What Uses The Most Electricity In The UK?

It’s easy to waste electricity by leaving electrical items in your home on standby. And small appliances such as toasters and kettles can incur high costs due to them being used so often during the day.

Smart meters allow you to see exactly what you’re spending on electricity as you use it. Encouraging you to consume less, become more efficient and decrease carbon emissions that are linked to climate change.

So, what uses the most electricity in the UK? Find out more here…

Appliances That Use the Most Electricity

What uses the most electricity in my home? This frequently asked question can be answered with the following facts and figures:

⚡Heating and Lighting

Central heating systems can use up to 27% of all electricity in your home. This is a necessary cost to regulate the internal temperature and keep your home warm. Water heaters can use 14%. Light usage percentage is estimated at 12%.

⚡The Dishwasher

Dishwashers – when based on a daily wash – varies on the efficiency of the model. A+++ rated appliances can cost up to £23 annually with B rated models coming in at £43. Percentage used by dishwashers is about 2%.

⚡The Fridge

Your fridge freezer uses electricity constantly – and the larger it is the more energy it takes to keep it running. Research has shown that a 180-litre capacity fridge freezer with an A rating can cost around £39 annually. A larger 525 litre will raise those costs to about £52 a year. Percentage use made by fridges is calculated at 8%.

⚡The Oven

An electric oven is expensive to operate – with a 3.3Kw cooker in use for half an hour daily setting you back around £90. Although the percentage usage of the oven is calculated at just 3%.

⚡The Tumble Dryer

The average yearly cost of running a tumble dryer is estimated at £85. This is a 13% usage rate – with the heat and electricity making them the main energy contributors in homes.

⚡Miscellaneous

What uses the most electricity UK statistics also show that boiling a kettle for 10 minutes daily can cost up to £30 a year. Filling it to the one cup or two cup level can halve these costs.

Large screen TV’s can have outlays of up to £35 annually, and desktop computers used daily can set you back another £15 yearly. Laptops and tablets are far more energy-efficient. Both computers and TV’s have a usage percentage of 1%.

Technical Data

UK power consumption refers to the electrical energy per unit time supplied to operate a home appliance. It’s normally measured in watts or kilowatts.

UK energy consumption is the amount of energy or power used. And the average household uses between 8.5 to 10 kilowatts per day. Many factors can influence how much you pay for your electricity requirements. And numerous things can affect your average consumption – including the type of equipment you use.

Average household bills will depend on how much electricity you use. A typical one to two-bedroom house will have a monthly electricity cost of around £34 with an annual cost of £408. A three to four-bedroom house will see a monthly cost of approximately £49 with an annual cost of £588.

Electrical Saving Tips

You can minimise electrical costs on your greedy appliances by following these simple guidelines:

⚡Heating and Lighting

As well as turning the thermostat down you can also let as much sunlight into your home during daylight hours and close all curtains and blinds at night to keep the heat in.

Switch to energy-efficient bulbs with LEDs being the most efficient as they can last up to 20 times as long as a conventional bulb.

⚡The Dishwasher

For lighter loads of dishes try handwashing instead of using the machine – maximise cleansing options by only using the dishwasher with a full load.

⚡The Fridge

Choose a new appliance with an A+++ rating as this can consume up to 80% less energy and release minimal Co2 emissions.

Don’t leave the door open as this makes the fridge work harder and use more energy. Defrost as recommended – many modern fridge freezers have an automatic setting.

Set the fridge temperature between 2 and 3.5 degrees. And the freezer between -18 and -15 degrees. Pack the freezer properly. And check seals for wear and tear ongoing.

⚡The Oven

Make better use of the toaster and the microwave to help save on electricity.

⚡The Tumble Dryer

Don’t overfill the dryer as this prevents the drying of clothes properly. And when the weather is suitable, hang the clothes outside to dry.