What appliances use the most electricity?

Now more than ever before, homes are equipped with, and reliant in, any number of electrical appliances, with some of these machines and gadgets having a big impact on our energy bills. But what appliances use the most electricity? And do they always need to be on?

How much do appliances cost to run?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average UK household spends £45 each year powering electronic devices that are left in standby mode. So a good first step in lowering your electricity bills is making sure all your non-essential devices are turned off at the power socket when they’re not in use.

But how much do the appliances in our home actually cost to run?

In the table below, we have used the Citizens Advice energy calculator, which uses an average standard rate of electricity of 24p/kWh (as of October 2024). It highlights the estimated running costs for some of the most common household appliances and white-goods which use the most energy.

Please bear in mind that the above are only estimates. How much you actually pay will depend on the energy rating of your appliances and how often you use them.

How much energy does a tumble dryer use?

Although tumble dryers are especially convenient in the colder months, looking at the table above, it is clear they are one of the biggest users of electricity in our homes.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average household in the UK could save £50 a year by opting to dry their clothes inside on an air dryer or outside in warmer weather, instead of using a tumble dryer.

You can also help cut down on energy costs from using a tumble dryer by trying the following:-

• When washing your clothes, run an extra spin cycle to remove as much moisture from your clothes as much as possible.
  
  
• Remove dryer lint from the lint filter after each cycle to allow heat to circulate and prevent overheating, which can be a fire hazard.
  
  
• Place clothes neatly and untangled into the dryer to allow the warm air to circulate better and speed up the drying process.

How much energy does an electric hob/oven use?

Although electric hobs are more efficient at cooking than gas hobs, the cost of electricity is higher than that of gas, meaning they will be, overall, more expensive to use.

If you have an electric oven that is equipped with a self-cleaning function, you may wish to use this sparingly as it will need to reach a high temperature in order to burn residual grease and dirt, consuming more energy.

To help further reduce the running costs of your electric oven and hob, you can also try doing the following:

• If your recipe requires boiling water, heat up the water first in a kettle. This uses less energy than heating a large pot of water from cold.
  
  
• Put a lid on saucepans in order to bring them to a boil quicker.
  
  
• Always keep the oven door closed when in use. Otherwise, heat will escape, requiring more energy to bring it back up to the desired temperature.
  
  
• Opt for glass or ceramic ovenproof dishes where possible. These retain heat better than other types and will also help cook food more evenly.
  
  
• When reheating food, use a microwave (if you have one). These are more efficient than either an electric hob or oven.

How much energy does a washing machine use?

Aside from a fridge freezer, washing machines are one of the most used appliances in the home. But, although these are an indispensable part of everyday home life, they can be expensive to run, especially as they use both electricity and water.

To help cut down on both your electricity and water bills, here are some things you can try when you next do a load of washing:-

• Instead of doing smaller loads of washing throughout the week, wait until you have enough laundry to do a full load. But pay attention not to overload the machine as this could cause internal damage to the drum.
  
  
• clothes with light-to-no stains, do a wash at a colder temperature like 30°C, which will use less energy.
  
  
• If your washing machine is equipped with an eco wash cycle setting, not only will it lower the temperature of the water in order to use less energy, it will also use less water overall by increasing the drum movements.

How much energy does a dishwasher use? 

Although a convenient appliance, a dishwasher isn’t always a necessity, and a standard-sized dishwasher is estimated to cost between £35 and £70 a year to run.

But if your home does use a dishwasher, try one or all of the following to help keep its energy efficiency in check:

• If your machine has an ‘eco’ programme setting, opt for using this when doing a load. It will use less water and wash your dishes at a lower temperature.
  
  
• If you are on an Economy 7 or a smart-time-of-use (ToU) tariff, set your dishwasher to start a load during off-peak hours when electricity rates are at their lowest.
  
  
• Only do a load once the dishwasher is full, but be careful not to overload as this could prevent It from working as well as it should, using up more energy in the process.
  
  
• Try reducing your dishwasher loads by one a week. Doing so could, according to the Energy Saving Trust, save you up to £12 a year.

How much energy does a kettle use?

A standard 3 kilowatt (kW) water kettle costs almost 74p to bring a full 2-litre kettle to a boil. For just one cup of tea, it would cost around 0.54p to boil the water. But what can you do to keep your kettle energy efficient? Try the following:

• Only boil as much water as you need. A half-filled kettle will use half as much energy as a full one. According to the Energy Saving Trust, you could save £10 a year by avoiding overfilling the kettle.
  
  
• If you need a new kettle, try getting an insulated model. These take less time to boil and will keep the water hotter for longer.

How much energy does a television use?

With smartphones now the most used screen for watching visual content, TVs are, for many, one of the appliances that uses the least electricity in the home.

But if you still use your TV regularly, the frequency with which you watch it, as well as the type and size of your device will depend on how much energy it consumes.

TVs are also one of the appliances most likely to stay connected and switched on at the power socket, meaning they’re left in standby mode when not in use and draining energy.

To help cut down on energy costs with your TV you can:

• Turn off your TV at the power socket when not in use. You can also do this for any other devices connected to your TV – such as gaming consoles and set top boxes. However, if you use a PVR (personal video recorder), this will need to remain connected during times you have it set to record TV programmes.
  
  
• If you have a plasma TV, consider switching to an LCD TV as they are, on average, three times more energy efficient. because they’re, on average, 3 times more energy efficient.

How much energy does a fridge freezer use?

Unlike most other devices in the home, a fridge freezer needs to say on 24 hours a day, and therefore accounts for around 13% of a typical household’s energy bill. However, although it needs to be running constantly, there are some steps you can take to help maximise its efficiency, including:-

• Set the correct temperature: according to the Food Standards Agency, the temperature of your fridge should stay below 8°C, while your freezer should be -18°C.
  
  
• Don’t overfill: your fridge needs to allow air to circulate, so filling your fridge to no more than three quarters full will ensure it’s at its most energy efficient.
  
  
• Leave space: Ensure there is enough space between the fridge and the wall for you to be able to get to the back and vacuum to prevent dust collecting around the condenser coils. Doing this at least once every three months could help improve the energy efficiency of your fridge by up to 25%.

How much energy does a laptop use?

Since COVID, working from home has become a part of everyday life for many up and down the country, and so having a laptop connected and charging in the home is somewhat unavoidable.

If you use a laptop over a desktop computer you’ll already be saving energy, as laptops use up to 85% less electricity than computers in a year, but here are some other ways you can save even more energy:

• Do not leave your laptop on surfaces with little-to-no ventilation (e.g., a bed or couch), as this may cause your laptop to heat up and the fan to come on, sapping energy.
  
  
• Set your laptop up to go into sleep mode when unattended after a short while (<1 minute).
  
  
• Unplug your laptop once it has finished charging so that you’re not continually using electricity.