Energy Consumption of Household Electrical Goods
View the electricity consumption of common electrical goods in the home, categorised by High, Medium and Low consumption
High Electricity Consumption
- Cooker (oven, grill and hob): 12000W
- Deep fryer: 2000W
- Dishwasher: 3000W
- Electric radiant fire: 1000 – 3000W
- Garden tools: various
- Immersion heater: 3000W
- Iron: 1200W
- Kettle: 1800 – 2500W
- Oil filled radiator: 500 – 2500W
- Power tools: various
- Shower unit: 3000 – 6000W
- Toaster: 1400W
- Tumble Drier: 2500W
- Washing Machine: 2500W
Medium Electricity Consumption
- Food mixer: 200 – 700W
- Hair dryer: 350 – 800W
- Microwave: 650 – 850W
- Vacuum cleaner: 500 – 1000W
Low Electricity Consumption
- DVD player: 100W
- Electric blanket: 60 – 350W
- Fridge-freezer: 300W
- Freezer: 300W
- Lighting: various
- Music system: 80 – 100W
- PC: 100W
- Refrigerator: 100W
- Sewing machine: 75W
- Television: 100W
- Video: 110W
Consumption levels vary within different electric appliances as well as between different models of the same type of electric appliance.
Kettles
High: 1800 – 2500W
The most common and regularly used electric appliance would, in most cases, be the kettle.
The level of electricity consumption for this appliance is high and ranges between 1800W and 2500W.
This range allows for different electric demands as a result of the varied models and sizes of kettles that are available.
- In order to conserve energy, it would prove beneficial if kettles of a minimum electric consumption demand were bought and when in use, only filled with the required amount of water.
This reduces electric consumption in two ways, through the efficiency of the appliance itself and the use of the minimum required amount of energy in order to achieve the measure of hot water required.
Cold Appliances
Low: 100-300W
When taking a look at cold appliances such as fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, most appliances that are over five years old will generally have minor defects.
They are designed to last about twelve years and a combination of minor defects can mean that the annual running costs of an older appliance will be several times that of an energy efficient replacement.
The cost of replacing an older appliance with an energy efficient new model should be recovered in reduced running costs within four to five years.
This does not take into account the additional running costs of repairing existing appliances, which tend to be about one third of the cost of purchasing a new appliance.
Cold appliances operate on the basis of maintaining a maximum internal cold temperature. The temperature around the appliance and its proximity to sources of heat will have an impact on how effectively and efficiently the appliance operates.
Many fitted kitchens are not suited to the sensible siting of cold appliances, these being frequently fitted into spaces beside boilers, cookers, in direct sunlight or close to lighting.
- Cold appliances emit heat from the coils at the back of the appliance and therefore should not be put under a worktop unless there is sufficient ventilation cut into the worktop.
The cosmetic matching of appliances by concealing them behind matching doors only makes the situation worse.
- Ideally, any cold appliance in a fitted kitchen should have a clear passage of air around the appliance as well as situated in an area of the kitchen with minimum heat exposure.
Washing Machines
High: 2500W
Although some progress has been made, most people still do not use their washing machines in an energy efficient way.
- Half loads of washing does not lead to the common thought that half the amount of energy, water or detergent will be used as a result. This being compared to that of full load washes.
- Many people do not use the programme functions appropriately either and tend to run many washes on the same setting as well as use unnecessary high temperatures.
- It is more energy efficient to set washes at the minimum required temperatures as well as connect the appliance to the main domestic hot water supply.
In this way, one saves energy through not using the appliance to heat the water itself and therefore use the already available domestic hot water.
- In order to minimise energy costs further, is to ensure that the domestic hot water supply is not heated using on-peak electricity.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) 
Low: 20W
- A 20 watt energy saving light bulb or compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) fitted to replace a traditional 100 watt light bulb will last up to 10 times as long as the traditional light bulb.
This longer life plus the lower amount of electricity used can mean that the overall saving by using a CFL is around £60 per fitting over the life of the CFL. - Modern CFLs do not use any more electricity when first switched on than a traditional light bulb, and although the quality and operating life of an CFL is not affected by on-off switching, manufacturers do suggest that for lighting periods of 5 minutes or more, CFLs are strongly recommended.
- CFLs are also cooler and therefore generate less heat than that produced by traditional lighting methods.
This does not mean that the room the lighting is used in will be cooler or that one will require increasing the heat settings within the building.
Light fittings are not designed as heating appliances and therefore should not be considered as such.
