Electricity Waste, Misuse & Abuse at Home? Energy Wastage Facts & Tips

At this very moment, we all waste energy without even paying attention, nor noticing or realizing it in time.

Luckily, you, we, and anybody can stop systematic inefficiencies in domestic power consumption by refining, updating, and improving habits in using and managing electrical devices. 

The fact is, upon conscientious management, the average household can lower the annual amount paid on utility bills up to a whopping 25% per year!

So, what are the top energy-wasting habits you have? 

But first, let’s get a better idea.

Electrical Waste at Home in #Numbers:

Type of Appliance/Device	Avg. Yearly Power Use In Standby Mode:	Approximate Yearly Cost USD:
Freezers	300 kWh	$38
Stereo System	128 kWh	$16
Clock / Radio	18 kWh
Dishwasher	16 kWh	$3.00
Cable TV / Satellite	128 kWh	$16
Audio System	128 kWh	$16
Chargers	18 kWh	$2.50
CD/DVD Players	59 kWh	$7.50
Standard PC	16 kWh	$2.50
Scanner / Printer	70 kWh	$8
Wi-Fi Routers & Internet Modems	102 kWh	$12.50
Standard Microwave	26 kWh	$3
Automated garage doors	24 kWh	$3
52″ – 65″ Rear Projector	186 kWh	$22
50″ HD Plasma TV Screens	145 kWh	$24

Wasted Electricity, Facts:

• The average US home needs 10,982 kWh of power a year and pays approximately $2,200 on utility bills.
• Over 60% of US household energy consumed goes to waste.
• Most US power plants barely hit the 33% energy-efficiency mark. This rate has remained unchanged ever since the 50s.
• Upgrading a single light bulb with an Energy Star replacement would save enough power to illuminate over 3 million houses. For a year.
• Electrical devices in “standby mode” add up to 75% of the total energy used.
• Lowering display brightness down to 70% saves up to 20% of screen energy consumption. 
• Although America only has 5% of the Earth’s population, it uses 23% of electricity globally.
• Almost 1/4 of your bills on heating and cooling get literally thrown out the window due to waste escaping from poorly insulated and inefficient windows.
• Inadequate freezer use increases condensing temperature or decreases evaporation temperature by a few degrees, thus adding an additional 10%  in energy consumption and waste.

What is Phantom (or Vampire) “Leaking” Energy Waste?

Vampire power is energy wasted by appliances that leech energy even when not working but are turned on. 

Vampire power accounts for as much as 20 percent of your monthly electricity bill. One or two power consumers may not make much of a difference to your bill, but a house full of electronics can add up. 

Once a device is 100% charged, or when a TV is OFF, power still flows. The connectivity of modern technology is one reason devices leak energy. 

Even when a player is off, it’s still ready to receive a signal from a remote to power it on. 

According to data from the National Resource Defense Council, Americans waste ~ $19 billion yearly on vampire energy costs. On average, that’s anywhere between $165 and $440 per household, depending on rates and location. 

TIPS to reduce energy waste:

Turn Lights OFF

A bright home leads to big electricity bills. If you or your close ones frequently forget to turn off the lights after leaving the room, closet, or hallway, it will lead to chronic energy waste.

Leaving lights working in multiple rooms is obviously the most common way to waste energy. 

Forming the healthy habit of turning them off when you leave a room or your home, can help you save a significant percentage of electricity costs. Preservation also helps your light bulbs last longer. 

If you tend to forget lights on by inertia, consider using a smart system to control lighting on auto or remotely. 

Use Incandescent Bulbs

The fact is, you can reduce the wastage of electricity at home by switching to energy-efficient bulbs. 

• Certified lights, such as halogen incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps, and light-emitting diodes, use from 25% to 80% less energy than traditional bulbs. 
• Worldwide, 2,900 TWh of energy is consumed per year for lighting according to the UN Environment model.
• Conventional incandescent lights convert less than 5% of the energy they use to produce light while 95% turn to heat.

On the positive side, you won’t need to change your light bulbs too often. 

Your Appliances Stay Connected

Do your home devices waste energy when not used but plugged into the power grid?

Yes. Even when devices are “OFF”, they can still waste electricity on standby. Avoid leaving electronics plugged IN!

• Around 50 devices constantly waste power in a typical home. Electronics consume energy when they are on standby or even when turned off.
• If you leave your TV, printer, computer, and phone chargers always plugged in, you significantly contribute to energy wastage at your home.
• The excessive workload built up over time severely shortens the lifetime of appliances and thus contributes immensely to real-life, physical waste, and pollution.
• The simplest way to save energy is to unplug devices you rarely use, although that’s anything but convenient.
• Use a power strip to group appliances, so you can turn them all off at the same time. The next best thing is using smart sockets or radically downsizing your home.

You Power an Empty Freezer

Reconsider running a freezer you barely use.

Especially for big families, a chest freezer is a must, but don’t leave it plugged or working when empty.

A running chest freezer can consume anywhere between 103 kWh and 300 kWh per year, raising your costs by an extra $40 a month. 

Stop Refrigerator Browsing 

Do you open the fridge, again and again, hoping its contents have changed? Or you’re in the mood for a midnight snack?

Each time you open the refrigerator, the cold air, you pay for, flows out. You waste up to 7% of extra energy when you keep the door open, stare, and wonder what snack you want.

When about to load the refrigerator after shopping, first empty your bags, identify what food goes where, and then stock it. This is how you can make a difference to the monthly bill. 

Another example of how electrical energy is wasted is when you put warm food in the fridge. It causes the appliance to use more power and thus consume energy you could save if you leave your dish to cool down naturally.

Don’t Run Half-Full Dishwashers

Energy Star dishwashers have an energy factor (EF) of 0.65 or higher, which equals 30% less energy usage than standard models.

And while domestic dishwashers become ever more efficient, improvements are useless if you do not operate yours responsibly. Remember to run the dishwasher only with full loads.

Don’t run it daily because the average model uses anywhere between 1400 and 1800 Watts per day. 

According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the average home loads a dishwasher about 215 times per year. The weakest units would use 467 kWh/year, aside from waste on control electronics consuming around 2 watts (~17 kWh/yr).

Wash Clothes in Hot Water LESS

A key way of energy misuse is to run the washing machine frequently with small loads of laundry. The energy consumption is the same as one full load cycle.

• Around 80-90% of the energy used by a washing machine goes to heating water.
• The average American family washes about 300 loads of laundry every year – all that laundry uses a lot of energy!
• Older models are energy-inefficient and use up to 1300 Watts per cycle, which can increase your electricity bill.
• Washing machines can use anywhere between 300 and 1500 watts per hour.
• Fewer clothes in the washing machine lead to more friction. This motion releases harmful microplastics from polyester clothes that go straight to the ocean.

The easiest source of energy efficiency in the laundry room is to stop using hot water. You can wash most loads of laundry with cold water, as well as if you use hot. You can opt for an Energy Star portable washing machine if you usually wash smaller loads of clothes. It’s also perfect for traveling and camping.

Don’t Leave Thermostat Settings Too High

With most installations, water constantly heats in a household heater tank, thus energy is wasted even when the hot water tap doesn’t run. Moreover, it adds 3-5% to your bill when you have set the temperature over 120 degrees. 

In almost every home, the increase in electricity bills comes from incorrect usage of heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. A 10-year-old unit could double its consumption compared to electric-efficient ACs. The difference between an analog vs digital controller builds up most wintertime when thermostats keep temperatures above actual needs, thus causing significant energy waste.

In many households, people set water heaters at 140 degrees daily, while the recommended temperature is 120 degrees, which also adds up to the utility bill.

The Ceiling Fan is Left ON

Many households gain a ceiling fan for energy-saving. Sadly, sometimes it can do more harm than good if it’s not a smart ceiling fan.

The most common mistake is to leave the fan on when you are not at home. Another error occurs if you set your ceiling fan incorrectly. It works best if the direction of the blow is down in the summer and during the winter.

Not Programming Your Thermostat

Heating, ventilation, and cooling are responsible for 30-40% of energy consumption in a property. Smart thermostats can switch your heating on and off remotely. Some can monitor electrical usage, so learn your routine, or turn it on when close to home (using GPS data). 

Ditch Old AC Units

In most households, the inflation of power bills happens because of poor heating, air conditioning, or ventilation systems. A 10-year-old AC could waste up to twice as a modern, energy-efficient AC.

Not Changing Air Filters

Another example of energy being wasted at home is dusty air filters and HVAC units. Flowing particles, such as dust and hair, stick to air filters when the appliance runs. Therefore, if HVAC filters clog, the system will consume more energy.

Dirty filters prevent sufficient air movement. This means that an HVAC system has to work harder to both cool and heat your home. Replace filters every three months to both breathe clean air and reduce energy waste. 

Closing vents in rooms unoccupied hinders how efficiently your system works. We all heard that to save money and energy, we should close vents in guests’ rooms. It has a negative effect because when we try to alter the route of airflow, it prevents the system from operating efficiently. 

How To Stop Wasting Energy At Home

As the homeowner, you are the one to look after its energy efficiency. Control the vampire energy waste by taking the following steps:

• Shop smart;
• Use energy star certified appliances;
• Use appliances reasonably;
• Unplug devices or appliances when you are not using them;
• Stop walks to your refrigerator and limit refrigerator browsing;
• Use power strips;
• Unplug chargers when batteries go up to 100%;
• Unplug lesser-used devices;
• Turn off lights when you’re not in the room or you don’t need light;
• Clean and change HVAC filters regularly, open the vents;

Use these tips to adopt energy-saving habits and maintain a financial and ecological balance at home.

Energy & Wastage, Wrap-up

By sticking to just some tips from above, you will see savings pile up. Furthermore, achieve it without disturbing your much-loved modern life full of modern gadgets.