How Many Kilowatts Does a House Use?

When planning to install solar power, it’s important to determine the number of kilowatts your house uses. The information helps solar providers choose the correct solar system size for your home. 

On average, a home uses 900 kWh in a month, but this estimate varies based on the size of your home, the appliances used, and the number of people living in the house, among other factors. 

Knowing the electricity usage also helps you estimate and plan for the electricity bill and find areas to minimize energy use. So, how can you determine how many kilowatts does a house use?

Factors Affecting How Many Kilowatts Your Home Needs

Various factors determine the number of kilowatts a home uses. We look at them in the next section:

The Size of a House

As indicated in the table below, a home’s size adds to the kilowatts it needs. Larger homes, for example, a 3500 square-foot home, consumes more electricity than a 1500 square-foot home.

The additional costs often result from the extra heating and cooling required to keep the space comfortable.

Household Size

The more people living on the property, the higher the electricity bill. A household of five people is likely to consume more electricity, heating, lighting, and using household appliances than a family of two or three people. All such factors increase the wattage.

Home’s Location

A home’s location affects electricity use significantly. Homes in the Northeastern region of the United States tend to have a lower kilowatt use than homes in the South because they’re cooler. Homes in Louisiana for example, need more heating and conditioning, especially during the summer.

Household Appliances

A home’s appliances consume the most electricity. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Heating and Cooling Devices

Heating and cooling equipment add to a home's kilowatts because it’s always in demand. A house using a 12000 BTU air conditioning unit, for example, that runs for 200 hours per month may consume up to 300 kWh daily, i.e., nearly half of the average power used in a home.

Lighting Fixtures

Lighting fixtures also add to the electricity bill. A 100-watt bulb, for example, can use 1 kWh in a day. Although it doesn’t seem much, the ultimate effect is significant if lighting multiple spaces. 

Cooling Devices

A fridge is the highest power-consuming appliance in a home. On average, a home refrigerator uses 350-780 watts per month based on the type, size, placement, and age. 

Mini-fridges, for example, may only need 50-100 watts to power, and if they are Energy-Star certified, which runs 9% more efficiently than other models, the power consumption is even lower. Thus, buying an energy-efficient fridge can minimize electricity usage significantly.

Washing Machine

A washing machine uses 400-1400 watts of electricity per hour based on the model. Since a cycle lasts 30-45 minutes, the equipment is likely to use 200-1050 watts for every load of clothes.

It’s important to note that utility companies hardly charge by watt; rather, they use kilowatts. Thus, you must divide the number of watts by 1000 and multiply by the electricity rate in your state to determine the amount of power consumed per wash cycle. 

For example, if you’re a resident in New Jersey, where the electricity rate is $0.1727, the average cost of one wash cycle will be $ 0.18. Although the price is low, it increases over time based on the number of loads a home makes in a month.

You also need to factor in the power used when drying the clothes. Typically, a dryer uses 1800-5000 watts based on the model and the length of the drying cycle. A drying cycle lasts 45-60 minutes, but heavier loads can take up to 90 minutes. Thus, a New Jersey resident will likely pay $0.38-$0.78 per load and spend up to $74.88 annually if running two to three loads weekly.

The Weather

The weather is one factor that increases power consumption significantly. You may need to run your AC for extended periods during summer, especially when there’s a heat wave. Conversely, the heating system will work overtime to keep your home warm and comfortable if it's freezing.

Energy Efficiency

The number of times you use electrical appliances determines power consumption, too. If you want to keep the consumption low, encourage your family to keep usage to a minimum. You can coordinate appliance use with other members in your house, e.g., by combining loads of laundry to minimize the number of cycles you need to do in a month.

It would help if you also encouraged your family members to turn off the lights after use and avoid leaving the TV switched on overnight along with other appliances like the AC running. 

5 Key Tips to Cut the Cost of Electricity Bills

With electricity bills taking a considerable chunk of your income, you could be looking for ways to lower the bills. These five tips could help:

The best way to identify areas of energy conservation is to do a home energy audit. Energy audits identify appliances or areas causing energy loss, e.g. leaking ductwork, faulty seals along the doors or windows, and devices that need upgrading to minimize power consumption. 

You can perform a DIY audit, but scheduling one with your local company is best. The professional may also recommend repairs on some appliances to reduce energy consumption. 

Install a Solar System

A solar system reduces electricity costs drastically. Since the solar panels produce electricity from the sun, you are less reliant on your utility company for power supply. If the solar panels are large enough, they could have enough power for your home even during the night. 

The initial installation cost often appears hefty, but it translates to significant savings in the long-term. You can estimate the solar savings by: 

• Finding out the upfront cost of installing a solar panel
• Subtracting any tax credits, grants, rebates, and other incentives 
• Dividing by the annual energy bill savings

In addition to the solar savings, residents can sell excess solar energy to the utility company, reducing energy bills further. The cost of extra solar energy produced and sold is credited to the homeowner’s account and deducted from the monthly energy bills. 

As if that’s not enough, adding solar power backup like BLUETTI AC500 + B300S, keeps your home independent of the grid. Power backup saves excess solar energy, powering up your appliances even during peak periods so you don’t have to rely on electricity. 

The AC500 unit produces 5000 watts of continuous output power and 10,000 watts of peak power, while the B300S has a power output of 3072 Wh. A combination of 3-6 AC500 can power a single-family home for many days.

Upgrade to Energy-efficient Appliances

Energy-efficient appliances go a long way in saving on energy bills. For example, a fridge with an EPA Energy Star label uses 9% less energy. The best way to identify energy-efficient appliances is to check the label for an Energy Star. Be sure to look for the label on other appliances like water heaters, dishwashers, and freezers.

Upgrading to an energy-efficient appliance may also mean finding the right-sized equipment. If you’ve been using a large washing machine and often run it half-empty, buying a smaller appliance can help save on energy consumption.

Alternatively, shift to smart appliances. The appliances are more energy-efficient than those connected to home energy management systems because they adjust to energy needs automatically. Also, they can detect inefficiencies so electricity waste is reduced. 

Replace Traditional Lighting with LED Lighting

If you’ve been using incandescent lighting and old light fixtures, it’s time you replaced them with LEDs. Studies show you can save up to $225 annually by switching to LED. LEDs use less energy yet provide the same amount of light as other types of lighting. Moreover, they use most of the power to produce light, not light and heat, as traditional forms of lighting.

Take Advantage of Smart Power Strips

Home appliances like speakers, TVs, computers, and home entertainment systems never quite go off. Rather, they switch to standby mode, which adds to your electricity bill. They account for 5-10% of a home’s energy consumption. Installing smart power strips goes a long way in saving on such energy. 

They prevent the appliances from using standby power, saving energy. With a smart power strip, you don’t need to power it on and off; you only need to connect it wirelessly and use a mobile device to control each device. 

Automating this process makes saving energy hassle-free. You can choose smart power strips from three types:

• Timer-equipped power strip: This type is ideal for devices that have predictable schedules. With a timer-equipped power strip, you can set the time for turning such devices on or off
• Current sensing power strip: This kind has a sensor to detect fluctuations in the current. As such, when the device is switched off, it stops power from flowing into the device, and when switched on, it allows power to flow through the outlet
• Occupancy sensing power strip: This kind detects movement and controls the device accordingly. If no one is in the room, they turn off the device automatically. However, you can fine-tune them to wait for the amount of time you stay in the room.