Attention: Electricity gluttons at large! With the electric usage calculator, you can find out how much electric power every appliance uses in a year. Along with a bunch of tips for saving electricity.
At a Glance
- When it comes to saving electricity, it is important to know which device requires the most electrical energy. Devices that typically use a lot of electricity include washing machine, dishwasher, PC/laptop, stove, refrigerator, TV, and fan heater.
- To reduce your power consumption, consider following conservation tips like replacing old light bulbs with energy saving lamps or LED lamps. You can also replace older appliances like your refrigerator and washing machine to new ones.
- In the kitchen, you can save a lot in electricity costs by refraining from pre-heating the oven, defrosting your freezer once a frost layer has formed, and using an egg cooker.
Every year, it’s the same scene: When the mailman delivers the electric bill, most people nearly faint. It’s because the cost of electricity is increasing every year while more and more devices in the home are being driven electrically.
Think about it! Why does every supposedly energy-saving gadget turn out, on closer inspection, to be just another nasty electricity guzzler? Just enter the kilowatt-hours (kWh) or watts and usage time of your household appliance and the Electricity Calculator delivers, alongside its annual electricity consumption and cost, some helpful suggestions on reducing those electric bills.
And by the way, the following devices typically use a lot of electricity which makes doing the calculation on these especially worthwhile: washing machine, dishwasher, PC/laptop, stove, refrigerator, TV and fan heater.
Calculate electricity costs: kWh, watt, and annual consumption
Using current meters
When it comes to saving electricity, it is important to know which device requires the most electrical energy. Therefore, you should measure the power consumption of each electrical device with a current meter. The biggest energy guzzlers are the stove, washing machine, hairdryer, coffee maker, refrigerator, and dryer.
Saving energy with household appliances
In many households, numerous electrical appliances make everyday life easier. There’s a price to pay. We have put together a series of tips to help you reduce your power consumption. These tips alone can save you up to 40% in electricity costs.
Hang up clothes instead of using a tumble dryer
Especially in summer you can do without the tumble dryer and hang your laundry on a leash instead (see here how to clean a suit or how to dry a dress shirt properly) – in the garden, on the balcony or simply in your apartment. This enables you to reduce your costs quickly and easily. If you do not want to do without the dryer, make sure that the washing machine is set to a high speed during spin-drying. Thus it uses a little more electricity. But the dryer then has to perform less and requires considerably less energy.
Switch off old TV completely
A new television set consumes considerably less electricity than an old TV set. This does not mean that you should simply throw your working TV away and replace it with a new model. However, always check the brightness setting and screw it down if necessary. Due to standby consumption, it may also be worth switching off an older TV set.
Set the hair dryer to a low level
Set your hairdryer to a low or medium heat setting. Pleasant side effect: You protect your hair, which would otherwise be attacked by hot air.
Defrost the freezer or freezer compartment
There is no easier way to save money: defrost your freezer or the freezer compartment when a frost layer has formed. Afterwards, the device cools more efficiently – and thus saves electricity.
Kettle is better than stove
If you have an older stove: Heat the pasta water in the kettle and pour it into the pot. To prepare breakfast eggs, it is best to use an egg cooker. It requires less electricity than a stove.
Replacing bulbs
If you still have old light bulbs, replace them with energy saving lamps or LED lamps. Incidentally, both energy-saving lamps and LED lamps are available in different light colors and radiation intensities. If you want a cozy warm light, make sure that the package has a value of less than 3,300 Kelvin. For white light that corresponds to the sun’s daylight, the value should be significantly higher.
Do not heat with electricity or air conditioning
Do not use a fan heater or air conditioner to heat the apartment, as heating with electricity is very expensive. This also contributes to a more comfortable office environment.
Switch off small water heaters
Do you have a small hot water boiler under your sink in the bathroom? Then think about washing your hands with cold water and brushing your teeth. Small boilers and instantaneous water heaters consume a lot of electricity.
Do not preheat the oven
On the package of almost every ready-to-serve meal, it says that you should preheat the oven before putting the meal in. However, manufacturers usually recommend this only to be able to give an exact preparation time. As a rule, you do not need to preheat the oven. This only costs useless electricity and does not make the food more delicious.
New household appliances? Ensure low power consumption!
With one blow, power consumption can be greatly reduced by replacing an older refrigerator, freezer or washing machine. New devices have lower consumption than old ones.
Quick Links
- 1 At a Glance
- 2 Calculate electricity costs: kWh, watt, and annual consumption
- 3 Using current meters
- 4 Saving energy with household appliances
- 5 Hang up clothes instead of using a tumble dryer
- 6 Switch off old TV completely
- 7 Set the hair dryer to a low level
- 8 Defrost the freezer or freezer compartment
- 9 Kettle is better than stove
- 10 Replacing bulbs
- 11 Do not heat with electricity or air conditioning
- 12 Switch off small water heaters
- 13 Do not preheat the oven
- 14 New household appliances? Ensure low power consumption!
- 15 Quick Links