Electricity: Calculate Running Cost Of An Inflatable

How Much Does It Cost To Operate a Giant Inflatable?

Wondering how much an inflatable costs to operate? If you know how many cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) you pay for electricity, it's easy to calculate the running cost of your inflatable by multiplying one by the other.

How To Calculate the Electricity Consumption (in kWh)

You need to use kilowatts in your calculations, so if your rating plate is expressed in watts instead of kilowatts, divide that number by 1000 to determine kilowatts. If your rating plate is expressed in volts and amps, multiply the volts by the amps = watts, then divide by 1000 to get kilowatts.

The kilowatt rating of an appliance is equal to the number of units of electricity it consumes per hour of operation. Those units of electricity are expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh).

Small, internal blower systems use .336 units (kWh) of electricity per hour
Our externa1 Dri Eaz blower system uses 1.32 units (kWh) of electricity per hour.

Calculate Running Cost

Refer to your latest electricity bill to find out the unit rate you are paying for electricity. It is expressed in cents per kWh. Most locations have 2 rates - one for peak supply and one for off-peak. Use the peak rate to calculate running costs of your inflatable system.

Multiply kWh by electricity cost

If your electricity cost is 12 cents per unit:

An average 8' inflatable will cost .336 x 0.12 = 4 cents per hour to run. (about $0.97 USD per day.)
An average 20' inflatable will cost 1.32 x 0.12 = 16 cents per hour to run. (about $3.80 USD per day.)

So, as you can see, not only are the inflatables themselves the best value for outdoor advertising, they are also inexpensive to operate, thus keeping your overhead costs low!

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What Others Say About Landmark Creations

"Our giant peach is brand new to us and will help us gain name recognition in our community at health fairs, county fairs, farm markets, school events and almost any event we take it to."

- Greg Stone, Peach Tree Healthcare

"We had a very positive experience working with Landmark Creations and were very impressed with their service and how quickly we were able to receive our inflatable. The product is high quality and super easy to use, which makes a huge difference when setting up."

- Missy Keiper, Avera McKennan Foundation

"[There was] fun, excitement, and encouragement for everyone to actually walk under/through [the arch] and it worked. We have cheerleaders and small children at the finish line by the arch handing out stickers, saying ‘I did it.’ Before we had the arch, [people] would straggle in anywhere."

- Jackie Allen, March of Dimes

“[The inflatable arch] created a wonderful backdrop to brand our events, capture our sponsors in the photos used by the participants, and made it easy to travel down the coast of California without taking up too much space on our trucks.”

- Amy Daugherty, California Coast Classic

"Landmark worked with us to make sure our client was satisfied with the product. They provided great customer service and got us answers when we needed them."

- April Lo, SKA Events

"This year’s event was the highest attended in some time, and the [inflatable] astronaut, front and center on our Portico, was a great visible draw from all over the area."

- Dennis Bateman, Carnegie Science Center