How Much Power Is Used in the Average Household?

A reliable power supply is a fundamental need for every household. It keeps your lights on, refrigerators cooled, and devices charged. But have you ever wondered how much power is used in the average household?

Understanding your power consumption patterns is crucial to effectively managing your energy bills and being more energy efficient. This depends on various factors including the number of appliances you run, geographical location, lifestyle, construction material used, and so on.

This guide will comprehensively break down the power usage of an average household. We will also discuss the factors that effect the power consumption of your house while suggesting some effective remedies to save on your energy bills.

How Many Watts Do I Need To Run My Household?

According to statistics by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the annual power requirement of an average US household is 10791000 watts. After converting this into kWh, the standard unit for power consumption, it will be 10791kWh annually.

However, energy usage is not a standard equation and varies throughout the states. For example, the state of Louisiana has the highest average of 14774kWh, while the state of Hawaii has the lowest average of 6178kWh.

The above-mentioned figures do not exactly portray the energy consumption patterns. This is because many individuals have solar setups that effectively reduce their reliance on grid power.

What Factors Affect The Power Consumption Of A House?

The power requirement of a home is greatly influenced by multiple variables. For example, if you live in a hot climate, you will need more cooling appliances, the primary culprits of high power drainage which eventually will result in high power needs for your home.  

Factors that affect your house's power consumption include its size, the total number of appliances, your geographical location, and your lifestyle choices. 

Below is a comprehensive discussion of these factors.

Size of your home

The size of a house is directly proportional to its power needs. A big house requires more appliances to keep it illuminated, cool, and heated than a small studio apartment. So its easy to assume that the bigger the house, the more power it will need.  

An average 2000 sq.ft US house needs around 900kWh, which becomes 0.45kWh per sq. ft. This will decrease as the area of your house decreases. Below is a small chart explaining power requirements for different house sizes.

Your geographical location

Your home’s geographic location is another crucial factor in determining its electricity consumption, mainly due to climatic variations. 

Louisiana, the state with the highest average power consumption, has a hot summer with an average temperature of 32°C, this eventually adds to its high power needs to maintain a cool temperature. Comparatively, Hawaii’s 22°C summer temperature ensues to its lowest power needs.

Additionally, Hawaii has more solar installations than Louisiana, which further contributes to its lower power requirements.

Lifestyle choices

Your lifestyle choices can significantly increase or decrease your power needs. For example, If you keep your lights on 24/7 and use air conditioners at too low temperatures your electricity bills will be high. 

Conversely, if you apply energy-efficient practices like using sunlight during the day and running AC within recommended temperature ranges, you can effectively decrease your overall electricity needs. 

Number of Appliances

Though it's obvious that more appliances will use more power, this notion is only true to some extent. The type of appliance you use is a more crucial factor than their numbers. 

If you use a general fan, it will consume the same amount of energy as three energy-efficient fans. So, it's crucial to check the starting and running watts of your appliances before making any purchase. Further, consulting the ENERGY STAR list of appliances could help you choose the most energy-efficient products.  

What Is the Average Electricity Cost For A Common US Household?

The average cost of electricity per kWh in the US is $0.15. According to stats provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average monthly electricity consumption is 900kWh, so this will amount to $135 per month.

However, this cost per kWh is not a standard unit and greatly varies throughout the states. It can be between 10 cents and 40 cents for Washington and Hawaii, respectively. So, the overall monthly energy bills can greatly fluctuate depending on your state. 

Depending on average power consumption of 900kWh per month, below are calculations of monthly energy bills for Washington and Hawaii.

Washington: $0.43 per kWh X 900 = $387

Hawaii: $0.10 per kWh X 900 = $90  

Difference between costs: $387-$90 = $297

This cost difference is mainly due to each state's access to electricity. In Washington, the availability of hydropower keeps the prices low while in Hawaii the electricity is mostly produced through oil which is an expensive raw material. 

What Is The Wattage Requirement Of Different Appliances In My House?

Understanding the power requirements of your home appliances is critical to lowering your energy bills. Heating and cooling appliances share a significant portion of your total power consumption, so their careful use is necessary to save on your energy bills.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the power requirements of all everyday use appliances of a house. 

Lighting appliances

Lighting options vary greatly depending on their power needs. They start at a minimum of zero-watt bulbs and go up to hundreds of watts. Commonly used household lights usually range from 20 to 100 watts. 

A 100-watt bulb uses 1kWh of power for 10 hours of continuous operation. This seems very little, but the cumulative effect of multiple lighting options could be significant. 

Heating and cooling appliances

Heating and cooling options consume a major portion of your overall energy budget. Running an 1800-watt air conditioner for 8 hours uses around 14kWh of power, which is half the daily energy needs of an average household. The watt requirements of other such appliances are indicated below.

Laundry Appliances

Among all laundry appliances, drying machines are highly rated in terms of power needs. Their average power consumption for one hour of operation varies between 3000 and 4500 watts. For washing machines, this range lies between 400 and 1400 watts.

Other appliances

A household needs multiple appliances to fulfil everyday needs. Whether these are kitchen devices, entertainment appliances, or small gadgets like laptops and mobile phones, they all affect power consumption patterns. The table below lists their watt requirements.

How Can I Save On My Energy Bills?

In today’s era of continuously increasing energy prices, saving on energy bills is no longer a choice but a necessity. However, some simple energy conservation practices can reap notable benefits.

Firstly, check the building materials and insulation of your home. This is because heating and cooling options have energy requirements. So if your home is not well insulated or the building materials allow an interchange of hot and cold air, you will need to consume more power to maintain the temperature of your home. 

Further, ensure you are using appliances listed by ENERGY STAR. This is a program led by the US government. Their recommended appliances are environmentally friendly and energy efficient, helping you save a significant amount on your energy bills.

Lastly, It's important to have an energy audit of your home. You can hire a professional service for this or do it yourself. This helps you identify the loopholes that are tooling heavily on your energy bills. 

What Is The Best Way To Lower My Electricity Bills

Solar panels are the best way to lower your energy bills. They capture sunlight to produce power, which means you do not need any fuel to run them, and only a one-time investment is required. 

Further, they not only help you save on your bills but also allow you to go completely off-grid. And you can even earn a good amount of money through net metering. As far as their upfront costs are concerned, various government plans are available that offer tax crediting, making the initial cost remarkably low. 

Below discussed are two top solar backups from BLUETTI that can effortlessly fulfill all the power needs of your home. Both the options come with a PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE certifying the best price for you.  

BLUETTI AC500 + B300/B300S

AC500 is surely the best choice to harness the sun's power. With its 5000W output capacity and 10000W surge power, it can support the power needs of all your home appliances simultaneously.

The unit comes with a LiFePO4 battery which is the most recommended battery type. It has a built-in capacity of 3072Wh which can further be expanded to 18432Wh ensuring you never run out of power. 

To ensure a reliable power supply, the unit supports multiple charging options including solar, car, AC, AC+solar, and lithium batteries. It’s 16 versatile output ports including wireless charging options make it compatible with all your appliances.

Further, it supports all 120V and 240V devices. Last but not least, it also qualifies for 30% Federal Tax Credit which means you can save $1199 on your upfront costs.

BLUETTI EP500 + 3*PV200

Whether you are worried about high energy bills or power outages, EP500 is the one-in-all solution to all your problems. The unit comes with a giant LiFePO4 battery of 5120Wh battery that offers 6000+ charge cycles. This means your one-time investment will last more than 20 years with one charge cycle each day.

Its 2000W pure sine wave inverter can supply power to all your appliances, whether you're camping off the grid or partying at home. This unit is integrated with a battery management system (BMS) to make it safe and reliable for use in all weather conditions. 

EP500 smart dual-core microcomputer allows you to manage the unit smartly with Bluetooth, Wifi, and BLUETTI smart app. It is specifically designed with wheels to ensure easy portability. Other specifications include 15 outlet ports, flexile recharging, and smart touch screen. 

FAQs

How Much KWh Energy Do I Need To Run My Household?

Each household's energy requirement varies depending on its power consumption patterns. However, according to official stats, the average annual power requirement of a normal US household is 10791kWh. This translates into 899kWh monthly and 30kWh of power daily.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Run My Whole House?

The average daily power needs of a 2000 sq. ft. house are around 30kWh, which decreases as the size of the house decreases. BLUETTI PV420 solar panels, with their industry-leading efficiency rating of 23.4%, can produce 2kWh daily under standard conditions with 6 hours of peak sunlight. So if we take 30kWh daily power needs as standard, you will need 15 panels to run your whole house on solar power.

What is The Best Time To Use Home Appliances For Saving Energy Bills?

Every state has its own regulations to charge for power usage. However, most states charge depending on the time of electricity usage. Thus, it is recommended not to use appliances during peak hours which are 6 to 10 in the morning and evening. 

The Bottom Line

The average power usage of each household varies significantly depending on your power consumption patterns. However, practising energy conservation could help you save a significant amount on your power bills.

Shifting towards solar power is the best remedy to hefty energy costs. BLUETTI solar solutions are low-priced, and their international reputation ensures the top quality of their products. Review their vast choice of solar solutions to find what best suits your needs.