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Separate a rate increase from a usage increase before you blame an appliance or buy anything.

Calculators that show their working, so you can check the arithmetic yourself.

Research comparisons of exact product variants, with who each one suits and when to buy nothing.

Window and door heat-loss fixes for older homes, for owners and renters.

What the appliances you use most cost to run, worked out from the label or a meter reading at your own rate.

Work out what an appliance costs to run from its watts and hours, or from a kWh reading off a plug-in meter. Uses your own rate and shows the formula.

A short diagnostic: compare kWh per day, billing days and your rate across two bills before blaming an appliance. Includes a worked example and free checks.

Kill A Watt P4400 and P4460 versus energy-monitoring smart plugs: what each shows, what it keeps, what it cannot measure, and when to borrow instead.

Before you buy shrink film: permission, frame finish, a patch test, measurements, window access and removal. For owners and renters of older homes.

3M, Duck and Frost King shrink-film kits compared by exact pack contents, film dimensions, suitable frame surfaces and usable coverage, not just the window count on the box.

Why a fridge's label watts overstate its use, how to read the EnergyGuide kWh figure, and how to measure it safely.

Rated watts versus real cycling, why humidity and room conditions change the answer, and how to get a measured figure.

How to measure an old freezer, what a replacement scenario needs to include, and why not every old freezer should be replaced.

Electric, heat-pump and gas dryers compared per load, why a plug-in meter cannot measure a 240 V dryer, and the free changes that cut cost.

The arithmetic for a 1,500 W heater, why a low setting changes heat output not efficiency, and the CPSC direct-to-wall rule.

What has to be true about your schedule, heating system and wiring before a smart thermostat pays back, without a manufacturer's headline percentage.

What Does It Cost to Run? covers household energy decisions through sourced guides, transparent calculations and documented product comparisons.

Desk research versus testing, which sources we trust, how products are chosen and how corrections work.

Find the appropriate source for a product, utility-bill or calculation question, and understand the limits of this publication.