What Appliances Use the Most Electricity?

what appliances use the most electricity

With utility prices expected to rise significantly, it’s important to know what appliances use the most electricity and how you can save some money. The average home in the U.S. consumes roughly 11,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in a year, depending on location and the type of home, with an average annual expenditure of $1,368. Here, we will look at what appliances use the most electricity from the appliance perspective. The typical home has many different energy-consuming appliances and devices.

Air Conditioners and Heating Appliances

Heating and cooling equipment use up to 47% of the electricity consumed annually in a home. A central HVAC system may use up to 63 kWh in a day and up to 1,950 kWh in a month. But you can reduce consumption by:

  • Scheduling regular AC and furnace maintenance
  • Using air conditioning only during the hottest hours
  • Turning on ceiling fans to improve perceived heating/cooling
  • Closing curtains during warm days, and opening them in winter
  • Dressing more warmly in winter/wearing cooler clothes in summer

Water Heaters

Accounting for about 14-18% of home energy usage, water heaters run for three hours a day on average, consuming 13.5 kWh daily and 405 kWh monthly. As is the case with air conditioning, you can reduce the amount of electricity used. To run your water heater more efficiently:

  • Reduce the unit’s temperature setting to below 120°.
  • Use insulation on hot water pipes and for older models.
  • Setting the water heater lower when going on vacation.
  • Upgrading to water-saving shower heads and faucet aerators.
  • Installing a solar-powered hot water heater.

What Appliances Use the Most Electricity

General Appliances

Powering home appliances can account for 15% of energy consumed at home. These major appliances use a lot of electricity:

Refrigerator

Uses about 4% of household electricity with inefficiencies such as being overfilled, poorly arranged contents, improperly set temperatures, and blocked airflow.

Washer/Dryer

About 5% of energy consumption goes towards doing the laundry.2 Heating water, washing partial loads, overfilling the machine, and lint can reduce efficiency.

Oven/Stove

An electric oven or stove uses 3% to 4% of the electricity you consume.1 Ovens can also heat up your home and make your AC work harder and less efficiently.

Dishwasher

Using about 2% of your electricity on average, the dishwasher can be used more efficiently by washing full loads, turning off heated dry, and by pre-rinsing soiled dishes.

Lighting

9% or more of the energy you use is for lighting. The actual energy use can vary depending on the type of bulb. Incandescent bulbs, used for two hours a day, can consume 0.2 kWh daily; the total lighting needs for your home can add up to as much as 300 kWh per month.

You can reduce that by replacing incandescent with LED bulbs, turning off lights when leaving a room, and using more natural light from the sun.

Television Equipment and Computers

About 4-7% of electricity use is for electronics, assuming an average of five hours of television per day and 6.3 hours of playing video games per week. ENERGY STAR rated electronics use less. Keeping devices in standby mode, turning up brightness, and not shutting things off when not in use consumes more energy.

Numerous devices use electricity even when turned off, including:

  • Set-Top Boxes
  • Computers
  • Printers
  • Television Sets
  • VCRs/DVD Players
  • Routers/Modems
  • Central Heating Furnaces
  • Telephones and Answering Machines
  • Gaming Consoles
  • Microwave Ovens

Unplugging devices you don’t use helps save power. You can group them onto a power strip and switch it off when things aren’t in use. Purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances and devices that have low standby power ratings can reduce electricity consumption as well.

Contact Express Electrical Services

We can help reduce your electricity consumption by recommending energy efficient products, performing repairs and upgrades, and helping automate your home. Poorly maintained electrical systems, components, and appliances can increase consumption. But we can help with professional installation and maintenance and by ensuring your home is up to code. Call 323-727-7799 to learn more.