Electricity prices are rising and we need to find ways to lower our bills and consumption. What are the most power-hungry household appliances in our homes and how can we use them more efficiently?
Heating
Many people use electric heaters, which can be costly. To save energy, lower the “set temperature” of your heater; keep it at 19 °C when you are in the room and 16 °C to 17 °C when you are away. You can save 7% of energy for every 1 °C you lower.
Hot Water
Electric water heaters can also consume a lot of energy. To save water and electricity, take shorter showers and use cold water for washing your hands. You can also set the temperature of your water heater lower and use a timer to turn it off when you don’t need it.
Cooling Household Appliances
Refrigerators, freezers, and combined household appliances use about a quarter of the electricity in a home. When buying these household appliances, choose the right size for your needs and look for energy-efficient models. They can help you cut down your electricity bill significantly.
Audiovisual
Televisions are the main power users in this category. They use less energy with LED technology, but the screen size and the time you watch them still matter. You can also save energy by turning off the power supply of your Internet access box and television when you are not using them.
Washing and Drying
Washing and drying machines are fairly energy-efficient, but there is still room for improvement. Clothes dryers, in particular, can use a lot of energy. You can save up to 34 euros per year by choosing a more efficient dryer than the average one.
Kitchen
Electric stoves, ovens, and cooktops are some of the biggest energy consumers in the kitchen, after cooling household appliances. It is hard to avoid using them, but you can do some simple things to save energy, such as covering your pots and picking more efficient household appliances.
Office and Computing
Office and computing household appliances use about half as much energy as audiovisual household appliances on the electricity bill. You can save energy by unplugging these household appliances when you are not using them, and by avoiding having too many of them.
Lighting
Lighting costs about 25 euros per year for an average household, which is half of what a refrigerator-freezer costs. LED technology has helped to reduce the energy consumption of lighting, but you can still save more by turning off the lights when you don’t need them.
