Saving electricity. Everybody's talking about it, but what does the idea really mean? Before you start planning ways to cut down on your consumption of electrical power, it would be helpful to know how much electricity you're currently using in the home, and what you're using it for. Here's a guide.
What Are Watts, Kilowatts, and Kilowatt Hours?
What does this mean to the average person? Well, a watt is a measure of power, and 1000 of them equal one kilowatt (often shortened to kW). A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a measure of energy, that is, the number of kilowatts used per hour. To bring in a real life example, one kWh is the amount of electrical energy required to power a 40-watt light bulb for a period of 25 hours. The kWh is the unit by which your local utility company calculates the electricity consumption of their residential customers, meaning the charge on your monthly or bimonthly bill works out to the number of kilowatt hours you used times the company's billing rate per kWh.
How Much Electricity Do Your Appliances Use?
Your household appliances will use widely varying amounts of electricity, depending on their size and model, the temperature or speed setting which you choose, and your local climate. However, learning approximately how much energy each one takes will help you track your home electrical consumption.
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCERATING Air conditioner, central (2.5 ton) 3800 watts Air conditioner, window unit 500-1400 watts Blow dryer 1000 watts Broadband router 7-10 watts Coffee maker 900 watts Deep fryer 1200 watts Dehumidifier 300-700 watts Desktop computer 80-150 watts Dishwasher 1050-1500 watts Electric blanket 130-200 watts Electric drill 900-1000 watts Electric lawn mower 500-1500 watts Extractor fan 1-36 watts Freezer 150 watts Fridge-freezer 200-400 watts Game console 45-190 watts Grill 1000-2000 watts Iron 1000-1800 watts Kettle 2200-3000 watts Laptop 20-50 watts LCD TV 125-200 watts Microwave 600-1500 watts Oil-filled radiator 1500-2500 watts Oven 2000-2200 watts Oven, self-cleaning mode 1180 watts Plasma TV 280-450 watts Refrigerator 40-120 watts Smart phone (charge) 2.5-5 watts Space heater 2000-3000 watts Stove burner 800 watts Tablet (charge) 10 watts Toaster 800-1500 watts Towel rail 250 watts Tumble dryer 2000-4000 watts Vacuum cleaner 500-1200 watts Video, DVD or CD 20-60 watts Washing machine 1200-3000 watts Water Heater 3800 watts
Chart adapted from the Centre for Sustainable Energy For a more precise measurement, you can check 120-volt appliances with an electricity usage monitor. This will track the wattage drawn with normal use and also the "phantom load" when the device is turned off.
How Can You Reduce Your Electricity Usage?
If you're looking to cut down on your electricity usage -- and your electricity bills! -- you'll do well to start with your
HVAC consumption. Heating and cooling the home accounts for nearly half of residential electric consumption. So you can save by changing your HVAC filter, insulating your home, installing ceiling fans, buying a programmable thermostat, and setting the temperature at an energy-smart
78 degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter.
Reduce phantom load electricity consumption by unplugging infrequently-used appliances, substituting energy-saving plugs for your current ones (no pun intended), or turning them off with a power strip.
When you're ready to buy a new air conditioner, furnace, fridge, or other major appliance, look for
Energy Star certification. And if you're on the fence about whether you can afford to upgrade, consider the energy savings and improved performance a new model will give you.
Use less. A few examples to get you started: Hang your clothes to dry, at least in summer. (I do.) Wear more layers in winter so you can set the heat lower. Plan your oven use so that you bake several items at the same time.
Consider moving to solar power. If you are not ready to make a major commitment, some areas offer the possibility of solar leasing.
