The cost of powering the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U

If it will cost me R200 a year to keep a PS4 on, mine would never be off...

Ya, at first I thought that was the monthly cost, then I saw it's annual. Not nearly as bad as I thought.

That said, electricity cost me R2628.03 this month, so I'm a little sensitive about the cost of electricity lately.
 
Ya, at first I thought that was the monthly cost, then I saw it's annual. Not nearly as bad as I thought.

That said, electricity cost me R2628.03 this month, so I'm a little sensitive about the cost of electricity lately.

When i saw your bill of R2600 I was like yho... Thats steep... Iv just bought a place and if i think about it now, im adding in a pool and a lot of things, and my previous place was a smaller size with a bill of R1300 so i might be in for a little cry session...
 
When i saw your bill of R2600 I was like yho... Thats steep... Iv just bought a place and if i think about it now, im adding in a pool and a lot of things, and my previous place was a smaller size with a bill of R1300 so i might be in for a little cry session...

Look, it was a really steep month, it was like R1000 more than it normally is. And I do have a pool and electric fences, and I think the tumble dryer was getting used a lot, and possibly they had estimated the readings for a few months, and it was just the difference. Total bill was around R3600. It's been a bad month financially.
 
Look, it was a really steep month, it was like R1000 more than it normally is. And I do have a pool and electric fences, and I think the tumble dryer was getting used a lot, and possibly they had estimated the readings for a few months, and it was just the difference. Total bill was around R3600. It's been a bad month financially.

Shit one bro... Im trying to go as "off the grid" as possible with the new place... Solar for the lights, Gas and Solar combo for the geyser... Eskom is just to ridiculous not to...
 
Don't forget that's the standard Eskom tariff. Depending on your area and type of residence, your charge per kWh will vary. It's easy to figure out how much your console will cost you based on the projected annual kWh usage once you've found your particular kWh tariff.
 
Last edited:
When i saw your bill of R2600 I was like yho... Thats steep... Iv just bought a place and if i think about it now, im adding in a pool and a lot of things, and my previous place was a smaller size with a bill of R1300 so i might be in for a little cry session...

Our bill is R1300 including the tenant's usage in the flat, so R2600 is crazy high...

You sure you aren't being averaged high?
 
Don't forget that's the standard Telkom tariff. Depending on your area and type of residence, your charge per kWh will vary. It's easy to figure out how much your console will cost you based on the projected annual kWh usage once you've found your particular kWh tariff.

I never pay Telkom for power. Eskom however... :p
 
Would be nice to have a similar article for PCs based on different configurations and states or maybe even a way to calculate it yourself.
E.g.
Component X: Power Usage while Idle / Gaming / Working
Component Y: Idle / Gaming / Working
....
Total: Idle / Gaming / Working

Tried doing a quick search on the net but can't seem to get a clear answer. Would be interesting to know since I leave my PC running 24/7.
 
We'd need some sort of research into the standard usage habits and power consumption of gaming PC users, as was the basis for the article. I'll have a look around.
 
Thanks, that would be nice. Even if it is just the raw power consumption data in the different states, that would also help. Then everyone can just work it out manually according to their own habits.
 
Would be nice to have a similar article for PCs based on different configurations and states or maybe even a way to calculate it yourself.
A standard config a la mygaming crowd is likely to idle at 100W and shoots to 300-400W under load...so way more than consoles. (per my PC...the 100W should be fairly similar for all...the top range will differ greatly)

Its mainly the GFX...way more powerful than a console but also chows power like mad.

Thats measured with screen though...the console measurements likely exclude screen.
 
A standard config a la mygaming crowd is likely to idle at 100W and shoots to 300-400W under load...so way more than consoles. (per my PC...the 100W should be fairly similar for all...the top range will differ greatly)

Its mainly the GFX...way more powerful than a console but also chows power like mad.

Thats measured with screen though...the console measurements likely exclude screen.

My Average electricity bill is around R340 per month. PC gets switched off from 07:00 to when I get home around at around 16:00. The rest of the time its on.
 
My Average electricity bill is around R340 per month. PC gets switched off from 07:00 to when I get home around at around 16:00. The rest of the time its on.
Generally anything that changes temperature is what screws you over...geyser, aircon, kettle, dishwasher, tumble dryer etc...(pool pump is the notable exception...doesn't change temp but can hit the bill).

PCs in my experience don't make a noticeable dent. i.e. In my case a little bit of underfloor heating will nuke the elec bill something fierce...while the PC runs 24/7 and I still make <300 bill.

Also note that it depends on location. e.g. In PTA its pure usage (hence sub 300 bill), while in JHB you've got a base charge so you get hit for 400+ regardless of what you do. Add bulk billing and free units & that sht is all over the place...with no hope of comparing your bill to your buddies.

Unrelated pro tip: Open a command window and type in "shutdown /s /t 999". That'll shut down the PC in 999 seconds. Add a /f between the s & t to force it (even with open unsaved stuff). Useful when going to bed and you've still got a d/l running.
 
Back
Top