Depending on how you use it, an Apple smartphone or tablet’s charge can last anywhere from 10 hours to days — the iPhone and iPad’s battery is a killer feature.

That said, here is a really simple idea to get your head around — using an iPad for a year consumes less electricity than a 60W compact fluorescent bulb over the same time. Your iPhone consumes even less.

The Associated Press, quoting Electric Power Research Institute data, reports that it costs just $1.36 to charge an iPad for a year. An iPhone sips power at the rate of $0.38 annually.

“As information technologies continue to change rapidly we see important implications for energy consumption,” said Mark McGranaghan, vice president, Power Delivery and Utilization, EPRI. “These results raise important questions about how the shifting reliance from desktop to laptop to mobile devices will change energy use and electricity requirements for the information age. At less than a penny per charge these findings bring new meaning to the adage, ‘A penny for your thoughts.'”

And, here are a few more fun data points for you to consider:

• 60-watt compact fluorescent bulb costs $1.61 to run for a year

• Desktop PC guzzles $28.21 of juice
— More than 20 times than used by an iPad
— It costs less than 1 cent per iPad charge

• A refrigerator to chill your OJ gobbles $65.72

Now, when you factor in all of the energy you won’t use because you have switched from other consumption mediums, such as print on paper and television, both of which are much more energy intensive, the savings really pile up in iPad’s favor.

Yet another reason to feel good about getting an iPad and killing your newspaper sub.

What’s your take?

via AppleInsider