As electricity consumption increases, Spark Energy is dedicated to keeping your costs down even in the most extreme of months. As of November 2016, the average electricity price in the United States is $0.131 per kilowatt hour (kWh). That’s actually down year over year – in November 2015, the price was up to $0.131 per kWh.
In 2015, however, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatt hours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. This means that the average residential electricity consumer pays upwards of $1416 per year for electricity. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer, with variable annual costs to match.
This is a great indicator for how many US residents use popular appliances such as televisions, washing machines, and dishwashers on a regular basis. Here are the top ten most common residential appliances listed in order of energy consumption:
- Central Air Conditioner (2 ton): 1450 kWh/month
- Water Heater (4-person household): 310/kWh/month
- Refrigerator (17-20 cubic foot): 205 kWh/month
- Dryer: 75 kWh/month
- Oven Range: 58 kWh/month
- Lighting 4-5 room household: 50 kWh/month
- Dishwasher: 30 kWh/month
- Television: 27 kWh/month
- Microwave: 16 kWh/month
- Washing Machine: 9 kWh/month
Keep this list handy and adjust how much you use these top electricity-using appliances to keep them from draining your bank account. At Spark Energy, we have plenty of other energy-saving tips as well:
- Cover drafty windows
- Adjust the temperature
- Find and seal leaks
- Schedule regular service for your heating system
- Lower water heating costs by using less hot water
- Keep air moving with ceiling fans
Unplug appliances, or use a power strip and the strip’s on/off switch to cut all power to the appliance when it’s turned off