Scentsy Warmers use low-watt light bulbs or heating elements to gently melt our Scentsy Bars and release world-class fragrance. There are no candles, therefore no flame, no soot and no smoke! But they do use electricity. It begs the question, just how much energy does it take to use Scentsy Warmers and melt wax? The short answer is not very much and costs just pennies a day.
In this blog post, we will attempt to answer all your energy use, sustainability and efficiency questions! Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Types of warmers
- Understanding energy consumption
- Bulb wattage and why it matters
- Scentsy Warmers wattage, electricity use and cost
- Differences across countries
All about warmers
There are as many different types of wax warmers as there are personalities. Big box stores offer plug-in warmers, heat plate warmers and, of course, candle warmers. Scentsy manufactures and sells only two varieties: bulb and element warmers. Bulb and element warmers are safe, perfect for low-melt wax and offer a superior fragrance experience without flame or high temperatures.
Each Scentsy bulb warmer comes with the required wattage bulb, which is important for safety and fragrance experience, so don’t substitute a bulb with different wattage. For example, never use a 25-watt bulb in a 15-watt warmer, and make sure replacement bulbs are the correct wattage.
Understanding energy consumption
At its most basic level, power is how much energy is consumed over time. A watt is a unit of power. Different watt light bulbs indicate how much energy each bulb consumes. The higher the wattage, the more energy the bulb consumes. To determine how much energy a warmer/bulb uses in 24 hours (and therefore how much it will cost), we use a simple formula.
If you don’t care to know the math behind the energy conversion, just skip down to the bright blue numbers! If you do want to know the formulas, then yes, it’s time for some arithmetic. Follow along; we promise it will make sense.
If you’ve ever shopped for bulbs, you know they’re identified by power rating. Scentsy utilizes a variety of different light bulbs to ensure we optimize the fragrance experience. We also use this power rating to calculate how much energy a Scentsy warmer uses.
By understanding what a Watt is, we can determine how much energy a warmer uses each day. Watt refers to how much energy (or Joules) a light bulb consumes per second. For example, a 40W bulb uses 40 Watts per second. Multiply this wattage by the number of seconds the warmer is turned on to determine how much energy is being consumed.
So, let’s do the calculation for a 20W and 25W bulb warmer:
20W bulb warmer: 20W x 86,400 seconds per day = 1,728,000 J (1,728 kJ)
25W bulb warmer: 25W x 86,400 seconds per day = 2,160,000 J (2,160 kJ)
40W bulb warmer: 40W x 86,400 seconds per day = 3,456,000 J (3,456 kJ)
Most electric utilities charge by the kilowatt-hour (kWh) – another term for energy – and that is what you see on your bill each month. One kWh is the equivalent of 3,600 kJ. The average residential electricity rate in the United States is roughly 23 cents per kWh. However, electricity rates vary widely across the country (and world) and by season.
Let’s see how much it costs per day to use 20W and 25W bulb warmers:
20W bulb warmer: 1,728 kJ / 3,600 x $0.23 = 11.0 cents per day
25W bulb warmer: 2,160 kJ / 3,600 x $0.23 = 13.8 cents per day
40W bulb warmer: 3,456 kJ / 3,600 x $0.23 = 22.0 cents per day
If you know the cost per kilowatt-hour at your own home, just plug that number into this equation and you’ll have a personalized result!
This formula can be used for any Scentsy electrical product. However, we have listed a rated power on the labels for our Scentsy Fan Diffusers and Air Purifier.
Fun fact: Scentsy bulbs typically last around 2,000 hours!
Right on wattage
Scentsy offers warmers and light bulbs in 10W, 15W, 20W, 25W and 40W. Some element warmers consume up to 22W. How do you know which bulb to choose, and which is right for your warmer?
Each Scentsy Warmer has its own unique design and functionality. Warmers must be paired with the Scentsy-approved bulb. It is critical to use the correct light bulb for the warmer; otherwise, the warmer may not perform as intended or may create a safety risk.
All Scentsy Warmers are tested and verified for their safety and performance based on the correct light bulb. Similar light bulbs from a big box store may not perform the same as Scentsy light bulbs and carry the same risks as using an incorrect wattage bulb. Find the correct watt bulb for your warmer in the Scentsy catalog, at scentsy.com or from your independent Consultant!
Scentsy Warmers are sold around the globe. And while there are no major differences in energy consumption between countries, a different light bulb and electrical plug is required to adapt to different voltage standards.
Fun fact: Of all Scentsy products, our fan diffusers use the least amount of electricity (about 1W) and provide immediate fragrance.
Bulb ban?
Recently, the United States and some European countries have banned the use of incandescent light bulbs as many governments want residents to use energy-efficient bulbs. Scentsy warmers are not classified as a general service lamp, so the bans won’t impact our warmers or the light bulbs we provide. However, we do expect to see serious impacts to the incandescent bulb industry.
Scentsy Warmers and our low-melt wax Scentsy Bars are a safe, low-cost and energy efficient way to fill your home with world-class fragrance. What warmer do you use in your home? Tell us in the comments.
