The biggest power consumers in the household

Where sweeping with a broom, handwashing, or drawing the curtains once sufficed, everything is now done with state-of-the-art technology. The robotic vacuum cleaner navigates the floor, the dishwasher takes care of the dishes, and the smart home not only controls lights and shading but also waters the garden lawn at the desired times. What was once done manually and by hand is now automated, resulting in increased electricity consumption. Rising energy prices, climate protection, and self-sufficiency considerations provide enough reasons to reduce electricity consumption and save energy in the household. That's why we have summarized the biggest power consumers in the household and provide tips on energy-saving!

WLAN Router

A constant internet connection has become a necessity for many, whether for work, leisure, internet surfing, streaming movies, or social media – the small WLAN router works for us 24/7. However, WLAN routers have a considerable power consumption and reveal themselves as real power consumers over time – calculated with an electricity price of €0.30 per kilowatt-hour:

Consumption: 0.12 – 0.36 kWh per day / 43.8 – 131.4 kWh per year

Annual costs: up to around €40

In order to save costs, the WLAN router can be switched off during times when the internet is not needed. Many modern WLAN routers already have a timer to automatically shut down during nighttime. Just turning it off during the night hours can reduce the annual consumption by almost half.

Dishwasher

Few people enjoy washing dishes by hand anymore, making the dishwasher an indispensable appliance for many. While the dishwasher is more energy-efficient than manual washing, it still consumes a considerable amount of electricity over the year.

Consumption: 200 – 250 kWh per year

Annual costs: up to around €75

To save costs, the appliance should always be loaded well, and if possible, the Eco program should be used as it consumes the least electricity and water.

Washing Machine and Dryer

Washing clothes in the washing machine and then effortlessly drying them in the dryer has become a matter of course in today's time. However, the convenience comes at a cost.

Consumption: 300 – 600 kWh per year

Annual costs: up to around €180

Even if laundry cannot be avoided, it can still be optimized. To reduce annual power consumption, it is advisable to collect laundry and fully load the machine so that turning it on is worthwhile. Not only the choice of washing program but also the washing temperature should be well thought out – often 30 or 40 degrees are sufficient. The Eco program should generally be preferred.

After washing, the clothes often go into the dryer without much thought; this is not always necessary. Especially in summer, clothes can be easily dried outdoors, and even in winter, laundry can be hung indoors. A great side effect is that dry heating air is humidified, improving the indoor climate.

Electric Stove / Oven

For those who love cooking and baking, the electricity consumption is substantial: around 500 to 800 kWh per year in a household with four people!

Consumption: around 500 – 800 kWh per year

Annual costs: up to around €240

With a few tips and tricks, you can save electricity and money while cooking: Always use the smallest possible cookware, as it heats up faster than larger ones. However, it is crucial to use a pot or pan of the right size – if they are too large, heating takes unnecessarily long; if they are too small, energy is wasted. To retain heat, always use a lid – this way, residual heat is also utilized.

Using the residual heat from the stove to preheat the oven can save time and money, as preheating the oven is often not necessary. Instead of top and bottom heat, the convection function is usually sufficient.

However, the stove or oven does not have to be the only kitchen appliances. A kettle or an egg cooker serves their purpose precisely, quickly, and consumes much less electricity. The microwave can also be a helpful alternative.

Heating

The energy consumption of the heating depends on factors such as heat generation, heating behavior, weather, heating demand (due to the condition and age of the building), the chosen heating system, and the heated area. The electricity consumption – for example, of a heat pump – ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 kWh per year for a thermally renovated single-family house with a four-person household and a heated area of 140 m².

Consumption: around 3,000 – 5,000 kWh per year

Annual costs: up to around €1,500

With the right energy behaviour and optimized technology, heating costs can also be saved:

• Set the correct temperature

• Insulate the single-family house

• Technical condition of the heating

• Regular maintenance of the heating

• Heating with photovoltaics

With innovative products from my-PV, energy can finally be used in the house to use it for something meaningful like heating. Heating with photovoltaics means about 30% lower operating costs and up to 30% lower investment costs compared to conventional heating systems (e.g., air heat pumps). It is essential to know that photovoltaics in our latitudes not only yield good results in the summer but can also supply significant energy in the winter.

This applies not only to electric heating systems; photovoltaic energy can also be used for heating support. A heating rod with continuous power control can make the difference: even the lower yield of the PV system in sun-poor months can be used precisely to heat the buffer storage, saving money.

Check out our website for more information on heating with photovoltaics.

How to Easily Save Money

The biggest power consumers in terms of consumption and resulting annual costs are clearly defined. Relying on the power of the sun for hot water and heating, especially with a photovoltaic system – and above all, a continuously adjustable device for photovoltaic heat – not only serves household consumers but also offers significant savings potential.

How to harness the power of the sun to increase the self-consumption of your own photovoltaic system and simultaneously save on other (fossil) energy sources for heating, is straightforwardly explained on our website, where we detail the various application possibilities of photovoltaic heat.