This chart shows how much energy a typical appliance uses per year and its corresponding cost based on national averages. For example, a refrigerator uses almost five times the electricity the average television uses.
Appliances account for about 13% of your household's energy costs, with refrigeration, cooking, and laundry at the top of the list. Learn about:
Shopping for Appliances
Purchase the most energy-efficient appliances.
Kitchen Appliances
Use your dishwasher, refrigerator, and other common kitchen appliances efficiently.
Laundry
Use your washer and dryer efficiently.
Smart Appliances
Learn about appliances that can automatically shift your use to off-peak hours, saving you money.
Home Office and Electronics
Select energy-efficient electronics and use them efficiently.
What's a Kilowatt?
When you use electricity to cook a pot of rice for 1 hour, you use 1,000 watt-hours (1,000 Wh) of electricity! One thousand watt-hours equals 1 kWh. Your utility bill usually shows what you are charged for the kilowatt-hours you use. The average residential rate is 11.04 cents/kWh. A typical U.S. household consumes about 11,800 kWh per year, costing an average of $1,297 annually.
