How to reduce your electricity bill: unplug these 10 appliances

How to reduce your electricity bill: unplug these 10 appliances

With inflation and rising electricity costs, your electric bill is likely to go up significantly this year. Reducing these costs can be simpler than you think—by pinpointing which appliances are using the most energy, you can take effective steps to cut down your consumption.

Start by calculating the energy use of your appliances. Each device has a power rating in watts (W). For example, an oven might use 2,000 watts or 2 kilowatts (kW), since 1 kilowatt equals 1,000 watts. To find out how much energy an appliance consumes, multiply its power rating by the number of hours you use it each day. This will give you the total energy used in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

With these calculations, you can see which appliances are the biggest energy users and focus on reducing their use.

Energy vampires

Some devices, known as "energy vampires," use power even when they're turned off. These include:

  • Computers
  • Video game consoles
  • Instant-on TVs
  • Surround sound systems
  • Cable and satellite TV set-top boxes
  • Devices with built-in digital clocks

To save energy, unplug these devices when they're not in use, use power strips, adjust power settings, or set up timers to control their power consumption.

Major energy users at home

  • Audio Equipment: Consumes 100-200 watts when on. Unplug completely when not in use to avoid standby power consumption.
  • Fans: Vary between 6-40 watts, depending on size and efficiency. Unplug when not in use or use models with timers.
  • Lights: Typically use about 60 watts. Turn off lights when not needed and consider timers or home automation to control usage.
  • Televisions: Use 2-54 watts, depending on size and technology. Unplug less frequently used TVs and enable energy-saving settings.
  • Aquariums: Consume 150-200 watts for lights and heaters. Turn off these systems when not needed, especially at night or during warm weather.
  • Desktop Computers: Use 60-300 watts. Turn off completely when not in use, and use power strips to easily disconnect multiple devices.
  • Modems: Use 5-17 watts. Turn your modem off during sleeping hours or when the house is empty.
  • Cell Phone Chargers: Use 2-6 watts. Unplug once charging is complete to avoid unnecessary energy use.
  • Video Game Consoles: Use 2-90 watts. Unplug when not in use to avoid standby consumption.
  • Laptop Computers: Use 30-200 watts. Unplug the charger when the laptop is not being charged.

High consumption appliances

These are refrigerators, ovens, and air conditioners. Keep them well-maintained and use them only when necessary. Other major energy consumers include central air conditioning, electric water heaters, clothes dryers, hair dryers, electric stoves, ceiling fans, incandescent light bulbs, dishwashers, coffee makers, microwave ovens, and laser printers. Unplug these when not in use or use them more efficiently to save on costs.

Finally, when replacing old appliances, opt for more energy-efficient models. This can lead to significant long-term savings on your electricity bill.