When you examine your electricity bill, you would like to know what consumes so much! Household electricity consumption has changed in recent years. The devices that consume the most are not the same as they were five or ten years ago… Uses have changed: leisure weighs more and more in the bill. Discover the 10 household appliances that consume the most electricity, in average annual consumption.
1 – In first place: heating and hot water
They are the out-of-class champions of power consumption. They represent 60% of our consumption, which amounts to 18,500 kWh per year on average.
- The boiler and the water heater are always the largest consumers of energy, regardless of their mode of operation (fuel oil, gas or electricity). We can appreciate that the most recent boilers are much more economical in terms of electricity.
- Certain parameters influence the consumption of your heating mode: firstly l’isolation housing. The more complete the insulation, the lighter the electricity bill.
- Users of electric heaters see the share of heating soar in their bill. Knowing that a single radiator can consume up to 1000 kWh per year, we can imagine the bill for an apartment equipped with half a dozen radiators… In France, more than a third of homes are heated with electricity. .
- The water heater consumes a lot of electricity to give you a hot bath. Take quick showers instead, you’ll appreciate the difference (on the bill).
- To limit your consumption heater, just lower the temperature of your home by one degree. Apparently, this corresponds to 7% savings!
2 – Producing cold, it consumes!
We suddenly go from hot to cold… In fact, refrigerating and freezing food has a high electrical cost. Note that not all equipment is created equal; some consume much more. This depends on the model, but also on the energy class, age and maintenance of your device.
- The most greedy in electricity is the independent freezer. Widespread, it consumes an average of 350 kWh per year. Even more so if it is located near a heat source or if it is set below – 18° C. But manufacturers are making efforts: the most recent models only consume 140 kWh per year! Defrosting your freezer saves you two cinema tickets (€30 per year)… Not bad, isn’t it?
- The combined fridge-freezer is also energy intensive. With an average consumption of 400 kWh per year, it is in our interest to adjust it correctly (between + 4 and + 5° C for the fridge part and – 18° for the freezer). And to maintain it: the dust accumulated on the rear grille can increase consumption by 30%! Again, the new generations of handsets are much more sober: 125 to 250 kWh per year only.
- The fridge alone is more economical, with an average consumption of 390 kWh. Some recent models are even under 140 kWh. You can always reduce their consumption by taking a few precautions. Set the fridge to the right temperature (+ 4 or 5° C), do not stick it too close to the wall (10 cm is good), clean the grill, do not put hot food inside, avoid open the door too often…
3 – IT and audiovisual: not very sober
The best-informed among you are already disputing: a computer consumes much less than a dishwasher! Why is he placed in the top three? The explanation is simple: we group together in this section all leisure and office, audiovisual and computer equipment. If some are particularly energy-intensive, it is above all their accumulation which now represents a significant part of electricity consumption.
- The TV comes first in electricity consumption. The bigger it is, the more electricity it needs. A plasma TV consumes 400 kWh per year, that is to say at least twice as much as an LCD TV. Knowing that 20 hours of standby consume as much electricity as 4 hours of viewing, it is better to unplug the TV when you are not watching it!
- The internet box is not very economical: 150 to 300 kWh per year. Remember to unplug the box when you are away for a few days. And why not at night too? The permanent activation of a Wi-Fi connection represents at least 70 kWh more each year.
- The computers are not all equal in electrical requirements. computer fixe (more suitable for video games) is the biggest consumer: 120 to 150 kWh per year. A computer portable consumes three times less (from 30 to 100 kWh). And if you replace it with a Tablet, you reduce your consumption to 10 kWh per year! The problem is often to use them all at the same time…
- And smartphone consumes little electricity (about 5 kWh per year). But several smartphones and their battery chargers, it ends up being noticed on the family bill. Especially if you leave the chargers plugged in all the time. Connected device standby and forgotten chargers represent an average unnecessary consumption of 80 euros each year.
4 – The oven is a big greedy…
In terms of electricity consumption, the oven is positioned as the leader! With 1000 kWh per year on average, it is the most energy-consuming appliance in the house, after the heating. There are, however, certain nuances between the ovens. Their consumption varies depending on how they are equipped.
- The pyrolysis consumes much more than catalyse.
- The ovens convection are more economical than the classic ones.
- The palm of energy sobriety goes to the ovens combined (microwave and traditional), which saves you 65% in electricity.
5 – The hotplates too!
Electric cooking can account for 500 to 1000 kWh per year (for the most greedy), depending on the model of hob. Induction hobs consume 20% less electricity than ceramic hobs. Which consume 25% less than conventional plates. Differences that tend to disappear when you simmer your little dishes for a long time. For the sake of savings, do not abuse long cooking…
- To save electricity, it is often recommended to cover the cooking water until boiling. Casually, this little lid, placed at the right time, makes you consume four times less electricity!
- Another tip: have saucepans adapted to the size of your plates, to avoid energy loss. Do not reheat a small leftover on a large plate, it is expensive!
- The models most recent of electric hobs are much more sober than their elders.
6 – Air conditioning: almost a luxury…
Yes, it is getting hotter and hotter in summer… But installing air conditioning represents a significant consumption of electricity. An air conditioner consumes between 500 and 1000 kWh per year, anyway. This makes you want to rediscover some good old reflexes: close the blinds or shutters during hot hours, air out in the early morning, ventilate as much as possible. Without forgetting to carry out a serious reflection on the level of insulation of the housing.
7 – The dryer: practical but not economical
Households that use a clothes dryer will have noted its place in the electricity consumption of the household. It alone represents 15% of their annual consumption.
Replacing old equipment with newer ones will gradually lower the bill. Indeed, while a dryer consumed 350 kWh a few years ago (or even much more), current appliances consume three times less. To limit its consumption, take the trouble to spin the laundry before putting it in the dryer. And don’t overload the drum. If you can, replace your old appliance with a condensing model with a humidity sensor, which stops the cycle when the laundry is dry. Much more economical.
8 – The dishwasher: could do better
How pleasant it is to entrust him with the chore of washing up… This appreciable service, however, has a cost in terms of energy. A dishwasher consumes an average of 250 kWh per year. At least the older ones. Again, the manufacturers are going in the direction of sobriety. Recent devices now consume only 180 kWh per year – and half as much water. Either way, there are three ways you can lower your bill. First by starting the program only when the dishwasher is full. Then using Eco mode (50°) as much as possible, as it reduces power consumption by 45% compared to the intensive programme. Finally, by properly maintaining and cleaning your dishwasher.
9 – Le lave-linge : a fashion Eco
A washing machine consumes an average of 200 kWh each year. Here again, the electricity consumption of the new models is moving downwards. But as this remains an important item of electricity consumption, a few tips can limit it.
- Start by buying a washing machine that matches the needs of the hearth, neither too big nor too small.
- Opt for the program at 30°C : sufficient for most laundry, it consumes three times less than a 90° cycle. As for the cold wash, it is two less electricity than a cycle at 40°.
- And if in addition you take care to fill the drum and choose the mode Eco (with less water), you should limit your electricity consumption.
10 – These small devices that we use every day…
We have in a house a host of small household appliances which, separately, do not consume a lot of energy. But some are more expensive in the long run, simply because we use them daily.
- those who consume more than 70kWh : coffee maker, kettle, hair dryer, games console…
- those who consume between 20 and 70 kWh : toaster, vacuum cleaner, clock radio, lamps…
- those who consume less than 20kWh : mobile phone, electric razor, printer, fan, etc.
Note that lighting weighs less and less heavily in the bill. Apart from halogen street lamps (which consume up to 200 kWh per year), most lamps are now equipped with very low consumption LED bulbs. Nevertheless, a 60 W incandescent bulb that is turned on four hours a day consumes 87 kWh in one year. “It’s not Versailles here!” »