Do you know which of your household appliances use the most electricity?

How much does your TV and others appliances use on standby?

All electrical appliances have 'ratings' on them - their 'wattage'. You will find this on a small plate or written somewhere in the appliance itself. In order to be able to use these power ratings to calculate the amount of electricity used by each appliance, we also need to know the length of time that each appliance is used.

To work out how much electricity an appliance uses, you must have three values:

1. The power rating or wattage of the appliance. This is found on the appliance.·
2. The time the appliance is on for.
3. The cost per unit.

You can work out the running costs of various electrical appliances by using the following formula:

Rating in Watts ÷ 1000 x Time in minutes ÷ 60 = Amount of electricity used in kWh.

Then:

kWh x Cost per unit = Cost of electricity used

(If the wattage is expressed in kilowatts simply use the number given. Similarly if the time is expressed in hours, use the number given.) 

Energy Monitors

Borrow an energy monitor from your Energy Master and complete an audit of the appliances in your home to find out which consume the most electricity. This can be a fun and you will not have to do all that mathematics!

Using the monitor will also help you identify the amount of energy your appliances use when on standby.

Did you know?

Washing clothes at 30°C  instead of higher temperatures uses around 40% less electricity (saving you around £10 a year) Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures so unless you have very dirty washing, bear this in mind.

Rather than using a tumble dryer dry your clothes outside during the summer months. You can save on average €15 a year on your electricity bill and 65kg of CO₂ by drying clothes outside on a line instead of using the tumble dryer during the summer months.

Want to do more?

The EU energy label rates products from A, (the most efficient) to G (the least efficient). For refrigeration the EU energy label goes up to A++. By law, the label must be shown on all refrigeration appliances, electric tumble dryers, washing machines, washer dryers, dishwashers, electric ovens, air conditioners, lamps and light bulb packaging.   When you buy a new appliance always check it’s energy label.

More information on energy labels can be found at www.energylabels.org.uk/eulabel.html

The Energy Saving Trust has a recommended products scheme. When looking for new appliance why don’t you check them out at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Find-Energy-Saving-Trust-Recommended-Products/