These figures are approximate representations, and the actual power consumption of your appliances may vary substantially from these figures. Check the power tags, or better yet, measure the amperage draw with a clamp-on ammeter or home energy monitor like a Kill-A-Watt meter. You can usually find ammeters and Kill-A-Watt meters at your local hardware store or online. Multiply the hours used on the average day by the wattage listed below. This will give you the watt-hours consumed per day.
How Much Power Do Your Appliances Really Use?
The annual consumption of an average family in Europe – who cooks with gas and therefore does not heat water using electricity – is estimated at 2,812 kWh. Per category of type of appliance, this means:
- 25.5 % is used in the kitchen
- 27.8 % for cleaning and maintaining the home
- 28.9 % for leisure activities
- 17.8 % for lighting and other appliances not included in the above categories.
The table provides an overview of consumption per appliance and below you will find a complete full answer with the parameters used to estimate this consumption.
Remember that some items, such as garage door openers, are used only for a fraction of an hour or minute per day. A 300-watt item used for 5 minutes per day will only consume 25-watt hours per day. Where a range of numbers is given, the lower figure often denotes a technologically newer and more efficient model. If you are considering making your own power, we strongly suggest that you invest in a true RMS digital multimeter, a clamp-on type ammeter or a Kill-A-Watt meter. It actually makes sense to know where your power is being used even if you are not producing it, and if you are, these meters are essential diagnostic tools.
Below you will find an overview of the annual consumption of most common electrical appliances.
Annual consumption of electrical appliances in the kitchen
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combi fridge-freezer A+ | 150 to 200 W | 365 days – continuously | 201 kWh |
| Combi fridge-freezer C | 200 to 350 W | 365 days – continuously | 500 kWh |
| Dishwasher | 1200 W | 48 weeks – 5 x per week | 288 kWh |
| Coffee machine | 500 to 1000 W | 335 days – 10 mins./day | 42 kWh |
| Cooker hood | 70 to 150 W | 335 days – 40 mins./day | 25 kWh |
| Microwave oven | 1000 to 1500 W | 48 weeks – 1.5 h/week | 90 kWh |
| Conventional electric oven | 2000 to 2500 W | 48 weeks – 1.5 h/week | 162 kWh |
Annual consumption of electrical appliances in the living room
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption/year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCD TV | On | 90 to 250 W | 335 days – 4 hours per day | 241 kWh |
| LCD TV | In sleep mode | 3 W | 365 days – continuously | 22 kWh |
| old Plasma TV | On | 261 to 344 W | 335 days – 4 hours per day | 402 kWh |
| old Plasma TV | In sleep mode | 3 W | 365 days – continuously | 22 kWh |
| LED TV | On | 20 to 60 W | 335 days – 4 hours per day | 54 kWh |
| LED TV | In sleep mode | 0.3 W | 365 days – continuously | 2,2 kWh |
| Low-energy light bulbs | 12 W | 335 days – 5 hours per day | 20 kWh | |
| Game console | 20 to 180 W | 5 to 6 x per week – 1h20mins. = 387 hours per year |
7.75 to 69.5 kWh | |
| TVD/ADSL decoder | 365 days – continuously | 277 kWh + 112 kWh = 389 kWh |
||
| Halogen lamps | 300 W | 335 days – 5 hours per day | 503 kWh | |
Annual consumption of electrical appliances in the laundry room
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer C | 2500 to 3000 W | 32 weeks – 2 x per week | 192 kWh |
| Washing machine A+++ | 2500 to 3000 W | 48 weeks – 4 x per week (0.9 kWh/cycle) | 173 kWh |
| Washing machine B | 2500 to 3000 W | 48 weeks – 4 x per week (1.35 kWh/cycle) | 259 kWh |
| Iron | 750 to 1100 W | 48 weeks – 5 hours per week | 260 kWh |
| Vacuum cleaner | 650 to 800 W | 48 weeks – 2 hours per week | 70 kWh |
Annual consumption of electrical appliances at the office
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption/year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer with flat screen | On | 70 to 80 W | 240 days – 4 hours per day | 72 kWh |
| Computer with flat screen | In sleep mode | 3 W | 365 days – continuously | 25 kWh |
| Low-energy light bulbs | 15 to 25 W | 365 days – 5 hours per day | 34 kWh | |
| Mobile phone charger | 5 W | 365 days – 1 hour per day | 1.85 kWh | |
Annual consumption of electrical appliances in the bedroom
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption/year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer with cathode monitor | On | 100 to 120 W | 240 days – 4 hour per day | 106 kWh |
| Computer with cathode monitor | In sleep mode | 40 to 60 W | 365 days – continuously | 400 kWh |
| TV with cathode ray tube | On | 80 to 100 W | 335 days – 4 hour per day | 121 kWh |
| TV with cathode ray tube | In sleep mode | 4 to 10 W | 365 days – continuously | 59 kWh |
| Radio alarm | 3 to 6 W | 365 days – continuously | 20 kWh | |
Annual consumption of electrical appliances in the bathroom
| Type of appliance | Capacity | Length of use | Consumption/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric shaver | 8 to 12 W | 335 days – 5 mins./day | 0.3 kWh |
| Back-up heating appliance | 1000 to 2000 W | 240 days – 30 mins./day | 180 kWh |
| Hairdryer | 300 to 600 W | 48 weeks – 30 mins./day | 11 kWh |
Energy Star Appliances
The laundry area and kitchen of the modern house contain the biggest users of electricity. If energy is conserved and use of Energy Star appliances is maximized, your home is well on the way to becoming an example of independent living.
Consider your appliances and how you use them. In general, side-load washers use less energy than top-load washers.
Many food preparations can be done without electricity, and meals can be cooked alternatively with a Dutch oven, pressure cooker, or toaster oven, and three dishes baking at once save the cook’s time and conserve energy too.
Energy Efficient Refrigerators
Refrigerators are infamous for using way too much energy. If your existing refrigerator is over 10 years old, replace it with a new energy efficient refrigerator. Newer models are much more energy efficient than the old avocado green refrigerator at grandma’s house. New refrigerators don’t have to be expensive to be efficient. Check the Energy Guide stickers as well as the price tags. And last but not least, consider a smaller unit because, with refrigerators, bigger is not better.
If replacing your old unit with a modern high efficiency model is not an option, keep your old fridge tuned up by cleaning the ventilation grilles and giving it some room from the wall to allow for ventilation. Use the energy saving feature, if available, or set the thermostat to the minimum requirement of 38 degrees. Keep your freezer as full as possible. Use plastic bottles filled with water for empty spaces.
Solar questions? Please contact us.