We regularly talk about all the little things you can do to save energy (caulking cracks, turning off the lights when not needed, using LED light bulbs and so on), but we rarely talk about the big things.
Appliances around your home consume a ton of energy, so you can increase your savings drastically if you have some money to pay for them up front. For many, tax credits are available too, which help reduce your costs even farther.
What are some of those appliances? Check them out here:
1. Heating System
Yeah, it takes most of the electricity from around your home, but it’s also very necessary. If it’s going to consume so much energy, though, why not make sure you have a new, efficient system?
The energy usage can actually be very broad, ranging from 100 kWh per month to an astonishing 3,500 kWh/month! Of all the different types of heating systems available, the electric furnace is the most inefficient, followed by heat pumps.
2. Cooling System
Air conditioning consumes anywhere from 200 – 1,800 kWh per month. Heat pumps fall at the upper end of this range, while central air is the most efficient. Window units can each consume 650 kWh per month! If you’re running them, make sure you stop (if possible).
3. Water Heaters
These guys take the third most energy out of all the appliances around your home. For a family of just two people, water heaters take 2,400-kilowatt hours of electricity per year to heat your water. The next most inefficient appliance consumes just 1,000-kilowatt hours per year.
4. Clothes Dryer
Speaking of the appliance that consumes the fourth largest amount of electricity, that’s the clothes dryer. If you’ve got an older one, you’ll want to make sure you replace it.
5. Dehumidifiers
In areas with large amounts of moisture and humidity (think Florida), mold grows if humidity isn’t removed from the air. But, it happens around here in Texas too.
Dehumidifiers may not be used as frequently in this area, but it’s still usage you need to watch. The reason they consume is energy is because people let them run all the time. They consume, on average, around 160 kWh per month (and chances are you’re running more than one), which is often more energy than your refrigerator uses.
6. Refrigerators
Like most appliances, the energy usage on refrigerators is somewhat skewed because many people use refrigerators from the 1980s or 1990s (they’re much less efficient than modern ones). A brand new high-efficiency refrigerator uses 400 kWh per year, but the typical homeowner uses between 30-200 kWh per month!
If any of those appliances are older than 10 years, you’ll want to take a very close look at your budget to see if you can replace them.
For more ways to save money on electricity check out our prepaid electricity plans. Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.
