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6 Biggest Electricity Guzzlers In Your Home

Aug 15, 2023 | Energy

For some time now, electricity has been an essential part of our lives, powering everything we use to make our lives work. It’s become so commonplace that we hardly talk about it – unless it’s to bemoan the constant loadshedding, unplanned outages, and of course, the dizzying increase of electricity costs.

Frankly, these are quite legitimate complaints to have. For the power to be out for hours, whether you knew it was coming or not is extremely frustrating. On top of that, electricity has become a significant expense for the majority of households in South Africa. While there’s very little we can do about the actual cost, we can influence our usage in the home and do what we can to reduce this bill.

With that in mind, here is a list of the household appliances that could be your biggest energy guzzlers – and what you can do to manage your usage.

The Humble Kettle

Your kettle is actually the most expensive electrical appliance to run, at least according to My Broadband. You could argue that kettles aren’t used that many times in a day – unless you’re talking about coffee lovers or someone who’s constantly in need of hot water for cooking and cleaning. Actually, when you think about it, heating appliances like your kettle, account for 47% of energy use.

The Lesser Used Tumble Dryer

This is another of those heating appliances that use a lot of energy, so while you might not use it all that much, tumble dryers are major electricity guzzlers in the home. They use considerable amounts of energy to heat up and dry clothes, so to reduce tumble dryer energy consumption, try air-drying clothes or using a clothesline. If the weather isn’t playing ball, use these energy-free methods first and then finish up in the tumble dryer for a shorter period of time.

The All Important Geyser

Unsurprisingly, geysers are among the biggest electricity guzzlers in South African households. They can add up to 30% of a household’s monthly energy costs. If you’re looking to reduce geyser energy consumption, consider installing a geyser timer or a solar geyser.

The Relationship Saving Dishwashers

It’s far easier to load up the dishwasher then leave the dishes in the sink for the next person to deal with. Trust us, many a relationship has been destroyed by dishes left in the sink. These appliances are also a significant energy guzzler in the home, using a lot of energy to heat up water and run the machine. Try to only run the dishwasher on the economy setting, when it’s fully loaded. It may be even better for your budget to set up a dishwashing schedule and do it by hand.

A Household Regular: Your Washing Machine

Washing machines are run regularly, using significant amounts of energy to heat up water and run the machine. Some households run multiple loads a day, which adds up.  It’s better to plan your washing schedule and avoid running small loads.

The Everyday Electronic Stove

Electronic stoves tend to use a lot of energy to heat up and cook every delicious morsel that you dish up. There are a variety of tricks to reduce electronic stove energy consumption, like preparing one-pot wonders that don’t require heating up multiple pots and pans. You could also switch to using a gas stove or an induction stove, which are more energy-efficient.

Given that South Africa is suffering an energy crisis with loadshedding and increased energy costs, we understand just how important it is to do what you can to save on this household expense. This includes being aware of your biggest electricity guzzlers and taking steps to reduce your energy consumption.

For instance, you can take smaller steps, like switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and turn off electronics when they’re not in use. On the other end of the scale, you can save money on your electricity bill by switching to a gas or induction stove, or installing a geyser timer or a solar geyser.

We trust that this advice is useful and will help you trim down those power bills.

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