Some items in the home will be using more power than others and it's good to know the culprits so we can try to minimise their use, where possible - especially following April's recent price cap rise.
The energy price cap has risen by 54%, meaning millions of households will have to pay hundreds of pounds extra in gas and electricity bills.
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So which are the worst appliances and what can we do about it? These are the top household items using the most power:
- Dishwasher - 2,550 kwh per day on average
- Shower - 2,190 kwh per day on average
- Washing machine - 2,100 kwh per day on average
- Dryer - 1,680 kwh per day on average
There are things we can do for the four appliances mentioned above. These include:
1. Use the eco setting on the dishwasher and cut usage by reusing some items such as mugs so the machine needs to be on less often. Only run it when it's full.
2. Make sure your shower is operating efficiently. A two-person household installing a water-efficient shower and using it twice a day (say once per person) will save considerable energy.
A low-flow shower saves around 28 litres of hot water, using half the water of a normal shower head, and can reduce the energy spent on household hot water by a quarter (excluding hot water used in appliances, like washing machines and dishwashers, which are usually cold-fill, heated by elements in the appliance).
3. Take two showers lasting seven minutes each instead of two baths per week, or take showers lasting five minutes, not seven minutes, four times a week. If you're not a family household and have a shower that takes its water from an immersion tank, you may find in the warmer months that you only need to have the hot water switched on every two or three days as it will retain heat for your showers.
4. Wash your clothes in the machine at 40 degrees or less. Air-dry laundry instead of using the dryer.
