Question

If an average refrigerator uses 500 watts of energy per hour on a daily basis, and your energy cost is $0.11 per kwh, approximately how much does the energy used by the refrigerator cost per month?

A. $1.30
B. $13
C. $40
D. $55
E. $132

Answer 1

To find the cost of energy used by a refrigerator that uses 500 watts per hour, first calculate the kWh used per day (12 kWh), then per month (360 kWh), and multiply by the energy cost ($0.11/kWh) to get approximately $39.60 per month. The closest answer is C. $40.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the cost of energy used by the refrigerator per month, we must first determine the daily and then the monthly energy use in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Since the refrigerator uses 500 watts (0.5 kW) of energy per hour, we multiply this by the number of hours in a day to find the daily kWh usage:

• 0.5 kW × 24 hours = 12 kWh per day.

Next, to find the monthly energy use, we multiply the daily usage by the number of days in a month (approximately 30 days):

• 12 kWh/day × 30 days = 360 kWh per month.

Finally, to find the cost, we multiply the monthly kWh by the energy cost given as $0.11 per kWh:

• 360 kWh × $0.11/kWh = $39.60 per month.

Therefore, the closest answer to the actual cost from the provided options is C. $40.