SAN DIEGO — People are growing increasingly frustrated over high SDG&E bills.
If you’re trying to conserve energy, it helps to know what items in your home use the most.
Here are the top ten energy users in your home:
According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration
#1 Heating your home makes up nearly a third of your total energy usage at 31.3%.
#2 Your water heater at 13.6%
#3 Cooling your home takes less energy, totaling 10.7%.
#4 Your refrigerator consumes 4% of your total usage.
#5 Your dryer uses 3.2% of your total energy.
#6 Lighting makes up 2.8% of your total usage.
#7 Home entertainment equipment: 2.8%
#8 Cooking appliances: 1.3%
#9 Computers: 1.1% (Consider upgrading to a laptop, which uses less energy than a desktop computer.)
#10 Furnace fans and boiler circulation pumps: 1.1%
Separately, some of those things may seem minor. But combined, they use a lot of energy. That's where conservation comes in.
Simple tips include:
- Unplugging your phone charger from the wall when not in use.
- Using energy efficient lightbulbs.
- Using smart power strips, which can detect when a device is in standby mode and cut power off completely. Devices still use energy, even when off if they're still plugged in.
- Lowering the thermostat not only in your home but on your water heater as well.
- Instead of using hot water to do laundry, use warm, or even better, cold.
- When traveling, shut your heater completely off and turn the water heater to vacation mode.
For more energy-saving tips, visit this SDG&E list.
WATCH RELATED: "It just started getting higher and higher" | Carlsbad man receives SDG&E bill over $1,000 (Feb. 2022).