How much electricity are your appliances using?

by Dan Kaneko | April 30, 2022

Knowing which appliances use the most energy in our home can help us control our energy costs if we reduce our usage and take measures to ensure our appliances are operating efficiently. Let’s take a look at some of the appliances that could be using the most energy in your home.

1. Water heater: 405 kWh per month

Energy-saving tips: Keep the temperature set to 120°F or lower and opt to take shorter showers.

2. Air conditioner: 840 kWh per month (central air conditioning), 200 kWh per month (window unit)

Energy-saving tips: Use curtains and drapes to keep sunlight out, set your thermostat to the warmest comfortable temperature, clean or replace old AC filters, and replace old window unit ACs with new ENERGY STAR® models.

3. Refrigerator and freezer: 162 kWh per month

Energy-Saving Tips:

• Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® model, could save nearly 1,600 kWh per year! If you’ll be shopping for a new refrigerator soon, be sure to check out Hawaii Energy’s Refrigerator Trade-Up rebate offer.
• To maximize efficiency from your current refrigerator, keep your most-used food items in accessible areas, avoid leaving your refrigerator open for prolonged periods, and set your temperature according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

4. Washing machine and dryer: 96 kWh per month (laundry three times a week)

Energy-saving tips:

• Wash less frequently by laundering full loads only, use cold water, and hang dry when the weather permits.
• If you plan to purchase a new washer or dryer, front-loaded washers are more energy and water efficient. Choose an ENERGY STAR® appliance to get the most energy-efficient model.

5. Oven and stove: 75 kWh and 45 kWh per month (cooking one hour a day)

Energy-saving tips:

• Avoid opening the oven while you’re cooking and turn off your burners early to allow the residual heat to finish off your cooking.
• Try doing more of your cooking with smaller appliances, like the toaster oven, microwave, instant pot, slow cooker and air fryer.

6. Lights: 300 kWh per month

Energy-saving tips: Replace your old bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs to reduce energy usage by up to 90%!

7. TV: 55 kWh per month

Energy-saving tips: Turn down the screen brightness and use an advanced power strip to eliminate phantom power drain.

8. Computer: 24 kWh per month

Energy-saving tips: Turn your computer off when it’s not being used or enable power saving features such as standby or sleep mode.

If you’re looking to better manage your energy usage, you can calculate the costs to operate your home appliances here. If you notice a spike in your electricity bill, it could indicate that one of your appliances may require maintenance or needs to be replaced altogether.

Small changes can really add up. Learn more about what you can do to save energy, money and the environment at hawaiianelectric.com/powertochange. And for more energy-saving tips and rebate offers, visit hawaiienergy.com.

Dan Kaneko is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.