Wondering what uses the most electricity in your home? From kitchen appliances to essential electronics, there are energy hogs at every corner of a home. Sure, your refrigerator and AC unit are culpable for higher electric bills, but we’re going to shed a little light on what uses the most electricity in your home you may not have considered.
So, what uses the most electricity in your home? Here are five surprising things.
Empty Freezers
Having an extra freezer in the garage or basement can come in handy for entertaining or stocking up on assorted popsicles for a sizzling summer, but if your freezer isn’t full or is completely empty, you’ll end up using more electricity. You can cut energy costs on empty freezers by defrosting and unplugging. If your freezer isn’t empty, filling it up will help curb energy consumption and even lower your electric bill.
Dishwasher Running Empty
Similar to having an empty freezer, running an empty dishwater (and by empty, we mean not completely full) could end up costing you more on your electric bill—even if it’s only half full! As convenient as it seems to turn it on at the end of the day, it’s best to wait until it’s filled to give it a run.
Video Game Consoles
It’s all fun and games until you forget to switch your game console from standby to off and your electric bill more than normal. Gaming systems are notorious for hogging energy. And even with more energy-conscious platforms like Xbox and PlayStation, leaving consoles on when not in use can get costly. Some newer consoles have an auto-shutdown feature, but if yours needs to be manually powered down, ensure it is when it’s game over.
Cable Boxes
Cable boxes or “set-top boxes” are a common household device used to access premium channels and streaming. They’re also a culprit in high electricity bills. Because they’re nearly never powered down, they’re always running—even when they’re not in use. Cable boxes are slowly becoming more energy-efficient, but because they’re constantly running, you’re still using more energy than you need to be.
If you’re really looking to cut down on this consumption, you could simply unplug the device after use, however, for some boxes, it can take a while to access titles when it’s time to crash on the couch and stream your favorite show. If you can do without its many features, there are plenty of affordable streaming services built into smart TVs—all you need is a subscription.
Pool Pumps
Pool pumps are a necessary part of keeping pool water filtered and clean—they also account for 70% of a standard pool’s energy use. While it may seem you don’t have much of a choice in curbing this energy consumption, there are more energy-efficient pool pumps that can help you save more in the long run. Multi-speed pumps can be set as needed for filtering and cleaning your pool. Lower settings can help save energy and save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Want more ways to lower your electric bill this summer? Click here for four ways to reduce your energy consumption.