Can energy consumption be reduced? What are the hidden costs on your electricity bill?
We consume more energy than we realize. Have you ever thought about how many devices in your home are working with the help of electricity? Washing machines, computers, mobile phones, air conditioning, dishwashers, and refrigerators are just a few of the devices we cannot live without nowadays. But some hidden costs on your bill can be significantly reduced. Are you interested in finding out which these are? Continue reading if you want to pay less at your next billing time.
All the appliances plugged in even when you are not using them are making the cost of your bill go higher and higher. Did you know these vampire devices waste around 23% of your energy each month?
Below, you can find an overview of a home’s energy consumption. Here are 12 appliances that use WAY too much energy:
Energy Consumption in the Kitchen
Your kitchen probably hosts the most consuming devices. Research has shown that around 17% of a home’s electricity bill comes from kitchen appliances. Appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, and freezers must stay plugged in even though are not in use all the time. But some other appliances just waste your energy and, also, your money. These are:
1. Water kettle
Water kettles use a lot of energy. And even when are turned off, they consume around 30 W (watts).
A saving tip is to boil just how much water you need. Don’t boil a full 2 litters kettle if you are making just a cup of tea.
2. Toaster
Basically, the more toasty you like the bread, the more money will cost you. Toasters cannot be considered real vampire devices because they don’t consume standby energy.
A saving tip is to use the toaster each time you want your bread toasted because it will save you a lot of money, compared to using your oven
3. Microwave
Unplugging or switching off your microwave can save you some money. Do you have a microwave that displays the date and time? Well, be sure that it wastes some extra dollars. Who even checks the time on their microwave display?
If you keep your microwave plugged in all the time, like most householders, yearly you lose a significant amount of money.
Make sure you opt for a modern microwave without a display
Energy Consumption in the Bathroom
Washing machines, showers, and tumble dryers are among the appliances that contribute to approximately 16% of the average energy cost.
4. Shower
When it comes to the cost of electricity, one of the most expensive household equipment is undoubtedly the electric shower. This is something you won’t realize unless you own or use such a shower. In addition to using a lot of water, roughly 77 liters for ten minutes, if you use hot water it will cost you even more.
A saving tip and the best one would be to stay away from electric showers. But if you already have one, well, just make sure you take shorter showers.
5. Tumble dryer
A tumble dryer has a significantly greater impact on your energy expenses if compared to other smaller appliances. Investing in an energy-efficient tumble dryer will definitely help you save money. But keep in mind that air drying your clothes will be always the best option, especially in the hot summer days.
As you already probably guessed, a great saving tip would be to use it as rarely as you possibly can.
6. Washing machine
Lowing temperature during washing can result in approximately 40% energy savings.
If you want to save even more, you can opt for a machine that has also the 20 degrees program. Since 2013, the EU’s Ecodesign initiative introduced these programs on new machine models.
Energy Consumption in the Living Room
7. Television
Have you ever wondered how much energy a TV use? It depends on its size. For example, a 32 inches TV, has a power consumption of 70 W, which is about $0,011 per hour, while a 5o inches one has a power consumption of 150W and should cost you around $0,024.
A very good energy-saving tip would be to switch up to an LCD TV if you have a plasma because they are on average, 3 times more energy efficient.
We recommend you purchase the INSIGNIA 32-inch Class F20 Series Smart HD Fire TV. It can be found on Amazon at a great price and based on its reviews, we can say that it’s one of the best alternatives on the market right now. With the 720p resolution, you can watch your favorite movies, and shows, and play games in high definition. The Alexa Voice Control lets you easily control your TV, search across apps, switch inputs, and more using just your voice. It’s also a great choice if you want to save money since its display is just 32 inches.
8. Phone charger
Make sure that you remove the charger from the socket when your phone is not charging. If not, you are wasting your money. Also, you probably didn’t know that once your phone is fully charged, it still consumes around 60% of the power. Three separate energy levels are used by your phone’s charger: while it’s actively charging, when it’s plugged in but no device is connected, or when your phone is connected to it but your battery is fully charged.
The last situation is frequently experienced by those who charge their phones by the night while they are asleep.
A saving tip would be to charge your phone before you sleep or as soon as you wake up.
Energy Consumption in the Office
9. Computer
When is actively used, a desktop computer uses 450W of energy per hour, which is a lot, compared to 5.4W when on standby or sleep mode.
A great and simple saving tip would be to close your computer each time you are not using it. The amount of money saved will be not high, but will still be significant.
10. Printer
A printer uses a very small amount of money, the problem is that in most of offices, all the printers are plugged in which basically means a waste of money. We recommend inkjet printers because they use a normal amount of energy compared to laser printers which are 10 times more expensive to maintain.
11. Table lamps
Table lamps are another waste of money when it comes to offices. Most of the employees working from their office, tend to let their lamps work all day long, even though they are taking breaks from time to time. It’s interesting how even on sunny days, in the offices all the lights are being turned on during the entire working day.
If there were a balance, a company could save a significant amount of money each month.
12. Air conditioning
Air conditioning systems are another problem offices are dealing with. Same as the lamps, the air conditioner is working all day long, even though there are also colder days when employees can easily go without using it.
A saving tip would be to not forget it open. It would be great to open it just when is really necessary. This way, you’ll avoid waste.
We have a lot of daily routines that cannot be done without the use of electricity. So, the only option is to choose wisely how we use our energy and save as much as we possibly can.
Before leaving, make sure to check out another related article that can also be found on our website, it’s called: Are You Losing Money? Discover 7 Surprising Causes. It’s like a guide that teaches you rapidly how to save money. It’s easier than you think!
