12 Most Commonly Used Home Appliances and Their Electricity Usage

Commonly used home appliances and their electricity consumption in watts

If we want to control our spending, first we need to identify where and how much we are spending. Similarly when it comes to electricity, it is important to know how much energy is consumed by home appliances. Energy consumption of home appliances is usually rated in Watts. Electricity bills charge us in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Once we identify how much energy is being utilized by each appliance, we minimize our bills. So, a list of 12 commonly used home appliances and their electricity usage is given below.

1. Air Conditioners

Depending on the cooling capacity of the AC, it can consume about 1200-2000 Wh. A 1.5 ton AC typically consumes about 1700 Wh. There are new air conditioners in the market that use inverter technology and their consumption is 30-40% less than that of old ones. Though they are a bit expensive but consider it an initial investment which would eventually be recovered by reduction in electricity bills over the next few months.

2. Room Heaters

Room heaters are the power guzzlers. A typical room heater consume 2000 Wh. There are heaters that can consume up to 3000 Wh.

3. Water Heaters

Electric water heaters consume around 3000 Wh typically. Overall, they can consume a lot of energy if hot water is used for dish washing and laundry.

4. Refrigerator

Newer refrigerators consume less energy which around 200 Wh. Since refrigerators runs 24/7, they end up consuming more energy than we think especially in summers. Depending on where you live, if your winters are very cold then you can reduce the thermostat of your refrigerator to decrease the consumption. But be careful not to decrease the thermostat too much as it may cause the stored items to spoil.

5. Deep Freezer

Deep freezers consume a little less energy as compared to refrigerators. Typical consumption of 12 cubic foot deep freezer is 170 Wh. Overall consumption per day is also less as compared to refrigerator as the former is usually opened lesser number of times as compared to the latter.

6. Electric Iron

These appliances consume about 1200-2000 Wh. Since they are used for only a short period of time per day, they usually do not contribute a significant amount to the bill. However, caution should be taken and it should be turned off as soon as ironing is done.

7. Fans

Fans consume about 100-200 Wh depending on the type of fan such as ceiling, pedestal or exhaust. By running multiple fans in a home for several hours a day, a significant amount of energy can be consumed.

8. Washing Machine

Washing machines consume energy in the range of 500- 1100 Wh typically based on the type of machine and the selected washing modes and the load.

9. Microwave Ovens

These appliances use about 1000 Wh. They are used for very limited duration and thus contribute very little towards the monthly bill.

10. Vacuum Cleaners

Not only buying carpets is expensive but cleaning them is too. Vacuum cleaners consume a staggering 2000 Wh of energy. There are those which consume even up to 2500 Wh.