Energy Usage at Home
By: Eric Huesca, SEO Content Writer
November 3, 2022
Electricity has been a necessity for every home since Thomas Edison invented the bulb. Soon after the halogen bulb, a new wave of technology began, and scientists created many electrical appliances for efficient human living. Though these electrical appliances were to simplify everyday tasks, they increased the electricity demand. For instance, in 2020, entertainment devices like T.V had used 61 billion kWh of energy in united estate homes. Ultimately the electricity cost increased, and people started using energy usage calculators and looking for ways to limit their electricity usage.
Energy Efficient Washer and Dryer
The energy usage calculator found that every house uses a different amount of energy because each one is different in size and the house has an unequal number of people. Hence, determining the average household electricity usage per month became challenging because it depended on variable factors. The factors that influence energy consumption include:
- Number of family members
- House size
- House construction
- Use of electrical appliances
So, let’s uncover the factors that affect your electricity usage and ways to limit energy consumption. Besides, let’s get to know everything about energy-efficient homes.
Energy-Efficient Homes:
U.S. families require electricity to operate a variety of home household appliances. Still, on average, only two electrical machines, space heating systems, and air conditioners use about half of the yearly power usage ( 46% ). The design of an energy-efficient home is specifically to save electricity and consume less of it. Looking at your home, you will see several factors to consider, including the structure of the house, the appliances, and the primary features.
In addition, more families are considering sustainable solutions due to their affordability and health benefit for environmental health and preservation. Thus, more people want to construct energy-efficient homes to create a greener environment. Any house may be energy-efficient, regardless of its construction era. Though current building regulations for new constructions require greater energy efficiency, older homes can also be modified to increase their energy performance. Additionally, the residents of these homes can adopt energy-saving practices.
Why Energy-Efficient Homes Are Better:
There are several benefits of modern energy-saving houses against older ones. A few benefits are as follows.
Electricity Efficient Homes are cost-effective:
You can add additional cash to your account by investing in energy-efficient equipment, making home adjustments, and engaging in daily energy-saving activities. Simple actions like switching out light bulbs for LEDs or halogens that use less energy can save energy costs by 30 to 80%. You may save $63 a year by washing your clothing in cold water. You can quickly notice the difference in the electricity meter by switching off lamps or other appliances around the house that you aren’t using.
Home Energy Efficiency Clean Up the Air:
You’re not aware of how much more moisture is in the air. You are continuously breathing in fumes and contaminants in your home from things like teapots, coffee machines, houseplants, and bathrooms. Managing the air circulation with mechanical ventilation ensures that the house’s air is properly flushed with outside air. Every three hours, you should ventilate your home with fresh air. Additionally, cleaner air uses less energy and duration to warm, costing you less money overall.
Increase Your Home's Value:
Homes with less electricity usually have longer lifespans, require less upkeep, and are cheaper to run. Just replacing the standard windows with energy-efficient ones can raise the market price of your property by $8,000 to $10,000 by replacing all of the new windows with energy-efficient alternatives. In addition to preventing air and water leaks, updating your roof to be more energy efficient can assist you in selling your home more quickly and save you thousands of dollars in utility costs. So imagine how much money solar panels and energy-efficient devices can give you in the long run.
Once you’ve identified areas for improvement in your energy usage, start by implementing the adjustments that will yield the highest returns for the least amount of money. After that, decide if the pricey modifications are worthwhile. Remember that even if you don’t aim to sell your house, energy-efficient improvements can benefit you more than the investment.
How To Make Your Home Energy Efficient
To enjoy all these benefits, we need to modify our houses into energy-efficient homes to enjoy all these benefits. Therefore, we must equip our residents with intelligent gadgets and devices that use less energy and save power. So scroll down to the list of energy-efficient appliances.
Eco-friendly Charger:
It is common knowledge that even after being turned off. You might not be aware that your computer and mobile chargers consume power even if you are not using them. An eco charger could be a suitable option for you. When a device is fully charged, an eco charger automatically shuts off, saving energy.
Smart Plugs:
Cutting back on energy use that is not necessary is an excellent place to start if you want to save energy. Smart sockets attach to conventional outlets and turn off power to standby devices.
Automated Thermostats:
Your air conditioning and heating systems may have to work quite hard to maintain a controlled temperature in your house. You may conserve energy by using one of the numerous smart thermostats available. Most modern systems can adapt to your air-conditioning and heating preferences and adhere to them. If you regularly work from 8 to 4, for example, it won’t maintain the temperature of your empty home while you are away. A smart thermostat will bring your house back to its constant temperature when it’s time for you to arrive home.
Energy Monitoring:
With this gadget, you can see which devices in your apartment are consuming the highest electricity. They can even go far as to calculate the amount you can save by altering your energy consumption.
LEDs:
Standard light fixtures consume around 62 billion KWh of energy annually; that is too much. LED lights would undoubtedly leave Thomas Edison in awe, while the light bulb is no longer a cutting-edge invention. LED lights require a fraction of the power and provide the same amount of light. Additionally, they use no energy when switched off and light up instantly after being turned on. They also don’t flicker when dimmed.
Family Size
We can determine how much energy the average individual consumes at the house by dividing domestic electricity consumption by the population. Each American uses 4,500 kWh in their home annually. It is around six times higher than the average for individuals with access to power or roughly six more than the global average per capita. Considering this, we can get the idea that the higher the number of people in your home, the greater the energy consumption will be. If one person consumes this much power, the house of 5 will use five times more energy.
It is because, everyone utilizes energy in the household, whether it’s for cooking or washing clothes. Because of this, the average daily household electricity usage will increase as the number of occupants increases. The running of appliances, lighting, and temperature control systems will increase as the residents grow.
Let’s understand it by comparing a household of six people with a family of two members only. The home with six residents will undoubtedly need more electricity to wash clothes since there will be more dirty dresses compared to the house of two. Similarly, they will have to cook more meals, dress more to iron, and need more rooms to be warmed or cooled. Hence six family members will use three times the electricity of 2 family members because the energy consumption is as dependent on the number of people as on the size of the house and other aspects.
Size of Home
We prefer larger homes. For five decades, the average American house has expanded by 20%, and people have been packing those houses with an increasing number of electricity-dependent equipment, such as televisions, laptops, and household appliances. However, we frequently overlook that a bigger house will use more incredible energy than a smaller one. According to a survey, a high-end residential home’s typical household used roughly three times as much electricity as a residential building with four or even more flats did.
The size of your house can unexpectedly affect how energy-efficient it is. A large home will need more power and time to keep warm and chilly because it takes more raw materials to create it and has a vast surface area with much more potential for temperature distribution and airflow. Additional spaces and more rooms will require power for lighting fixtures and small electronics. The auxiliary heating and cooling will, however, incur the highest costs. Maintaining a reasonable temperature in a more excellent room will cost more money.
Household utility customers in the United States used an estimated 10,632 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power per year till last year or 886 kWh on average monthly. Hawaii has had the minor yearly energy use per household consumer at 6,369 kWh, while Louisiana had the most at 14,302 kWh. Despite this, we frequently build larger homes that consume significantly more energy than the 2021 average estimate.
The shape of the house might also affect efficiency. It is more difficult to remain comfortable in rooms with open layouts and high ceilings. Since there is a greater area to warm, more electricity is needed to maintain comfort. However, houses with more walls and windows result in smaller spaces. Therefore, they require lesser time and energy for heating and cooling.
Solar Panels Can Alleviate Usage
Solar panels are a terrific way to lower energy bills and lessen your home’s ecological impact if you wish to cover the extra mile. Solar panels help in building energy-efficient homes. Solar panels will undoubtedly lower your electricity rates if your area has year-round sun exposure. This one-time expense saves you a lot of effort and makes you self-sufficient because these panels don’t need a lot of upkeep.
Because solar energy is turned into electric power, fewer dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are produced, making solar panels an eco-friendly choice. Once you place solar panels, you can utilize the electricity for various things, including a solar heater for your water, lights, and just about any device in your house.
A family’s electricity independence is increased with solar power! With a 4kW solar plant that is the most popular residential plant size, you can effectively secure yourself against unforeseen spikes in electricity bills. You can easily use inexpensive electricity all day long because the sun never raises costs and provides unlimited energy supplies.
Once you put solar panels on your roof, you are officially energy-independent. Systems with solar cells can also enable you to restore energy for use at night and on cloudy days. Rooftop solar panels improve electricity efficiency because of the shorter distance between generation and supply. You take charge of your expenses and power use when your electricity generation becomes residential with the help of rooftop solar plants. Additionally, since solar energy systems are robust, there is less danger of service disruption.
When many people switch to solar electricity, we are less likely to have blackouts. Every home equipped with solar panels serves as a small power plant. As a result, our power grid is more secure, especially in climatic or artificial calamities. Grants for solar panels also make it possible to get rewarded for sending power back to the grid. Hence a solar power system can solve all your electricity-related issues.
Additionally, if you are wondering if these solar generation systems won’t work at night and will leave you in the dark, you are wrong. The strong batteries connected to solar panels can store a lot of solar energy converted into electricity for you to use at night or on cloudy days without hassle. Hence the benefits of solar systems are five times more than the single-time investment you need to make.
Final Words
Energy-efficient homes with solar power generators are the best solution to limit electricity usage and cut down a lot of expenses. Additionally, small houses, energy-efficient appliances, and fewer family members can also help you reduce excess energy use.
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