Large Appliances and Home Energy Consumption
There are many ways to lower your utility bills. Something as simple as turning off your TV or running your dishwasher only when full can save you hundreds of dollars annually while also reducing your energy consumption.
Follow the steps listed below to learn how to complete an at-home energy assessment of your appliances, and how to change your daily consumption habits to reduce energy and lower your utility bills.
Are you or your appliances consuming too much electricity?
Some small changes in how you use electricity can make a big difference in your bill over time. Lighting, refrigeration, cooking and appliances account for 56 percent of the total energy use in the normal household. To identify areas where you may be losing energy, you can do an at-home energy audit by following these guidelines:
Complete an At-Home Energy Assessment
- Identify “energy vampires.” Vampire power is the electricity used by appliances even when they are switched off but still plugged in. If you can’t unplug them without disrupting your lifestyle, then consider plugging some into a power strip that you can switch on and off. Take note of the following devices and if they are on and/or plugged in:
- TVs -- turn off TV when not watching it; enable sleep function so TV turns off automatically when not in use
- AV receivers
- DVRs
- Cableboxes
- DVD or Blu-Ray players
- Game consoles
- Laptop charger cables -- unplug chargers from sockets when not actively charging a device
- Printers
- Speakers
- Computers and computer monitors -- enable sleep function so computer turns off automatically when not in use
- Coffee maker
- Microwave
- Blenders
- Check your large appliances.
- Is your refrigerator or freezer located in direct sunlight? This might cause the appliance to work harder to keep your food cold, consuming more energy.
- Do the filters on your AC or furnace need to be replaced? Regular filter replacement can lower your energy bill up to 15%. Changing filters is also beneficial for your health.
- Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full to reduce water and electricity usage.
- Try to only wash your clothes using the cold water setting. This saves energy by not heating up the water before using it. Also, only run the washing machine with a full load of clothes.
- Water-saving habits like taking shorter showers, avoiding baths, or installing low-flow showerheads can help.
- Evaluate your light usage.
- Turn off lights when you’re not using them.
- Whenever you leave a room, remember to switch off the lights.
- Assess number of light sources.
- If you have a large number of lamps or lights in a room, you could reduce energy by using only a few or getting rid of unnecessary light sources.
- Lifestyle changes and/or habits
- Your energy consumption might have increased if the size of your household has increased (i.e. more people are living with you) or if someone is staying at home more often.
- If your hobbies include the use of power tools, ovens for baking, and/or other high electrical resistance tools or appliances, your energy bills will likely increase.
More Low & No-Cost Tips to Save Energy