Is Your Electricity Bill Too High? Which Appliances Draw The Most?

This article is provided by Jesse Hughes.

If you are like most people, you do not generally pay too much attention to the itemized list on your monthly electric bill. In fact, most of what is written there probably looks like another language, written in terms of kilowatt-hours instead of the actual appliances you used. This is a common point of confusion for homeowners.

On one hand, it makes sense that your electric company does not know what appliances you are using, but on the other hand only an electrician can decipher what is really going on in your monthly bill.

If this is something you have thought about in the past, this article will help. Read on to find out what appliances draw the most power in the average home, and click this link to discover ways to save on your monthly bill.

Home Appliances Listed By Consumption Rate

Most of your home appliances are lightweight energy consumers. The majority of your average monthly power consumption comes from a handful of devices, such as:

Central Air Conditioning/Heat Pump

At an average of 15,000 watts per hour, this is one of the biggest draws in the average home or commercial property. Central air needs to draw massive amounts of power in order to push air throughout an entire building's ventilation system. If you are using a heat pump system alongside, those costs multiply. Consider installing energy efficient room air conditioners.

Washing Machines And Dryers

Your washing machine is the most likely culprit for high monthly electricity costs. These appliances can use up for 4,000 watts every hour, and often run for multiple hours at a time. To save money on washing and drying clothes, purchase an Energy Star-rated appliance. Furthermore, you can reduce the electricity draw of each load by washing with cold water.

Refrigerator

The refrigerator is a major energy load because it is drawing around 1,000 watts of power 24/7. Since you can not exactly turn off your refrigerator for anything other than an extended vacation away from home, you need to work on your temperature settings to ensure that you are not cooling food more than actually necessary. This is particularly true for fridges with an attached freezer, which obviously draws more current.

Light Bulbs 

On their own, light bulbs do not use up all that much power at all- typically between 40 and 60 watts. However, unlike your large appliances, you probably have between 20 and 50 light bulbs in and around your home- that usage quickly adds up. Pay closest attention to light fixtures that use multiple bulbs, such as chandeliers and recessed lighting installations. 

Also, consider low-wattage eco-friendly bulbs. You can draw as little as 12 watts just by spending a little more on the bulb. 

Want To Know More About Saving Money At Home?

How Stuff Works has a thorough introduction to the subject of reducing electricity bills by paying attention the heaviest current-drawing appliances. Take a look and find out exactly how much each one of these appliances costs to use over the course of an average day.