There are certain everyday household appliances that consume more electricity than others. Geysers, washing machines and air conditioning units are some of the commonly known culprits – but what about other, less commonly suspected appliances that consume lots of electricity and often go overlooked? It is important to know which appliances use more electricity than others so their use can be better managed, resulting in saved electricity units and money.
Kettles
According to My Broadband, your kettle is actually the most expensive electrical appliance to run. Sure, it’s not used that many times in a day – but if you’re a coffee lover or someone who’s constantly in need of hot water for cooking, your kettle could be the biggest (most unobvious) reason why your electricity bill is high. Humour us and monitor how many times a day your kettle is being boiled and let us know on our Facebook Page.
Gadgets
Almost everyone owns a cellphone and if you’re a large household, that may mean a lot of chargers. Most homes have chargers plugged in everywhere from the bedrooms to the kitchen, but this comes at a cost. Don’t leave your chargers plugged in. Not only could it pose a risk, it is also a serious waste of electricity and could cost you a lot more than you think. Here’s a cool trick: touch the charger. even when it’s not plugged in. That warmth you are feeling is the wasted electricity.
Ovens
Although it’s no surprise that ovens use a lot of electricity, did you realise that the way you use your oven also makes a difference when it comes to electricity usage? We’re all guilty of opening and closing the oven door while in use, but this simple habit can cost you. Each time you open the door the oven loses 20% of its accumulated heat and energy, meaning it needs to heat up again to reach the required temperature.So, minimise times you open your oven! Also, we often only switch off the oven when we are done, wasting heat and so electricity. What you can do is switch your oven off before the end of the cooking time to make use of the appliance’s residual heat.
Hairdryer
Okay, we know what you’re thinking…and we fully understand how important using a hairdryer is. But just hear us out on this one. Your hairdryer uses a considerable amount of electricity and whilst you can’t always get away with not using it, there are two simple ways to reduce its use. Try towel drying your hair for as long as possible or dry naturally in the sunshine (while catching some Vitamin D ofcourse) and then use your hair appliance to style.
Old Appliances
Been meaning to upgrade your kitchen appliances? Well, you now have a legitimate excuse. If you’re still using your gran’s pressure cooker from the ‘80s, it may be time for an upgrade. Older appliances are not energy efficient and use a lot more energy than you think. Invest in newer, energy-efficient appliances and you will notice a long term difference in your monthly electricity expense.
Television
Most modern day TV sets have a built-in standby mode. Standby mode is like putting your TV to sleep without fully turning it off. It allows it to turn on much more quickly than if fully powered down, meaning the result of the power button press is more responsive (almost instantaneous), saving you from missing the start of the soccer. The exact amount of power your TV uses when on standby mode is going to vary slightly depending on make and model, but we assure you it still uses power. If you’re done watching TV, switch it off completely and encourage your kids to do the same.
We encourage you to be mindful when using your appliances and ensure they are switched off when not in use. It’s a good idea to start thinking of ways to save on your electricity bill and we’ve put together 7 ways for you to start saving if you’re using Citiq Prepaid meters.