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  1. Your money
  2. Penny power

How much can a penny buy?

How much does electricity cost? The true value of electricity

Do you remember when “penny candy” actually cost a penny? What does a penny buy these days? Not much. The government can’t even make a penny for a penny anymore. According to the U.S. Mint, it now costs 1.5 cents to produce one.

 

The value of electricity

About the only thing of value you can still get for a penny is electricity. The cost of electricity, for the value you receive in return, is about as good as it gets. Let’s say the average rate for a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity is 10 cents. Put another way, if you use 1,000 watts of electricity for 60 minutes, that would cost a dime; and 100 watts of electricity would cost you just a single penny. That is enough to power a 9-watt LED light bulb, the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, for 11 hours, all for only a penny. Where else can you get that kind of value?

How many eggs will a penny buy? How much milk, bread, coffee or medicine? How far would you get with a penny of gas with the high prices we are seeing now? 

And what about your smartphone? Using an average 10 cents per kWh, you can fully charge your iPhone more than 18 times for a penny. That means you can charge it once every day of the year for about 20 cents total.

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How much electricity does the US use in a year?

We are fortunate electricity is such an excellent value because we have a huge appetite for it. Electricity is not expensive. It’s that we use it for so many different things: lighting, heating, cooking, cooling, refrigeration, cleaning, washing, working, entertainment, communications, and even transportation these days.

Despite energy efficiency advancements, the average household uses more electronic gadgets and needs more power to operate them every year. In 2015, Americans spent nearly $400 billion on electricity. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average utility customer used 10,972 kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2018. Per month, that equates to 914 kilowatt-hours. Per day, Americans used approximately 30 kilowatt-hours of electricity. 

Clearly, our appetite for electricity shows no signs of slowing down. So, the next time you flip a switch, turn on your television or run your washing machine, remember the value electricity holds. And know that employees at your local electric cooperative are looking out for you by working together to keep electric bills affordable, controlling costs through innovation, and putting you, our members, first.

Listen to our Value of Electricity podcast to learn more!

 

Take Control & Save energy and money

Your local electric cooperative works hard to keep your electricity safe, reliable and affordable. But you play a role in the price of your power. Just as you might cut back on eggs if your budget is tight, we can work with you to reduce your monthly electric bill. To find out how you can take control of your electric use and save energy and money, contact your cooperative’s energy advisor or visit www.takecontrolandsave.coop.

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Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 754
Springfield, MO 65801-0754

Tel. 417-881-1204
Email. membersfirst@aeci.org

About Us

Even though your electric cooperative is locally owned and committed to your local community, we are part of something bigger too. We are a network of 51 distribution cooperatives in Missouri, southern Iowa and northeastern Oklahoma, serving 935,000 member homes, farms and businesses. We receive power generation through six regional Generation and Transmission (G&T) cooperatives and one collective G&T, Associated Electric Cooperative.

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©2022 Members First. Cooperatives put members first every day.

  • It's all you
    • Activities for kids
    • Reliable electricity
    • For the good of all
    • Ownership
    • Cooperative principles
    • New members
    • Proud to sponsor kids' activities
    • Co-op month
  • Your money
    • Solar energy information
    • Penny power
    • Capital credits
    • Beneficial electrification
    • Save energy, save money
    • Solar 101
    • Member contests
  • Your safety
    • Indoor electrical safety
    • Outdoor electrical safety
    • Safety for kids
    • Outage safety
    • Power line hazards and cars
  • Your community
    • Local control
    • Personal service
    • Your community
    • Thank a lineworker
  • Balanced generation
    • Epic Failure a Cautionary Tale
    • Diverse energy mix
    • Reliable power
    • Balanced generation summary
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • About us