still need to complete their own work independently, but groups can support each other in the process and compare their results.
Day 3 (Optional): Student Presentations
- Students will create a short visual product to present their findings (including their graphic representation of audit results and efficient appliance exploration results from the data analysis section of the Student Handout).
Options include:- A poster (hand-drawn or digital)
- Infographic (digital tool like Canva or Google Slides)
- Presentation (slides or video)
Assessment Rubric
| Category | Exemplary | Developing | Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Bill Analysis (Part 1) | Correctly identifies all bill sections, distinguishes supply vs. distribution, and calculates cost per kWh accurately using proper units; provides thoughtful reflections on why costs may change. | Identifies most bill sections with mostly accurate calculations; some minor unit errors; reflections are present but limited in depth. | Identifies a few sections; calculations are incomplete or inaccurate; little or no reflection on costs. |
| Home Electricity Audit (Part 2) | Collects thorough data on a wide range of appliances; applies electricity concepts correctly (watts, kWh, $/day); calculations are accurate and clearly shown; includes reflection on possible differences from real-world results. | Collects data for most appliances with some errors or gaps in calculations or unit conversions; attempts to compare with real-world results. | Data collection is incomplete or unclear. Many calculation errors or missing use of concepts; little or no attempt to compare results. |
| Data Analysis (Part 3) | Graphs are clear, accurate, and well-labeled; effectively illustrate household energy patterns; compares predictions vs. results and highlights possible efficiency improvements. | Graphs are present and mostly accurate; show some patterns; includes basic prediction vs. results comparison with limited notes on efficiency. | Graphs are missing or unclear; little or no comparison to predictions; little to no consideration of efficiency. |
| Extension: Presentation | The final product is polished, accurate, and engaging; communicates findings clearly, demonstrates correct use of energy concepts, and includes practical strategies for reducing energy waste. | The final product is clear and communicates findings with some accuracy; strategies for saving are mentioned but not fully developed. | The final product is minimal, unclear, or missing; findings and strategies are not effectively communicated. |