Quick answer: In an all-electric US home, the biggest users are usually heating and air conditioning, then water heating, EV charging if you have an electric car, and appliances that run all the time such as hot tubs, pool pumps and old fridges. Lighting and electronics matter far less than most people think.
Typical yearly use and cost
| Appliance | Energy per year | US per year | UK per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV charging, 12,000 miles | 3,636 kWh | $661.75 | £957.00 |
| Electric water heater, family of four | 4,000 kWh | $728.00 | £1,052.80 |
| Central AC, 3-ton, 8 hours a day for 4 months | 3,168 kWh | $576.58 | £833.82 |
| Hot tub, average draw | 3,000 kWh | $546.00 | £789.60 |
| Pool pump, single-speed, 8 hours a day for 5 months | 1,800 kWh | $327.60 | £473.76 |
| Space heater, 1,500 W, 8 hours a day for 3 months | 1,080 kWh | $196.56 | £284.26 |
| Electric clothes dryer, 300 loads | 900 kWh | $163.80 | £236.88 |
| Refrigerator, typical new model | 450 kWh | $81.90 | £118.44 |
| Lighting, all-LED home | 400 kWh | $72.80 | £105.28 |
| TV and electronics | 400 kWh | $72.80 | £105.28 |
| Dishwasher, 200 cycles (electricity only) | 260 kWh | $47.32 | £68.43 |
| Wi-Fi router, always on | 88 kWh | $16.02 | £23.16 |
The UK picture is different: most homes heat with gas, few have air conditioning, and typical electricity use is far lower (Ofgem’s previous benchmark for a typical home was 2,700 kWh a year). For UK households, tumble dryers, electric showers, kettles and plug-in heaters are the usual big electricity users: see how to lower energy bills in the UK.
Three patterns behind the ranking
- Anything that makes heat costs a lot: heaters, water heaters, dryers, ovens and kettles all turn electricity straight into heat.
- Anything that runs all the time adds up: even 30 W running 24 hours a day is about 260 kWh a year.
- Short bursts are cheap: a microwave or hair dryer draws a lot of power but only for minutes.
Find your own biggest users
Build your own estimate with the appliance cost calculator: add each appliance and it shows its share of the monthly total. For plug-in appliances, a plug-in energy meter gives you the real figure.
Where to save first
Start with heating and cooling settings, then water heating, then anything that runs around the clock. Our 25 ways to lower your electric bill puts a dollar figure on each change.
A real example: one all-electric home over a year
Here is a plausible breakdown for a 1,800 sq ft all-electric US home using about 11,000 kWh a year, roughly $2,002.00 at the national average rate:
- Space heating (heat pump): about 3,500 kWh, $637.00
- Air conditioning: about 2,000 kWh, $364.00
- Water heating: about 2,500 kWh, $455.00
- Refrigerator and freezer: about 700 kWh, $127.40
- Laundry and dishwasher: about 900 kWh, $163.80
- Lighting, TV, computers and everything else: about 1,400 kWh, $254.80
Heating, cooling and water heating are about three-quarters of the total. That is why saving tips about phone chargers make little difference, while a thermostat schedule or a heat pump water heater can change the bill a lot.
In the UK
Most British homes heat with gas, so electricity use is much lower: Ofgem’s typical figure is 2,700 kWh a year. In those homes the biggest electricity users are usually the tumble dryer, electric shower, oven and hob, fridge-freezer and washing machine. In homes with electric heating or an EV, those dominate instead. See our UK running costs.
More questions readers ask
Does a TV use a lot of electricity?
Not much. A 55-inch LED TV uses about 80 W, so 5 hours a day costs about $2.18 a month in the US.
Which appliance uses the most standby power?
Older cable and satellite boxes and some games consoles in “instant on” mode can draw 10 to 30 W around the clock, more than most other devices.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook and residential energy consumption data.
- Ofgem, Energy price cap.
- Our methodology.