And at a low, low price! (Image courtesy of Engadget.)
An iPad costs you at least $400. That’s for an older model; the latest version runs up to $830. And that doesn’t include the data plan. Depending on your carrier and options, you could be paying another $50 a month. So for a year, the high-end iPad with the most expensive data plan will run you over $1,400.
On top of that, you have to charge the thing. According to a study from the Electric Power Research Institute, adding the cost of powering your $1,400 investment brings your annual total up to … $1,401.36.
Consumers who fully charge their iPad tablet every other day can expect to pay $1.36 for the electricity needed annually to power the device, according to an assessment by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
The analysis shows that each model of the iPad consumes less than 12 kWh of electricity over the course of a year, based on a full charge every other day. By comparison, a plasma 42” television consumes 358 kWh of electricity a year.
They also tested other electronic devices.
The EPRI analysis shows that the Apple iPhone 3G consumes 2.2 kWh of electricity each year, which results in a power cost of $.25 annually.
Other products that were included in the analysis were laptop PCs, which consume 72.3 kWh of electricity each year and cost consumers $8.31 and 60W CFL light bulbs which consume approximately 14 kWh of electricity and cost consumers $1.61 a year.
The light bulb data is remarkable. In other words, CFLs are $6.70 cheaper to run on an annual basis. This isn’t some crazy, if-you-left-it-on-24-7-365 scenario, either — it’s actual use. Multiply that $6.70 by 20 (or however many light bulbs you have in your house) and the difference is pretty stark.
I mean, that’s $130 that you could be spending buying Apple products. On installment.
