With day-to-day living costs continuing to rise, it’s understandable if you’re looking for ways to save money.
If your appliances are eating away at your energy bills, it can be helpful to identify the ones that are costing you the most so you can reduce your usage.
Read on to learn more about how to work out which appliance is to blame and what you can do about it.
Identifying The Problem
There are a number of ways to identify which appliances are using the most electricity, including:
Using An Energy Rating Calculator
One of the easiest ways to work out the running costs of each of your appliances is to use an Energy Rating Calculator.
All you need to do is provide the brand and model of the appliance and the calculator will tell you its estimated annual energy usage and the expected running costs.
If what you are paying is not the same as the amount on the calculator, then you can multiply the kWh price that you find on your bill by the amount of energy used to get your predicted running costs.
Measuring Your Actual Energy Usage
Another way that you can work out what appliances are using up the most electricity in your home is by using a plug-in power meter. This is a great option as it can give you a more accurate idea of how much you are specifically using per appliance.
The downside of this, however, is that you will have to buy a meter first. You should be able to find them for as little as $20 and once you have one to hand, it’s very straightforward to work out your energy usage.
First, plug the appliance into the power meter. Next, plug the meter into a power socket. Finally, enter the electricity cost per kWh for your area – you should be able to find this on your latest bill.
After this, you will be able to use the power meter to see the real-time energy use in your household for that appliance, and also the price. It will also tell you how much standby power is wasted on that appliance.
What Are The Most Costly Appliances?
It might also help to have an idea of which appliances are generally the most expensive across households. The top items in terms of energy consumption, and therefore cost, are ducted reverse cycle air conditioners, hot water systems and fridges and freezers.
Knowing that these are generally the most problematic in terms of energy usage, you might want to monitor these first and find ways to cut down on your consumption of them where possible.
For more advice on managing your electricity bills, or for support with any electrical concerns, contact the team at ANE Electrical Solutions today at 1300 107 229.
