As of: March 13, 2024, 8:02 a.m
By: David Holzner
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Energy guzzlers can be found in every household.
High consumption means high costs.
However, with a few tricks, energy consumption can be minimized.
Especially when electricity prices are rising sharply, you want to keep your electricity costs low.
But every household has devices that can increase your consumption.
Some of them - such as refrigerators and washing machines - are known to everyone.
Others, on the other hand, have few people on their radar.
These hidden power guzzlers consume a lot of energy unnoticed.
Often these are devices that are rarely used, but work continuously in the background.
With a few simple measures, energy consumption can be quickly reduced and electricity costs can also be reduced.
The six biggest power guzzlers in the home and how best to deal with them:
The biggest power guzzlers in the household: 1. The refrigerator
The refrigerator door should not be left open longer than necessary.
© Pond5 Images/IMAGO
According to the energy company
E.ON
, the refrigerator makes a significant contribution to electricity consumption in German households, with around 330 kWh of electricity consumption per year.
That's not surprising.
After all, the device is in continuous use.
However, making a few changes to your everyday life can reduce energy consumption.
For example, set a higher temperature in the refrigerator.
Seven degrees in the top refrigerator compartment should be sufficient.
According to
consumer center.de
, energy consumption increases by 6 percent if you set the temperature one degree lower.
An exception applies if you store perishable foods such as minced meat in the refrigerator.
Then the temperature should be around two degrees.
Many refrigerators make a beeping noise if you leave the refrigerator door open for too long.
That makes sense.
Try closing the door quickly to save electricity.
Food should be completely cooled before being placed in the refrigerator.
You can save electricity right from the placement of the refrigerator.
Do not put it in a warm place.
Next to the stove or in direct sunlight, the refrigerator uses more energy.
You can find everything about household and garden tips in the living newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
2. Washing machine and tumble dryer
Washing machines and tumble dryers are indispensable in many households.
The devices run very often, especially in families with several members.
Here too, electricity can be saved with the right tips.
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Fill the washing machine sufficiently and avoid washing cycles that are half full.
Low washing temperatures save electricity and are sufficient in most cases.
However, for some textiles, 30 degrees is not enough to wash the laundry beautifully clean.
Consumerzentrale.de
also recommends choosing a high spin cycle when washing.
This means that the laundry is less wet afterwards and saves time in the dryer.
In the warm season, it is advisable to dry your laundry on a drying rack and avoid using the dryer.
In general: Eco washing programs take longer, but save water and electricity.
Biggest power guzzler: Vote.
3. Dishwasher
The dishwasher is one of the hardest working household helpers.
It leaves dishes sparkling clean and gives them a fragrant scent.
At the same time, however, it is one of the largest energy guzzlers in the household.
According to E.ON,
the dishwasher accounts for 245 kWh of electricity consumption
each year.
But the dishwasher is still cheaper than washing up by hand.
Using them could save 30 percent,
E.ON
continues.
The right way to save electricity:
Always load the machine fully to avoid frequent wash cycles.
Here too, eco programs and low temperatures are a good way to save electricity.
According to
consumer center.de
, short programs use more electricity and water because higher temperatures are required for a shorter time.
4. Televisions and accessories
To save electricity, you should disconnect devices that are not used often from the power source.
© Michael Gstettenbauer/IMAGO
Your TV and all of its accessories may consume more power than you think.
According to
Chip.de,
the standby mode of most televisions is now very energy-saving.
However, the connected devices can be hidden power guzzlers.
Devices such as game consoles need power even in standby mode, for example to install updates or to power the USB ports.
If you will not be using these devices for a long period of time, it is recommended that you unplug them from the power source.
If you have several devices connected to the television, such as receivers, hard drive recorders or game consoles, use a power strip for this.
If necessary, you can remove power from all devices at once.
The brightness of your television also contributes to power consumption.
If you do not choose the maximum brightness, you can save electricity.
5. Home office & Co.
The home office is now an integral part of the working world.
Many employees prefer to work in their own four walls in order to do their job.
But this also increases electricity consumption.
According to
E.ON,
a WiFi router consumes around 135 kWh of electricity per year.
Other required devices such as laptops, monitors and printers can also use a lot of energy.
Laptops generally use less power than desktop computers, according
to
Chip.de.
Use all-in-one devices (scan, print, copy) to avoid many different power guzzlers.
If you often leave your workstation, use the power saving or sleep mode.
To do this, go to the energy saving settings of your device and set your desired sleep mode.
Set airplane mode on your smartphone at night.
This way you save battery and have to charge your smartphone less often.
The WiFi router can also be switched off at night if you don't need it.
Many models have a time control that automatically turns off the router's power at a certain time, according to
consumer center.de.
6. Stove and oven
If you like to cook a lot, you also use a lot of electricity.
According to
E.ON,
this is 445 kWh over the course of a year for an electric stove.
Because stopping cooking isn't an option, here are some tips to reduce energy consumption:
Use the lid for pans and pots.
This saves you time and electricity.
Who would have thought that?
According to
Chip.de
, using a kettle uses less electricity than heating the water in a pot.
Use pots and pans that fit snugly on the stovetops to waste as little heat as possible.
Chip.de
also states that an induction cooker is 15-20 percent more economical than an electric cooker.
Circulating air is recommended for the oven because it saves 15 percent more energy compared to top/bottom heat, according to the
consumer advice center
.
Preheating the oven is rarely useful and is only necessary for some dishes.
In general, older devices are bigger power guzzlers than new ones.
Here's a tip: If you buy new electrical appliances, pay attention to the energy efficiency classes A+++ to G on the products.