How much electricity do you use? An activity to teach high school students about energy issues

Despite the regular demand for electrical power by common, everyday devices, few people recognize the total electricity consumption levels of household electronics and the associated impacts. To address this problem in an outreach program with high school students, we developed an exercise to have students estimate their personal electricity consumption as a means of introducing basic facts about energy issues. The activity requires students to estimate the annual electricity consumption for their bedroom (not an entire house). Students create a list of electrical devices, recording the rated wattage and estimating the hours the device is used. During the classroom exercise, students use a power meter to measure the actual power consumption of some common items on their lists. After students have calculated their annual electricity consumption, we discuss several points, such as the importance of both the wattage and the time an item is used, rated wattage versus actual wattage, efficiency of various energy sources, and changes students can make to reduce their electricity consumption. After the activity, students have a greater understanding of basic electricity concepts and an awareness of how their behaviors and decisions impact their overall consumption patterns.