In a lot of homes across the country, there has been a never-ending war on conserving electricity. Typically it involves dad turning off left-on lights in empty rooms and turning down the thermostat. But what most people don’t know is how much energy each appliance in their home actually uses. Being aware of how much energy each appliance actually uses can go a long way in helping to cut your home energy costs. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most common home appliances and how much energy they use.
Air Conditioner and Furnace
The biggest consumers of home energy are your air conditioner and furnace. These heavy hitters claim nearly 50% of the energy used in a typical home. It’s even more if you’re home is using older AC/furnace units that don’t have the energy-saving features of modern units. Many of the modern thermostat designs today make it much easier to monitor and control your systems and conserve energy.
Water Heater
Number two on the list is the water heater which consumes around 15% of the total energy used in your home. Conventional water heaters hold a water supply at all times, so when you need hot water, it’s ready to go. More and more people are switching to tankless water heaters that heat water on demand to save on energy costs.
Lights
The lights in all the rooms and outside your home account for about 12% of your energy use. Lowering the energy costs associated with lights is fairly easy to do. Doing simple things like turning off the lights when you leave a room, using timers, and adding energy-efficient lighting can put a big dent in light energy cost.
Washer & Dryer
Your washer and dryer account for around 10% of the energy used in your home on average. If you’re doing a lot of laundry, then, of course, this number will go up. Limiting the number of loads and maxing out each load is a good way to cut your laundry energy costs. Also, only using the hot water cycle when necessary can help too.
Refrigerator
A refrigerator uses about 4% of the energy in your home. Refrigerators stay plugged in all the time and are taking in energy as needed to stay at the set temperature. Today there are a lot of energy-efficient options for home refrigerators. The best practice is not leaving the refrigerator door open longer than you need to.
Television
Today’s TVs, like most appliances, are much more energy-efficient than only a few years ago. Your TV and cable box should account for about 3% of your electricity use. A lot of people choose to unplug their TV when they’re not using it. This can help a little, but don’t expect big savings.
Need Help Optimizing Your Home’s Energy Use?
If you have an older home with old wiring or can’t ever remember having an electrical inspection, you might be paying more than you need each month on your electricity bills. Getting a home electrical inspection is the first step to cutting your home energy bills. We not only identify possible electrical overloads and fire hazards, but we can give you tips on how to optimize your home’s energy efficiency.
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