Frequently Asked Question: What uses the most electricity in my home?
This is a great question! As many of us know, there are many different components to our electric bill. By understanding where most of our electricity is being used, we can make strategic decisions to reduce our consumption and associated costs.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates in the Annual Energy Outlook 2017 that about 1,410 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity were used by the residential sector in the United States in 2016.*
The top five biggest electricity users in your home
Space cooling
Number one on the list comes as no surprise. Anyone who has even been in the dead of summer with a broken air conditioner and a wet cloth wrapped around their neck knows: cooling your home is worth the expense.
With that being said, there are ways to keep your power bill low. Instead of blasting the air conditioner (and blowing your electricity bills through the roof), you can take simple actions to beat the heat and the electric company.
Implementing solar powered ventilation systems throughout your home is a good place to start. Not only do solar attic fans and crawl space ventilation systems remove heat to keep you cool, they prevent moisture buildup, which can run rampant on your home.
Water heating
Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home. The biggest users of hot water are the clothes washer, shower, and dishwasher. To conserve hot water, you can fix leaks, install low-flow fixtures, and purchase an energy-efficient dishwasher and clothes washer.
If you have an old hot water heater, you may be able to squeeze a few more years out of it and improve its overall efficiency by installing a hot water heater wrap. To learn how to quickly improve your hot water heater’s performance, check out this article.
Lighting
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that in 2016, residential lighting consumption was about 129 billion kWh or about 9% of total residential sector electricity consumption.
Are we afraid of the dark or do we just love looking on the bright side? Whatever the reason may be for our love affair with lighting-up our lives, there are things that can be done. Have you switched out all of your old incandescent bulbs? If not, you should. Energy Star qualified LED lighting products use at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent lighting and lasts 35 to 50 times longer.
Other innovative lighting options are worth exploration as well. Yellowblue hybrid indoor solar lights provide the benefits of solar powered, full spectrum, natural sunlight helping take your light love dependency off the grid.
Refrigeration
There’s no use crying over spilled milk. But there is reason to cry over expired milk: it stinks! No wonder why we set the thermostat on the refrigerator to sub-arctic temperatures…
Did you know that an older refrigerator uses nearly twice as much energy as a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator? In addition, you can save more than $270 over the next five years and reduce your carbon footprint by 3,600 pounds when replacing an older refrigerator with one that’s earned the ENERGY STAR.
Space heating
Shivering to death doesn’t find its way on most people’s bucket lists. There are only so many blankets and wool sweaters that we can pull out of storage before enough is enough. Staying warm in the cold winter months doesn’t need to entail skinning a polar bear. Nor should you have to run your heater 24/7.
Make sure that your home is sealed and insulated properly to reduce heating costs. Sealing cracks and common leak areas in the home, such as your attic, can prevent the heat that you pay for from escaping outside. There’s no need to pay for the snow to melt–that’s why they make rock salt and snow blowers!
In addition to preventing heat from escaping, sealing and insulating helps stop the cool air outside during the winter from invading your home. This all results in you cranking up the heat a little less.
Keep your power bill low
Other notable consumption culprits include televisions and related equipment, clothes dryers, and cooking. Turning off unused lights and appliances can certainly help keep your power bill low, but what if you want to save more?
Fortunately, you don’t need to live in the dark to decrease your electricity usage. Leave the breaker on, and break out innovative energy saving products by Yellowblue Eco Tech.
From attic based products like multi layer reflective insulation and solar fans, to innovative lighting products, to thermal insulation coatings, keeping your power bill low has never been simpler with Yellowblue.
*U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis.” How is electricity used in U.S. homes? – FAQ – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=96&t=3. Accessed 22 Aug. 2017.
