There’s a few potential benefits to knowing what uses the most electricity at home.
Firstly, you can get an idea of what is contributing to your power bills.
Secondly, you can get a better idea of your sustainability footprint in relation to power/energy use at home.
Below, we look at the common appliances and activities that use electricity around the house.
Summary – What Uses The Most Electricity In The Home
What Uses The Most Electricity In The Home
According to several sets of data, space heating and also space cooling by far use the most electricity in the home, at almost 50% of total electricity use use
Some reports indicate that space heating specifically uses more electricity than space cooling
Appliances & Devices That Use Power When Not In Use
There’s a list of 10 items that use the most power when not in use in the guide below
How Much Electricity The Average Household Might Waste
Some reports indicate that 35% of electricity is wasted, and only 65% is effectively used in households
We list some common ways electricity might be wasted in the house in the guide below
Tips For Potentially Saving Electricity At Home
We list some potential tips for saving electricity in the home at the bottom of this guide
Activities & Appliances With The Highest Average Power Cost
Not surprisingly (after looking at the activities and devices that use the most electricity), heating, cooling, and the water heater (in that order) might make up the largest cost share of a household’s electricity bill
What Uses The Most Electricity In The Home
According to several sets of data, space heating and also space cooling by far use the most electricity in the home, at almost 50% of total electricity use use
Some reports indicate that space heating specifically uses more electricity than space cooling
Water heaters are commonly mentioned as a specific system that can use the most energy behind heating and cooling, and sometimes washers and dryers too
Regarding space heating and cooling – it might be worth mentioning how much climate, house design/construction, and also the type of heater or AC system can play a role in electricity use
% Share Of Electricity
From visualcapitalist.com:
[Cooling & Heating uses the most electricity at home, at 47% of total electricity use]
[Water Heater is in second at 14%]
[The Washer & Dryer are in third at 13%]
[Lighting (depending on the type of bulb used) is fourth at 12%]
[This is followed by the Refrigerator at 4%, an Electric Oven at 3 to 4%, a TV, & Cable Boxes at 3%, the Dishwasher at 2%, and a Computer or Laptop at 1%]
From directenergy.com:
[Air conditioning and heating use the most electricity at home, at 46 percent]
[This is followed by Water heating at 14 percent, Other (such as the washer and dryer) at 14%, Appliances (fridge, dishwasher, electric stove and oven) at 13 percent, Lighting at 9 percent, and the TV and Media Equipment at 4 percent]
From eia.gov, in 2009 in the US, energy in the home was used on:
[Space heating at 42%]
[Electronics, lighting and other appliances at 30%]
[Followed by Water heating at 18%, Air conditioning at 6%, and Refrigeration at 5%]
From energymadeeasy.gov.au, the major energy users in the home are:
[Heating and Cooling at 40%]
[Appliances (refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher and the TV) at 33%]
[Followed by Water Heating at 20%, and Lighting at 6%]
Appliances & Devices That Use Power When Not In Use
Some appliances and devices may ‘draw’ power even when they aren’t in use
Some of the most common appliances and devices that might do this are listed below
From visualcapitalist.com:
A full top 10 list of devices that might use the most electricity when not in use might be:
1. Set Top Box
2. Computer
3. Printers
4. DVD/VCR
5. Central Heating Furnace
6. Routers & Modems
7. Phones
8. Gaming Consoles
9. Televisions
10. Microwaves
How Much Electricity Does The Average Household Waste?
A reasonable % of electricity in some households might be wasted
It depends on the definition of ‘waste’ though
Waste might include things such as leaving the lights or TV on when not at home or not in the room, leaving devices and appliances plugged in when not in use (some draw power even when not turned on), and so on
Obviously some power waste might be preventable, and some isn’t
Around 35% of the total power consumed is wasted, while only 65% is actually used (visualcapitalist.com)
Tips For Saving Electricity At Home
Generally, using less power, being more efficient with power use, or not wasting as much power can help save electricity at home
Some specific tips might include:
– Consider basic electricity saving tips
Such as turning home devices and systems off when not in use, using energy efficient devices and appliances, using timers and sensors, and so on
– Consider swaps where realistic and possible
Such as:
Use a low energy consuming heater over a more electricity hungry one
Use regular fan or efficient wall mounted AC unit over a more electricity hungry one
Use natural lighting or LED lighting over older lighting technology
Dry clothes on the line or on a clothes rack over using an electric dryer
– Consider the different ways to make the house more sustainable where it impacts electricity use
For example, using insulation can help retain and keep out heat/the cold in colder or warmer months
– Specifically consider more sustainable ways to heat the house
– Specifically consider more sustainable ways to cool the house
– Consider how personal lifestyle choice plays a role in energy consumption
For example, getting outside the house more, and becoming more active might lead to less electricity use because you’re at home less
– Consider how the climate you live in plays a role in the use of heating and cooling, and consider how you can plan around hotter or cooler climates
– Other potential energy saving tips
Some other tips might include:
Maintain and service electricity consuming devices and systems – especially heaters and air conditioners
Set your water heater to the right temperature, and consider insulating hot water pipes where you can
Set your fridge and freezer to the right temperature
Having water efficient devices in the house can help lower electricity use, as well as using less water in general. Read more about how to save water at home in this guide
– Other factors that may play a role in electricity use in the home
Other factors like the number of people living in a house (which impacts the per person electricity usage average), whether a family is living under one house or multiple houses (in the case of a divorce), and other factors can also play a role in electricity use in homes.
Activities & Appliances With The Highest Average Power Cost
The activities and devices that make up the largest costs in a household’s average power bill might be in line with the activities and devices that use the most electricity
Heating, cooling and the water heater (in that order) top the list
Lighting, and computers/laptops might have the lowest cost
From visualcapitalist.com, the following activities and appliances may have the following average annual household electricity costs:
[Heating at $662]
[Cooling at $394]
[Water Heater at $317]
[Followed by Washer & Dryer at $143, Refrigerator at $95, Electric Oven (based on 1 hour of 350 degree usage daily) at $90, TV, DVD, Cable Box at $57, Dishwasher at $49, Lighting at $28, Computer at $28]
Sources
1. http://www.visualcapitalist.com/what-uses-the-most-energy-home/
2. https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/hot-topics/energy-around-house
3. https://www.directenergy.com/learning-center/energy-efficiency/what-uses-most-electricity-in-my-home
4. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=us_energy_homes
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