Which Appliances Use the Most Electricity in My Home?

We need to keep our homes as energy efficient as possible to avoid paying too much for electricity. It can be hard to find ways to save money and energy, so where do we begin? At HomeOps Electric, our experienced electricians look at how much energy is used by typical home systems, appliances, and electronics, what uses the most energy, and how to reduce your electricity bills by making your home more energy efficient. Here are a few tips on learning more about what uses up the most electricity in your household.

Which Appliances Use the Most Energy?

• AC and Heating – Your heating and cooling unit consume the most electricity in the typical household by a wide margin. In order to maintain the ideal temperature in your home, central air conditioners and heaters consume a significant amount of energy. Heating generally consumes more electricity throughout the year, accounting for 25% or more of your annual electricity consumption, although it depends on whether you use heating or cooling more.
• Water Heating – If you have an electric water heater, it probably uses more energy than any other appliance in your home. When you take a shower, wash dishes, use the sink, or do laundry, you use your water heater. All of these things add up to make monthly energy costs for water heaters pretty high.
• Lighting and Refrigerator – These two appliances don’t require much energy to run, but can use up quite a lot of electricity because they are almost always on. You use lighting pretty frequently around the house throughout all times of the day, and the refrigerator runs consistently.
• Washer – How frequently you wash your clothes affects how much energy your washer and dryer use each month. However, when the washer and dryer are turned on, they typically consume a significant amount of electricity, particularly if the washer is filled with hot water. Doing the laundry takes up about 5% of your annual electricity use on average.

Why Is My Electric Bill So High?

There can be a number of reasons why your bill has been more expensive lately.

• Vampire Appliances – Even when not in use, devices that remain plugged in throughout the day continue to consume energy. It is a waste of time and money to plug in that computer charger all the time. Unplug any devices you aren't using. Otherwise, your electric bill will continue to be unusually high.
• Lights Are Not Used Strategically - Although ceiling lights can brighten a room, they are neither effective nor strategic. They use up electricity if you only need to light one corner of a room, like by your desk. Instead, try lamps, which use fewer kilowatt-hours and provide direct light. When doing regular chores, cooking, or working from home during the day, you might want to use only natural light. When the room is not in use, don't forget to turn off the fans and lights. These small changes can be very effective with your electric bill.
• Old Appliances – It is not worth saving electronics and appliances that have never been used. Donate or recycle those outdated electronics instead of keeping them. It is preferable to have them out of the house rather than consuming more energy and driving up your monthly electricity bill. Another option would be to contact an electrical repair service. If you don’t want to invest in a new appliance, contact an expert electrician for an electrical repair service to fix your appliances.