Question

A company wants to decrease their energy use by 15%. a. If their electric bill is currently $2,200 a month, what will their bill be if they’re successful? b. If their next bill is $1,700 a month, were they successful? Why or why not?

Answer 1

a) If the company has an electric bill of $ 1870 a month or less, the company has hit its target of decreasing energy by 15%

b) If their next bill is $1700 a month, the company was successful because the decrease achieved would be 23% (which is far better than the goal of 15%)

Step-by-step explanation:

a) current electric bill = $2,200, % decrease = 15% or 0.15

decrease in energy = % decrease * current electric bill

decrease in energy = 0.15 * 2,200 = $ 330

If they’re successful, their electric bill will have to lesser than or equal to the difference between the current electric bill & the decrease in energy given by:

EB = $ (2,200 - 330) = $ 1,870

If the monthly electric bill is $1,870 or lesser, the company goal was achieved

b) If their next bill is $1,700 a month, they were successful because that is higher than the 15% target

% decrease = (current electric bill - next bill) ÷ current electric bill

% decrease = $ (2,200 - 1,700) ÷ 2,200 = 500 ÷ 2200

% decrease = 0.227 or 22.7% = 23%

that's a 23% decrease which exceeds the company target

Answer 2

a) If the company wants to decrease their energy use by 15%, they will succeed if it manages to have its electric bill of $ 1870 a month or less.

b) If their next bill is $1700 a month, they will be successful because the decrease achieved would be better than the goal of 15%.

Step-by-step explanation:

The company's electric bill is currently $2,200. If they want to decrease their energy use in 15%, this decreasing is equivalent to:

15% of $2,200 = 15% . $2,200 = 15/100 . $2,200 = $ 330

$ 2,200 - $ 330 = $ 1,870

A higher decreasing will be better than the goal, so their savings will result higher than $ 330.