Receiving a high energy bill is never a happy time but it should get you thinking about where the most electricity usage in your house. Once you can pinpoint the appliances that cost the most and that you use the most, you can find ways to reduce their consumption or find alternatives that are cheaper.
This is where our table can help. Here, we list the top 23 electrical appliances in the home and how much they cost to run per hour.
The calculations are based on the average unit cost of electricity in the country per kWh, although different regions prices will vary, as will the power output of your particular appliance.
But the table should give you some general guidance on the cost
Electrical Appliances listed in order of highest energy consumption 2021
| Appliance | Average Rating in Watts | Cost per hour in pence |
| Electric shower | 14000 | 2380 (40p for 10 mins) |
| Kettle | 3000 | 50 |
| Tumble Dryer | 2500 | 42 |
| Electric fire | 2500 | 42 |
| Oven | 2100 | 36 |
| Washing machine | 2100 | 36 |
| Oil-filled radiator | 2000 | 34 |
| Hairdryer | 2000 | 34 |
| Dishwasher | 1800 | 30 |
| Electric Grill/hob | 1500 | 25 |
| Iron | 1400 | 24 |
| Toaster | 1100 | 19 |
| Microwave | 1000 | 17 |
| Dehumidifier | 500 | 9 |
| Towel rail | 375 | 6 |
| Fridge-freezer | 300 | 5 |
| Heating blanket | 165 | 3 |
| LCD TV | 160 | 3 |
| Desktop computer | 140 | 3 |
| Games console | 100 | 2 |
| Fridge | 80 | 2 |
| Laptop | 40 | 1 |
| TV box | 35 | 1 |
2021 Calculations are based on a unit rate of £0.17 per kWh and rounded up or down to the nearest pence
Ways to monitor electricity consumption in the home
There are a few ways to monitor your household electricity consumption:
- Meter energy monitor. If you have a smart meter installed, you will have been given an energy monitor that can be left on to give you consumption and cost date for the day, month, week or year.
- Meter reading. If you don’t have an energy monitor, you can take a meter reading at regular intervals to give you a picture of how much you use.
- Energy Consumption analyzer app. This simple app by Cristoph Zens, available on Play Store, helps you keep track of consumption by entering meter readings and usage over time is shown as graphs.
- Alexa energy monitoring for enabled devices. More home appliances are becoming interconnected now and Alexa has an energy monitoring function to show your energy usage for items connected to the hub.
- Plug power meters. These monitor electricity consumption of an appliance you plug into it. The unit plugs into the wall socket and the appliance plug goes into this.
- Energy bills. This is the traditional way to view consumption, usually over 3 months.
Which appliances use the most electricity when turned off?
The top appliances that use electricity even when turned off are TVs, computers and phones because they don’t usually have the plugs taken out. Most electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without damaging their systems. Check the instructions on the appliance if you are not sure it can be turned off at the switch.
*The information in this article should be used for general guidance only and not as financial advice. Full details are on the link in the footer to our disclaimer page. Always discuss your requirements with a competent and suitably qualified professional before undertaking any work.
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