A warning has been sounded to anyone using batteries – especially for people using battery-powered Christmas lights. An expert has issued advice that will make many people shudder as they hold their sherry – and it’s all to do with the almost hidden astronomical cost.
Almost all of us will need to dig out some batteries this festive season. What we might not think about is just how pricey they are when compared, where relevant, with using bog standard electricity.
Amazingly, despite recent rises to electricity bills after the Ofgem energy price cap was raised in October, batteries are not just more expensive. They are enormously more expensive.
And people are using them to light up their trees. On Amazon right now, battery-powered lights are available for prices from £13.74 to £23.99 – with hundreds of people leaving positive comments.
Yet an expert on Quora highlighted that once you need to replace the batteries in your Christmas lights, the cost can be up to 600 times higher than using mains electricity, even if you opt for budget options like those from Poundland. IT computer specialist Paul Grimshaw shared his insights on Quora, calculating: “Are batteries cheaper than electricity? Well let’s work it out.”
He continued: “After a very quick look on Amazon the cheapest AA Alkaline batteries I’ve noticed are Amazon’s own, selling at 40 batteries for £9. The capacity of Alkaline batteries varies depending on how rapidly you discharge them, but let’s assume we want the best possible bang for buck and so we keep the discharge rate per cell down to, say, 100mA.
“We can always use cells in parallel if we need a higher current. At this rate we should get 2Ah per cell, at an average voltage of around 1.25V. That’s 2.5Wh per cell, at a cost of 22.5p per cell. There are of course 1000Wh per kWh, so that works out to be 1000/2.5×22.5=£90 per kWh.”, reports the Express.
“Now I don’t know what you pay your electricity supplier per kWh, but 15p is typical for UK electricity pricing. So even these relatively low cost batteries bought in bulk are 9000/15 = 600 times more expensive.
“So the answer to the question is no, batteries are not cheaper, at least not compared with the domestic electricity supply.” However, for devices that only use batteries, switching to rechargeable ones can help save money.
Although they are more expensive initially, they can be recharged 1,000 times, costing only a few pence each time, and are also more environmentally friendly. According to tech experts Maplin: “One of the benefits of rechargeable batteries is that they can be used multiple times, significantly reducing the number of batteries ending up in landfills.
“By choosing rechargeable batteries, consumers can play a part in conserving resources and minimising their carbon footprint. It’s not just the planet you’ll be helping, but also your wallet.
“Another one of the benefits of rechargeable batteries is that they can be used over and over again, so you won’t be forking out on new batteries every time your gadgets and devices run out of juice. If you look after them properly, rechargeable batteries will save you money in the long run.
“While rechargeable batteries may have a slightly higher upfront cost than disposable ones, investing in rechargeable batteries and a charger can result in significant cost savings over time. With proper care and usage, rechargeable batteries can last for hundreds, if not thousands, of cycles, providing value for money and reducing the frequency of battery replacements.”