Information On Understanding And Managing Your Homes Energy Consumption

To effectively manage your home energy usage, you need to understand where it is going.  No single system or appliance dominate the use of electricity. However, Refrigerators, Air Conditioning, Space Heating, Water Heating, Lighting account for almost 58% of the average homes usage.  Of household appliances, Refrigerators consumed the most electricity, followed by lighting, clothes dryers, freezers, and TV’s.

Average Electrical Energy Consumption By System/Appliance

Refrigerators                                                13.7%
Air-Conditioning - Central & Window                16.0%
Space Heating - Primary & Secondary               10.1%
Water Heating                                               9.1%
Lighting - Interior & Exterior                             8.8%
Electric Clothes Dryer                                      5.8%
Freezer                                                          3.5%
Gas Furnace Fan                                             3.3%
Dishwasher                                                    2.5%
Electric Cook  Top                                            2.8%
Electric Oven                                                  1.8%
Clothes Washer (Not Including Hot Water)         0.9%
Television                                                      4.4%
Includes VCR/DVD/DVR, Satellite Dishes, Cable Boxes
Computers & Peripherals                                  2.0%
Stereos/Home Theater                                     0.5%
Telephone & Answering Systems                       0.4%
All Other Devices                                           28.9%

Source:  US Dept of Energy, Energy Information Administration 2001 Study