COST LABDecisions EIA 2026-05 snapshot
HOUSEHOLD ENERGY, MADE LEGIBLE
Know whether the switch
pays before you make it.
Compare the energy-only lifetime cost of keeping, repairing, or replacing a high-use electric appliance—with assumptions you can inspect and share.
Test the decision01
No manufactured answer.
The lab never invents an efficient replacement for you.
START WITH YOUR CURRENT LOAD
Six high-use profiles.
Zero invented replacements.
Profile values are editable starting points, not claims about your equipment. Replace them with a label or measurement.
THE DECISION BENCH
One rate.
Two futures.
Enter the cost and energy use from today forward. Existing equipment usually has a $0 sunk cost; a repair or replacement has only the costs you will actually incur.
Current option
Proposed option
DECISION FRAME
Compare like with like.
Lower wattage can mean lower output, not higher efficiency. Record the common service—capacity, size, output, or workload—before using the payback result.
$0.00 saved per year. Confirm a common service basis before interpreting payback.
ANNUAL OPERATING DIFFERENCE
$0.00saved per yearConfirm a common service basis before interpreting paybackDecision assumptionsU.S. average · 18.44¢/kWh · 10 yearsCurrent window AC: 1,576.8 kWh/year + $0.00 from todayProposed replacement: 1,576.8 kWh/year + $0.00 from todayService basis: not yet recorded
THE METHOD
Transparent enough
to check by hand.
ENERGY COST+COST FROM TODAY×TIME HORIZON=DECISION COST
Planning estimate, not a bill prediction. State figures are EIA residential averages. Your tariff, weather, equipment condition, fixed fees, taxes, standby power, and time-of-use pricing can change the result.
Energy-only lifetime comparison. Financing, maintenance, rebates not entered above, energy-price escalation, and uncertain equipment life remain outside the model. A payback beyond your ownership horizon is identified rather than celebrated.