How Does the Wattage of a Light Bulb Affect Energy Use?
Amps and Volts Electricity is measured in several different ways. Two of the most important ones are amperage and voltage. Amperage, or “amps”, is a measure of how fast electricity is moving through the circuit. It indicates the total volume of electricity. Voltage, or “volts”, is a measure of something called electric potential. It is a measure of how much electric pressure there is in the circuit. Watts When you multiply amperage by voltage, you get wattage, or “watts.” Watts (W) are a measurement of the total amount of electric energy flowing through an appliance or bulb at any given time. For example, there is twice as much energy flowing through a 120 W light bulb than a 60 W bulb. Kilowatt Hours Wattage tells you how quickly you are using up energy, but it doesn’t tell you how much total energy you use. Total energy use is measured in kilowatt-hours. A kilowatt-hour is the amount of electricity used by running a 1000 W appliance for one hour. In practical terms: although high-wat
