Which Home Appliances Consume The Most Energy?

When taking steps to reduce your energy bills, it can be useful knowing which household appliances consume the most energy. Below are the five biggest energy guzzlers, along with some of the different ways you can reduce your energy usage.

Dishwasher

The dishwasher is typically the fifth biggest energy-guzzling appliance within our homes. Dishwashers consume roughly 1.44 kWh per cycle – and roughly about 194 kWh per year.   

ENERGY STAR rated dishwashers can use from 20 to 50% less energy than standard models, making them a good investment. Reduce energy costs by making sure that dishwashers are fully loaded before a cycle (but not overloaded, as this may result in the need for a second cycle). 

Oven

Ovens rank fourth when it comes to appliances that consume the most energy – however, it depends on what oven you’ve got. Gas ovens typically cost much less to run than electric ovens. The average electric oven uses about 1.56 kWh per use, which is about 211 kWh per year.

Switching to a gas oven or an ENERGY STAR rated electric oven could save you money. Avoid wasting energy from ovens by turning on the heat no longer than five minutes before cooking (most modern ovens only need five minutes to heat up)

Tumble dryer

Tumble dryers are the third biggest energy guzzler when it comes to household appliances. Again though, it depends on what type of dryer you have. As this gas vs electric dryers comparison guide states, electric dryers tend to use a lot more energy than gas dryers. In fact, electric dryers often use 2.5 kWh per cycle, which equates to about 370 kWh per year when used regularly.

Aside from getting a gas dryer, you can reduce the cost of your dryer by drying full loads or by hanging up clothes to dry in warm weather. As with other appliances, an ENERGY STAR rated dryer will save you money.

Refrigerator/freezer

Fridges/freezers consume the second highest amount of energy of any home appliance. On average, they guzzle 408 kWh per year. This is simply because, unlike other appliances, they have to be constantly kept running. 

ENERGY STAR rated fridge/freezers will save you money. Locating your fridge away from heat sources (such as ovens or heat vents) and not leaving the fridge door open for long periods can reduce the amount of energy your appliance uses to stay cool. 

TV

Many people don’t realize it, but the TV is the biggest consumer of energy of any appliance in our home. Most LCD TVs consume 0.21 kWh per hour. This is much less than other appliances, but constant TV usage means that overall TVs use up more energy than any other appliance. Watching a TV for just 6 hours every day can consume 459 kWh per year (which could account for 8% of your total energy bill, or more if you have multiple people watching multiple TVs at once).

Modern TVs are much more energy-efficient than older TVs and can be worth upgrading to if you want to reduce your energy bill. However, the most obvious way to reduce your TV energy usage is to watch less TV. Stop putting the TV on in the background and give yourself screen time limits each evening if you’re up all night binging TV shows.

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