Energy is something we use on a daily basis, but with busy lives we don’t always stop to think where our energy is coming from and where does it go. Some household appliances use far more energy than you would think, which not only costs you more money but is also using more of our limited resources. Often our customers choose to install solar panels in their homes, not only to reduce their bills but also to reduce the effect their lifestyle has on our world’s resources. Understanding where your energy is used can also help you make small changes that have a big impact on your overall utility bills.
It probably won’t come as a big surprise to most people that your tumble dryers use a lot of energy, especially with such long cycle times. A standard tumble dryer can use up to 5.5 kWh of electricity per load, costing anywhere up to £1.38. Drying clothes outside is one of the simplest ways to avoid using electricity, or using a higher spin speed during washing can help dry the clothes before you use the tumble dryer.
An electric shower is often an essential part of most homes, being used up to several times a day depending on the number of people in the household. An electric shower can use a lot of energy when in use, especially if you enjoy a long hot shower. The average electric shower uses 1.92 kWh of energy and costs around 50p in just 10 minutes of use. This soon adds up over the year, but by reducing your shower by a few minutes each time, you can significantly lower the cost per year.
You may only use your oven for an hour or two each day, but heating such a large compartment takes a lot of energy. The average electric oven uses around 1.0 kWh per hour, which costs you roughly 26p; however, this increases depending on how many times heat escapes by opening the oven door. More homes are investing in air fryers for smaller meals to save heating up such a large space for smaller dishes.
Dishwashers are often only used once a day, but heating the water consumes a lot of electricity. Dishwashers can use anywhere up to 2.2 kWh depending on the size and cost up to 57p depending on the wash cycle type. Only running the dishwasher when it’s full and using an eco programme where possible can help you lower your overall costs.
Although modern televisions have become much more energy efficient, our bigger screens can still require a fair amount of electricity to run. Depending on the type and size of your TV, you have it can use around 50 and 200 watts of power every 4 hours, with older plasma TVs using 200W to 400W. The average cost can be anywhere up to 3.4p per hour for newer LED models that are more energy efficient, which, although it doesn’t sound like a lot, can add up with daily use. TVs also use electricity when they’re in standby mode, although the amount is significantly low; it can help to fully turn off your TV when you’re not using it.
Investing in solar energy is a great way to lower the cost of your energy bills over the year. With help from our team at Solar Quotation, we can put you in touch with leading solar panel providers that would be happy to get you started on your solar energy journey. Contact us today to see how much money you could save.