Want to guess how much POWER your household appliances use?
Now more than ever, you need to know how much power your household appliances use. The figures might shock you.
In the midst of loadshedding and Eskom’s latest electricity tariff hike, how are you going to effectively save electricity if you don’t know how much power your household appliances use?
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Leaving the television on, even if you’re not watching anything. How much electricity do you think that’s wasting? Turning the lights off when you leave the room. How much power will that save you if you get into the habit? We’ve got some answers.
HOW MUCH POWER YOUR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES USE
The best way to measure how much power your household appliances use is to measure their energy consumption, which is measured in Watts (W). However, we don’t expect you to get an electrician in with a multimeter to test every appliance, so we’ve put together a useful list for you.
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The guys and girls at Daftlogic have a great website where you can specifically search for how much power your household appliances use, even down to the make and model. So, you if you believe you’ve got a real energy guzzler on your hands, best give it try.
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Nevertheless, we’ve made a list of typical appliances you might have in your home. The figures below are only a guideline from daftlogic, and they say consumption may vary based on brand and condition of the item and you should check labels and packaging of any new appliances before purchasing.
POWER USAGE OF TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES
| Appliance | Minimum | Maximum |
| Clock radio | 1W | 2W |
| Phone charger | 4W | 7W |
| Internet router | 5W | 15W |
| LED lightbulb | 7W | 10W |
| Extractor fan | 12W | 12W |
| Deep freezer | 19W | 19W |
| Curling iron | 25W | 35W |
| 42-inch LED TV | 58W | 60W |
| Laptop computer | 50W | 100W |
| Ceiling fan | 60W | 70W |
| Apple iMac | 60W | 240W |
| Incandescent light bulb | 100W | 100W |
| Fridge | 100W | 200W |
| Gaming console | 120W | 200W |
| Electric blanket | 200W | 200W |
| 42-inch plasma TV | 450W | 600W |
| Vacuum cleaner | 450W | 900W |
| Washing machine | 500W | 500W |
| Microwave | 600W | 1700W |
| Toaster | 800W | 1800W |
| Iron | 1000W | 1000W |
| Tumble dryer | 1000W | 4000W |
| Air conditioner | 1000W | 4000W |
| Dishwasher | 1200W | 1500W |
| Kettle | 1200W | 3000W |
| Espresso machine | 1300W | 1500W |
| Induction Hob | 1400W | 1800W |
| Airfryer | 1500W | 1500W |
| Hairdryer | 1800W | 2500W |
| Electric stove | 2000W | 2000W |
NEWER IS MORE EFFICIENT
The power usage difference between a plasma TV versus an LED one is shocking: 450W for the plasma versus 58W for the newer LED. Same deal with an LED lightbulb (7W) versus a regular incandescent (100W). And look at how much power your old electric stove is using 2000W. Alternatives like induction hobs (1400W) and airfryer (1500W) – while still energy intensive – are more efficient.
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Of course, as everyone knows, the length of time switched on dictates how much power your household appliance uses. An electric blanket will be used for many hours overnight, while a hair dryer or curling iron only for a few minutes.
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Try and limit the time you use energy-intensive items. Don’t overfill the kettle if you’re just making one cup of tea. Don’t leave the iron on for any longer than it needs to be. Same deal with the air conditioner and tumble dryer.
Do you have any handy electricity saving tips for us? Let us know in the comments section below.