High Energy Appliances – How to Reduce?

When it comes to energy usage in your home, reports have shown that lighting can account for 12% of energy use, washing machines and drying machines can account for 14% of home energy use and reports also show that cooling and heating appliances can account for 45% to 47% of your home energy usage and costs.

The cooling and heating appliances that use the most energy would be your refrigeration and freezer appliance, your central heating appliance and your air conditioning appliances.

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Energy Measurements

When calculating energy usage, it is calculated in units as Kilo Watt Hours or kWh for short and there is 1000 watts in a kilo-Watt kW. If you have a 1 kW appliance and it is plugged in for 1 hour, then you will use 1000 watts or 1 kWh. So when you are choosing appliances in your home, be aware that for example a 3 kWh appliance will use 3 times more energy than a 1 kWh appliance.

7 Large Appliances that use High volumes of Electricity Energy

• Tumble Dryers
• Air Conditioning appliances
• Washing Machines
• Ovens and Hobs
• Dishwashers
• Fridge Freezer
• Electric Showers

7 Small Appliances that use High volumes of Electricity Energy

• Irons
• Hair dryers
• Kettles
• Vacuum cleaners
• Toasters
• Microwaves
• Light bulbs

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High Energy Appliance Categories

The highest category for using electricity are the Wet appliances in your home which are your tumble dryers, washing machines and dishwashers combined. These 3 appliances can account for 30% of your total energy bill as they need to heat water to operate effectively. To reduce the energy, you should choose eco modes where applicable and use them at lower temperatures.

The next highest category of appliances are Cold Appliances which are your fridges and freezers or refrigerators and these appliances can account for 30% of a household bill. The reason for this is because they need to be kept turned on all the time to maintain their required temperatures.

The third category of appliances that use the most energy are Consumer devices and electronics such as laptops, game consoles, TV, Wi-Fi etc and they can represent 10% of your total energy costs.

The fourth category of appliances that require a lot of energy is lighting and this increases as we enter the Autumn and Winter months and reduces during the Spring and Summer months. They can also represent 10% of your total energy costs and they can be reduced by using lower wattage bulbs, switching to LED’s where possible and turning off lights as you leave rooms rather than leaving them turned on continuously.

The last high consuming appliance category is the Cooking appliance category and this includes the hob, microwave, toasters, kettles and of course your oven. These appliances can represent 10% to 15% of your energy costs on your household bills.

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10 Tips to reduce you energy consumption

1. Use high energy consumption appliances in off peak times
2. Instead of cleaning all the dishes etc in the dishwasher, perhaps clean the glasses by hand which tend to be easier and so the dishwasher load is slower to fill up which means less washing cycles. Also avoid using it for half full loads.
3. Choose A+ energy star rated appliances and wash you clothes in the washing machine at a lower temperature
4. Reduce the number of times you use appliances that heat up quickly such as kettles, hair dryers, electric showers and tumble dryers
5. Get an electricity smart meter installed so you can use your appliances at different times of the day and sign up for a smart electricity tariff
6. Get into the habit of turning off appliance devices completely instead on leaving them on standby
7. Use a single lamp light in the corner of a room rather than using a multiple light chandelier
8. Shop around for a cheaper electricity supplier who tend to offer discounts for you to sign up with them and start looking at installing solar panels on your roof to heat your water
9. When using electric showers, cut down on the amount of time you spend in the shower and using the lower power and heat settings plus reduce the hair dryer times to allow more natural air drying
10. Choose the eco modes when using appliances like dishwashers, tumble dryers and washing machines.

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Community Feedback:

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