How can I reduce domestic Electricity Bills
Summary of electricity price rises 2005
| Supplier | % Increase | £ Increase | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2005 | Total | 2004 | 2005 | Total | |
| British Gas | 16% | 14% | 32% | £ 39 | £ 40 | £ 78 |
| Powergen | 17% | 8% | 26% | £ 41 | £ 22 | £ 63 |
| npower | 14% | N/A | 14% | £ 34 | N/A | £ 34 |
| Scottish & Southern | 5% | 6% | 11% | £ 16 | £ 13 | £ 29 |
| EDF Energy | 11% | 20% | 33% | £ 27 | £ 48 | £ 75 |
| ScottishPower | 15% | N/A | 15% | £ 38 | N/A | £ 38 |
What does each appliance cost
| List of Appliances By Room or Type | Average Wattage | Monthly Hours of Use | Monthly kWh | Approximate Cost per Month(£ 0.075 per kWh) |
Kitchen |
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| Barbecue Grill | 1350 | 5 - 10 | 7 - 14 | £0.53 - £1.05 |
| Carving Knife | 90 | 1 - 2 | .1 - .2 | £0.01 - £0.02 |
| Coffee Maker | 900 | 4 - 30 | 4 - 27 | £0.30 - £2.03 |
| Deep Fat Fryer | 1500 | 5 - 10 | 8 - 15 | £0.60 - £1.13 |
| Dishwasher (Electric Hot Water) | 1300 | 8 - 40 | 20 - 102 | £1.50 - £7.65 |
| Dishwasher (Non-Electric Hot Water)** | 1300 | 8 - 40 | 3 - 16 | £0.23 - £1.20 |
| Food Blender | 390 | 3 - 5 | 1 - 2 | £0.08 - £0.15 |
| Food Freezer (15 Cubic Feet) | 335 | 180 - 420 | 60 - 140 | £4.50 - £10.50 |
| Food Mixer (Hand & Table) | 100 | 1 - 5 | .1 - .5 | £0.01 - £0.04 |
| Frying Pan | 1150 | 10 - 20 | 12 - 23 | £0.90 - £1.73 |
| Hot Plate | 1320 | 2 - 6 | 3 - 8 | £0.23 - £0.60 |
| Kettle | 1500 | 1 - 10 | 1 - 15 | £0.08 - £1.13 |
| Microwave Oven | 1000 | 5 - 30 | 5 - 30 | £0.38 - £2.25 |
| Range Cooker | 12500 | 10 - 50 | 125 - 625 | £9.38 - £46.88 |
| Range (Self Cleaning Cycle Only) | 3200 | 0.5 - 1.5 | 2 - 5 | £0.15 - £0.38 |
| Refrigerator-Freezer Frost Free-17 Cu. Ft. | 500 | 150 - 300 | 75 - 150 | £5.63 - £11.25 |
| Refrigerator-Non Frost Free-13 Cu. Ft | 300 | 190 - 300 | 56 - 90 | £4.20 - £6.75 |
| Toaster | 1150 | 1 - 3.5 | 1 - 4 | £0.08 - £0.30 |
Lighting |
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| Heat Lamp (Infrared) | 250 | 2 - 4 | .5 - 1 | £0.04 - £0.08 |
| 60 Watt Incandescent Lamp | 60 | 17 - 200 | 1 - 12 | £0.08 - £0.90 |
| Compact Fluorescent-60 Watt Equivalent | 18 | 17 - 200 | .3 - 3.6 | £0.02 - £0.27 |
| Ceiling Fixture - 3 X 60 Watt Bulbs | 180 | 6 - 195 | 2 - 35 | £0.15 - £2.63 |
| Tri-Light (Table Lamp) | 100 | 10 - 200 | 1 - 20 | £0.08 - £1.50 |
| Chandelier - 5 Lamp | 300 | 10 - 183 | 3 - 55 | £0.23 - £4.13 |
| Fluorescent - 2 Tubes X 4 Feet | 100 | 10 - 200 | 1 - 20 | £0.08 - £1.50 |
| Sun Lamp | 280 | 1 - 4 | .28 - 1 | £0.02 - £0.08 |
Bedroom & Bathroom |
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| Electric Blanket | 180 | 30 - 90 | 5 - 16 | £0.38 - £1.20 |
| Hair Dryer (Portable) | 1000 | 1 - 10 | 1 - 10 | £0.08 - £0.75 |
| Heating Pad | 65 | 15 - 30 | 1 - 2 | £0.08 - £0.15 |
| Shaver | 15 | 3 - 5 | .05 - .08 | £0.00 - £0.01 |
| Toothbrush | 10 | 1 - 2 | .01 - .02 | £0.00 |
Laundry Room |
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| Tumble Dryer | 5000 | 6 - 28 | 30 - 140 | £2.25 - £10.50 |
| Washer (Electric Hot Water) | 500 | 7 - 40 | 33 - 196 | £2.48 - £14.70 |
| Washer (Non Electric Hot Water) | 500 | 7 - 40 | 3 - 16 | £0.23 - £1.20 |
| Iron | 1000 | 1 - 10 | 1 - 10 | £0.08 - £0.75 |
| Sewing Machine | 75 | 4 - 14 | .3 - 1 | £0.02 - £0.08 |
Home Entertainment |
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| Computer - Monitor & Printer | 200 | 25 - 160 | 5 - 32 | £0.38 - £2.40 |
| Stereo | 30 | 1 - 170 | .03 - 5.1 | £0.00 - £0.38 |
| Television | 80 | 60 - 440 | 5 - 35 | £0.38 - £2.63 |
| Video Cassette Recorder | 40 | 50 - 200 | 1 - 8 | £0.08 - £0.60 |
Heating and Cooling |
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| Air Cleaner (Room & Furnace)* | 40 | 250 - 720 | 10 - 29 | £0.75 - £2.18 |
| Air Conditioner (Room) 6,000 BTU* | 750 | 120 - 720 | 90 - 540 | £6.75 - £40.50 |
| Air Conditioner (Room) 9,000 BTU* | 1050 | 120 - 720 | 126 - 756 | £9.45 - £56.70 |
| Air Conditioner (Central) 2.5 Tons* | 3500 | 240 - 860 | 850 - 3000 | £63.75 - £225.00 |
| Dehumidifier | 350 | 120 - 720 | 42 - 252 | £3.15 - £18.90 |
| Electric Heater (Portable) | 1000 | 30 - 90 | 30 - 90 | £2.25 - £6.75 |
| Fan (Portable) | 115 | 18 - 52 | 2 - 6 | £0.15 - £0.45 |
| Furnace Fan Motor (Intermittent) | 350 | 160 - 415 | 56 - 145 | £4.20 - £10.88 |
| Furnace Fan Motor (Continuous) | 350 | 720 | 252 | £18.90 |
| Heat Exchange / HRV's | 125 | 300 - 720 | 37 - 150 | £2.78 - £11.25 |
| Humidifier (Portable) | 100 | 80 - 540 | 8 - 54 | £0.60 - £4.05 |
| Oil Furnace (Burner) | 260 | 96 - 288 | 25 - 75 | £1.88 - £5.63 |
Water Heating |
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| Water Heater - Typical Family of 4 | 3800 | 98 - 138 | 375 - 525 | £28.13 - £39.38 |
| Water Heater - Typical Family of 2 | 3800 | 66 - 92 | 250 - 350 | £18.75 - £26.25 |
Indoor - Miscellaneous |
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| Ceiling Fan | 60 | 15 - 330 | 1 - 20 | £0.08 - £1.50 |
| Clock | 5 | 720 | 4 | £0.30 |
| Drill | 300 | 3 - 7 | 1 - 2 | £0.08 - £0.15 |
| Floor Polisher | 300 | 3 - 7 | 1 - 2 | £0.08 - £0.15 |
| Power Saw | 275 | 2 - 4 | .6 - 1 | £0.05 - £0.08 |
| Vacuum Cleaner (Portable) | 800 | 2 - 6 | 2 - 5 | £0.15 - £0.38 |
| Vacuum Cleaner (Central) | 1600 | 2 - 6 | 4 - 10 | £0.30 - £0.75 |
| How to Determine the Cost of Running Appliances Using This Chart
Wattage X hours used divided by 1,000 = kiloWatt hours kiloWatt hours X cost per kilowatt hour (i.e. £0.075) = cost to operate |
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* per season
** add the cost from non-electric water heater
Simple steps for reduction
Cooking
- Use a smaller appliance to get the job done (i.e. toaster, microwave, or slow cooker instead of conventional oven)
- When using electric stoves, turn burners off a few minutes before the end of cooking time and allow the residual heat to finish the cooking
- Keep burner reflectors clean to maximize efficiency
- Minimize peeking in the oven temperatures can drop up to 25 degrees F each time
- Keep lids on pans to cook food more quickly
- Don't preheat the oven except for baking
- Use glass or ceramic cookware instead of metal and lower oven temperature by 25 degrees F
Refrigerator / Freezer
- Clean the cooling coils in the back once or twice a year
- Keep freezer at least moderately full to increase efficiency Heating / Cooling
- Reduce thermostat in winter and increase in summer - you save 6 - 8% off the heating or cooling part of your bill for every degree, and heating bills account for approximately 44% of the average family's electric bill
- Clean air filter for AC unit monthly when in use Washer / Dryer
- Wash / rinse in cold water to save on heating costs
- Use dryer's feature to sense when clothes are dry to avoid overdrying
Lighting
- Use Compact Flourescent or LED Bulbs instead of conventional light bulbs