Top 5 Energy Users in the Average American Home

According to IndexMundi, energy consumption data in 2001 showed that the US was responsible for about 25% of the total energy generated worldwide. As at 2001, about 13 trillion kilowatt of electricity was consumed worldwide and the US was responsible for about 3.45 trillion kilowatt. And most of this energy was consumed by American homes.

Now, the average American homeowner spends a considerable amount of money on energy bills every month. Therefore, with the increasing energy prices and bills, it makes sense that you would want to find ways to cut down on your electricity bill. To do that, you need to find the appliances that are responsible for consuming more power in the house. So, to save you some time, here are the most common appliances responsible for two thirds of your energy consumption.

Refrigerator/Freezer

According to Hawaiian Electric, refrigerators are truly huge consumers of electricity. They use up between 30-200 kWh per month. The reason for this discrepancy in figures is because of the make of the refrigerators. Refrigerators from the 80’s typically consume more energy than those made after the year 2000. Newer units typically consume no more than 450kWh per year (that’s less than 40kWh per month).

Dehumidifier

Admittedly, the dehumidifier is used more in some parts of the US than in others. Regions with wetter climates like the Pacific-Northwest (think Seattle, Oregon, Vermont, Washington D.C) often deal with more moisture than places like Arizona and Texas. The dehumidifier helps remove excess moisture from the air. Too much moisture can cause a rapid growth of mold, dust mites and a few other allergens. Because it is often left on for long periods, the average dehumidifier uses an average of 160 kWh per month.

Water Heater

Data from the US Department of Energy indicates that water heating facilities in hoes are responsible for almost 15% of energy consumption at every point in time. In fact, at an average consumption rate of about 400 kWh per month, the water heater arguably consumes more energy than the refrigerator and dehumidifier combined together in a household.

The Air Conditioning System

While the Ac is often used more in the summer than other parts of the year, it still consumes a significant amount of energy every year. According to the US Department of Energy, the AC unit uses between 200kWh-1800kWh per month. Of course this depends on the frequency of usage and AC type, but it is a huge power guzzler.

The Heating System

This is by far, the biggest consumer of energy in the average home. This is because it is extremely crucial to the survival of members of the household. The heating system typically consumes between 200kWh-3500kWh per month. In fact, people who live in colder regions tend to get huge heating bills.

So, these are the top five “energy guzzlers” in the average American home. When next you’re thinking of leaving the water heater on and using it for everything, or leaving the refrigerator on when you’re going out of town, you’ll do well to apply some energy saving practices like turning down the thermometer, heating the water to about 50⁰C (120⁰F), tuning the AC once or twice a year at the very least, and avoid wasting the heat by leaving doors open.