power household appliances
Want to guess how much power your household appliances use? Picture: Simpleghar.

Home » Want to guess how much POWER your household appliances use?

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.

07-08-23 20:04
power household appliances
Want to guess how much power your household appliances use? Picture: Simpleghar.

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

how much power your household appliances use
Here’s how much power your household appliances use. Picture: ESI-Africa.

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

ApplianceMinimumMaximum
Clock radio1W2W
Phone charger4W7W
Internet router5W15W
LED lightbulb7W10W
Extractor fan12W12W
Deep freezer19W19W
Curling iron25W35W
42-inch LED TV58W60W
Laptop computer50W100W
Ceiling fan60W70W
Apple iMac60W240W
Incandescent light bulb100W100W
Fridge100W200W
Gaming console120W200W
Electric blanket200W200W
42-inch plasma TV450W600W
Vacuum cleaner450W900W
Washing machine500W500W
Microwave600W1700W
Toaster800W1800W
Iron1000W1000W
Tumble dryer1000W4000W
Air conditioner1000W4000W
Dishwasher1200W1500W
Kettle1200W3000W
Espresso machine1300W1500W
Induction Hob1400W1800W
Airfryer1500W1500W
Hairdryer1800W2500W
Electric stove2000W2000W

NEWER IS MORE EFFICIENT

how much power your household appliances use
Guess how much power your household appliances use. Picture: HH Corporation.

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.