How do I enter my energy cost and set up kiln firing cost tracking?

Below are steps for setting up automatic kiln firing cost tracking for the TAP and TAP II Controller.

Setting up your TAP Controller to track your electric kiln firing cost is super easy. For the original TAP Controller, you can input cost settings right from your controller screen or via the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app. For the TAP II Controller, as well as the other kiln controllers in the TAP Ecosystem, you will set up your kiln firing costs via the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app, so you can skip ahead to the next section for instructions!

Steps for Programming Kiln Cost Settings on the Original TAP Controller UI

1. From the Home Screen, go to Menu>Settings>Cost.
2. Enter your kiln’s power rating in watts in the field for ‘Kiln Power.’ If you’re unsure of your kiln’s power rating, you can usually find it on the kiln’s data plate or in your kiln’s user manual. If your kiln’s power rating is in kilowatts, just multiply that number by 1000 to convert the power rating into watts. For instance, if your kiln was rated for 2.16 kW, you’d multiply that by 1000, and enter 2160 in the field for ‘Kiln Power.’ 
3. Enter your utility provider’s cost per kilowatt hour in the ‘Cost per kWh’ field. You can find this information on your latest electric bill or on the website for your electric utility provider. In the example below, we’ve highlighted the Cost Per kWh. Make sure to round up or down to the nearest whole cent! So for this example, you would enter $0.04 under ‘Cost per kWh. Once you’ve input this information, your TAP Controller will automatically calculate your electric kiln firing cost – so you can ditch the pencil, notebooks, timers, and calculators! 

Example of Electric Service Details:

How to Setup Electric Kiln Firing Cost Tracking on the TAP Kiln Control Mobile App

You can also program cost settings for the TAP or TAP II Controller on the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app – and track your electric kiln firing costs on the go! 

1. In the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app, select your kiln from the Summary Screen. 
2. Press Settings on the bottom center of your screen. 
3. Scroll down to Cost. Here you will find the field to input ‘Cost per kWh’ and ‘Kiln Power’ (refer to Steps 2 & 3 from the previous section). Make sure to round up or down to the nearest whole cent.