Utility bills show homeowners the amount of energy they’re charged for each month. It does not give an idea, though, of how these charges compare to the national average.  

With this comparison and a better understanding of your electric usage, you would be able to monitor where the differences are coming from, and what’s affecting the household usage the greatest. Then, you would be better prepared to figure out how to decrease this consumption.  

All households consume individual energy levels since each is uniquely constructed and lived in based on the occupant’s lifestyle and needs.  

The power for each home is measured in kW- kilowatts, with energy usage measured in kWh- kilowatt-hours. That is the “energy level required to keep a 1,000-watt appliance functioning for one hour.”   

To better understand the reason your home consumes a greater amount than average, you’ll need to gain insight into what influences consumption. Click here for guidance on what uses the most electricity in a house. 

How Much Energy A House Uses 

Power consumption differs for each home since every house is constructed uniquely, with occupants’ energy usage based on their lifestyle and needs.  

If your utility costs are high and you believe you are consuming a greater amount of energy than the national average, it’s beneficial to learn what influences energy usage. Here are a few factors that contribute to a household’s consumption: 

• Household size: A large house will consume a greater amount of power than a small home since it will require more energy to cool and heat the space. 
• Construction materials: The more modern the home, the suggested materials used are of higher efficiency than those used with older homes to prevent air from escaping/entering. If you have an older home, the house could require greater energy for cooling/heating. 
• Occupants: Each person consumes more than their share of energy. The more occupants in a home, the greater the electric use, whether heating the microwave, charging a mobile, or watching TV. 
• Appliances: If you have all the appliances on the market, your bill will be higher. The appliance types will also have some bearing on the number of kilowatts necessary for the home’s power. Whether these are old or massive in size and capacity, they’ll be energy-intensive.  

Those designed to be energy efficient will do better unless they’re used often. It’s important to wait to use appliances when there’s a full load of clothes, dishes, and on. 

How Much Does It Use 

When considering which appliances are responsible for consuming the greatest amount of the home’s average power use, several variables contribute to that factor, including the frequency of use and the type of appliance.  

As a rule, the appliances that tend to have the greatest effect on most homes include the following: 

• The heating and cooling 

Whether it’s the HVAC equipment, a space heater, the air conditioning, or other heating and cooling units, these are used most often in the home and tend to use a significant amount of power. The suggestion is that a majority of the household’s energy is used for heating and cooling purposes. 

• The water heater 

Water heating is energy-intensive, making the hot water system another primary system responsible for using the most energy in the home. 

• Lighting 

In the distant past, when statistics were taken, the total electricity used for lighting came to “62 billion kWh for residential homes in the US.” While a lot of power goes toward lighting in the average household, homeowners can control this aspect of energy usage. 

As a primary method of conserving, incandescent bulbs can be switched out for CFL/LED bulbs.

• Washer/Dryer 

The washer and dryer will be busy if the home is full of people. These appliances will have a significant impact on energy. You can save money considerably when doing laundry in a few ways. Instead of washing with hot water, change the setting to cold or warm and ensure the load is full. 

You don’t want to fill the dryer too full, however, or it will take twice as long to dry the clothes. The same is true for small loads in the dryer. A perfect way to save is to air dry on a clothesline outside or a drying rack inside. 

• Entertainment equipment 

These systems include everything from gaming consoles, televisions, streaming services, DVRs, and so on. With all this equipment comes a substantial amount of power usage, not to mention the fact that even when these devices are turned off, they’re still consuming energy. 

• Fridge/freezer 

A refrigerator and freezer are appliances that always use power since they run continuously. Many homes have two of each, making the energy consumption considerable and the utility bills tremendous.  

If everyone took the measure of trying to consolidate items to fit into one of each, it would conserve energy and save on costs. 

• Stovetop/oven/dishwasher 

These will all contribute to the power usage in the home. It’s suggested when buying appliances, homeowners look for “ENERGY STAR” labels meant to be energy efficient. You can also follow Energy.gov to find a tool that will help you estimate the amount of energy each appliance is using. 

Once you have an idea of the power usage, it will motivate you to find ways to reduce your consumption. You can also follow here bestestrøm.no – strøm bruker (power user) to learn the amount of power used in the home and consider ways you can save. 

The more you can decrease your power usage, the greater savings you’ll see with your utility costs. 

Tips For Saving Energy 

When you have a high electric bill and find that you are using a considerable amount of energy, you’ll want to find ways to reduce your consumption. It can seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s not difficult and can become a habit once you start. Here are some ways to get started. 

• Energy-efficiency 

An investment in energy efficiency, beginning with appliances, starting with one at a time, is an excellent way to begin to control power usage. 

When comparing options, those with the “ENERGY STAR” yellow label boast of the most energy efficient. Appliances like these use the least power compared to the conventional models and often meet rebate criteria. 

• Smart homes 

Smart tech is a way to limit the amount of power your home uses, beginning by automating appliances and other systems within the household. With some tech, the equipment can be monitored remotely, beneficial for those who are always on the go. 

• Use added insulation for the roofing, attic, and walls

When a home isn’t adequately insulated, the warm and cool air will escape, making the furnace and air conditioning work harder for climate control. This will increase your energy usage. You will need to have your home inspected to ensure there are no gaps in the insulation and that it’s of adequate thickness. 

Plenty of insulation should be included in the walls, attic, and roofing for the greatest savings in power usage. 

• Unplug electronic equipment 

Electronic equipment should be unplugged if not being used to use as little energy as possible. Many devices come with a “standby” to conserve power, but the equipment will still consume a slight amount of energy despite being in this “sleep” mode. 

When you need to charge a mobile or another piece of equipment, check to see when it reaches full capacity to take it off charge and unplug the charger.

Final Thought 

Finding out the average power usage for a household your size is essential, kWh, and then learning the amount your home uses. You can then begin to look for the sources contributing to the greatest amount of energy use and find ways to reduce this usage so you can lower your utility costs.