Many Irish households are struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis, with the price of almost everything on the rise.
A recent Irish Mirror cost of living survey found that nearly eight out of 10 people in Ireland are struggling to pay monthly household bills.
When it came to energy bills, nearly two-fifths (37%) had seen their monthly energy bill go up by €50-€100. It went up €100-150 for more than a third (35%) and 17% said it increased by €150-200
Just over a tenth saw an increase of €200-300 and the majority, (56%) said the Government’s €200 energy credit had not helped with just 44% saying it had.
With this in mind, many people are trying to find ways to save money where possible. One such way is being aware of how much energy your home appliances use and how much it is costing.
Energy experts at Radiators Online have shared the most 'energy draining' appliances and how expensive they are to run, Mirror UK reports.
Air conditioning and heating
The experts said: “Your HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) is the biggest consumer of energy in your home.
“Most HVAC systems run 24 hours a day; therefore, depending on the efficiency of your unit, on average, it may use 72kWh in a day, costing you a staggering £4,967.65 (€5,886) a year and £13.61 (€16.13) every day.
“To save money, invest in a programmable thermostat. If you assumed the energy costs of running a fan are minimal, you’d be right.
“Consider direct current fans. They use so little energy that operating one at full speed for 24 hours a day would cost between £24.83 (€29.42) and £164.25 (€194.62) a year.”
Water heating
According to the experts, water heaters come next on the list, costing around £828.55 (€981.75) if used daily for a year.
This is a huge amount of money to be paying just for water.
However, homeowners don’t have to break the bank to heat water in their homes.
The experts recommended heat pumps, which use electricity to transfer heat using only around 500 watts - but the devices have many critics.
Fridge
The experts said: “A refrigerator must run 24 hours a day to keep your food fresh.
“This appliance needs 180 watts per hour to run, which means it requires 4.32 kWh to run for 24 hours.
“Multiplying this by 365 days at the average price per kWh, we find that your fridge is costing you £299.30 (€354.64) per year.”
Dishwasher
Many people use dishwashers for convenience, but they cost a lot to run.
It takes around 1800 watts for a dishwasher to run for one hour, and the average washer runs for about two hours.
The experts added: “This means it uses 3.6 kWh per average, costing you about £240.20 (€284.61) if used daily for a year.”
Oven
While the oven is not the most expensive appliance to run, opening and closing the door can be costly.
According to the experts, this can affect how much electricity the oven uses.
They added: “We estimated that an oven is used, on average, for about an hour a day.
“It takes about 2400 watts for an average oven to run. Therefore, it requires 2.4 kWh for one hour of use and costs about £164.25 (€194.62) to use daily for a year.”
Cheapest household appliance to use
A spokesperson for Radiators Online said: “The cheapest household product on our list is the washing machine.
“This appliance is a widely used Energy Star model and only needs 500 watts per hour to run.
“This is because your washing machine uses more energy heating water than it does doing anything else during a wash cycle.
“So, washing machines are more energy efficient by using cold water, which most people prefer to use when doing their laundry.
“Hence, if used every day for a year, a washing machine’s electricity costs £18.25 (€21.62).
“Overall, refrain from using your energy-intensive appliances as much as possible, opt for energy star-rated models and consider cheaper alternatives.”
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