According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average household spent approximately $143 a month on electricity last year. In some states, homeowners paid over $220! Managing energy consumption can be a challenge, especially in areas that experience large, seasonal temperature swings. Understanding what uses the most electricity in a home enables you to implement effective, energy-saving techniques to reduce electricity costs and improve efficiency.
What Home Appliances Use the Most Energy?
Few people think about energy costs when they switch on an appliance. Nonetheless, personal habits play a significant role in home energy use, second only to the age and design of your machinery. It’s estimated that with the right strategies, homeowners could save up to seven percent on their electric bill. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t know which systems consume the most energy in their home, so their efforts don’t always produce the desired savings. If you’re interested in lowering power consumption, here are the areas to focus on.
HVAC System
It’s estimated that your heating and cooling systems are responsible for around 45 percent of energy usage in your home. A central air conditioner uses 3,000-5,000 watts of electricity per hour, while an electric furnace uses around 10,000-15,000. To save money, try following these tips for managing indoor temperatures.
- Service Your System. Hire an HVAC contractor to clean and inspect your furnace and air conditioner at least once a year, to ensure it’s running efficiency.
- Change Your Filters. Air filters reduce the amount of dust, dirt, and dander in your home. However, if they aren’t changed regularly, they can become clogged and restrict airflow, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to maintain desired temperatures.
- Install a Smart Thermostat. Smart thermostats allow you to control your furnace and AC from any location with a Wi-Fi signal. You can not only monitor conditions in your home, but program your heating and cooling schedule, in order to curtail unnecessary electricity consumption. Some can even learn your habits, automatically adjusting temperatures when you wake up or leave the house.
- Use Ceiling Fans. During summer, ceiling fans create a breeze that allows you to remain comfortable with the thermostat set to a higher temperature. Reversing their direction in winter (so they spin counterclockwise) prevents warm air from accumulating around the ceiling, enabling you to stay warm at a lower setting.
HVAC systems are designed to heat or cool your home to the point you feel comfortable in seasonal clothing. Attempting to raise or lower temperatures beyond this range lessens their efficiency. For more energy saving tips, read our advice on managing energy costs in summer and winter.
Water Heaters
An electric water heater generally operates at around 1,125-4,000 watts per hour, which translates to roughly 380-500 kilowatt hours (kWh) a month. While maintaining a reliable supply of hot water can be expensive, especially for a larger household, there are several ways to mitigate costs.
- Lower Your Water Temperature. Lowering the setting on your water heater from 140°F to 120°F will produce significant savings.
- Insulate Your Water Heater. Wrapping your heater in an insulation jacket helps it run more effectively, reducing heat loss by up to forty-five percent and lowering your energy bill 7-16 percent.
- Insulate Water Pipes. Insulating your water pipes raises temperatures inside by 2-4°F, which means you don’t have to wait as long for the shower to warm up, reducing water consumption and the strain on your water heater. In many cases, you can insulate the pipes yourself, with supplies from your local hardware or building supply store.
Besides turning down your water heater or upgrading your system, adopting energy-efficient habits, such as switching from baths to showers, also helps. A ten minute shower normally consumes about 25 gallons of water, while filling your bath consumes 30-50 gallons.
Home Lighting
Even though light bulbs have become far more efficient since the late 1990s, lighting still accounts for 7-12 percent of your home’s electrical budget. If you haven’t switched from incandescent light bulbs to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), you should. It’s the best way to reduce lighting expenses. LEDs use 90 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs and last up to 50 times longer.
Home Appliances
Individually, modern appliances don’t use a lot of electricity. Collectively, however, the devices in your kitchen, living room, and laundry room account for twenty percent of your total energy costs.
- Refrigerator. Your fridge is responsible for around eight percent of your energy budget. To avoid waste, set the temperature to 37°F and make sure the seals are tight, to prevent cold air from escaping. Clean the condenser coils in the back every 6-12 months as well, to ensure optimal cooling.
- Washer and Dryer. Together, washers and dryers generally account for five percent of household energy consumption. To lower costs, only run them with a full load and wash your clothes with cold water, to eliminate stains and lower electricity usage at the same time.
- Oven. An electric oven uses 2,000-5,000 watts of electricity, or about 2-5 kWh per hour. However, because it only runs for relatively short periods, ovens only consume around three percent of household electricity. To save money, never open your oven door when cooking (it lowers temperatures inside by up to 25 percent) and skip preheating when preparing meals that don’t require precise temperatures (e.g. roast vegetables).
- Televisions. TVs are only responsible for approximately two percent of your total energy consumption. However, it’s sometimes difficult to estimate how much electricity they use because they often run while no one is watching. Many homeowners leave them in standby mode instead of shutting them down completely, leading to increased costs.
For long-term savings, consider purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances when your old ones wear out. ENERGY STAR devices are designed according to strict efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the U.S. Department of Energy in order to ensure they use less energy than competing models and protect the environment.
Save on Home Repairs with Agway
Agway’s EnergyGuard™ Home Repair Program covers your heating, cooling, and electrical systems. It’s a standard benefit offered to every customer, in order to protect your furnace, air conditioning, and internal wiring from wear and tear. Home insurance doesn’t cover this type of damage, but we do. The process is simple.
When the need for repair occurs, our customers don’t have to waste time searching for a qualified repairman. They call us instead. We maintain a network of certified HVAC contractors and electricians in your area and send the first available one straight to your door. There are no service fees or deductibles either. We pay for the cost of the visit and all covered parts. Reliable support helps keep your systems functioning efficiently, so sign up and start enjoying the benefits of EnergyGuard™ today!
