In the process of surfing the web for a resource on a post, I ran across the US Household Electricity Report.  It’s published by the Energy Information Administration, part of the Department of Energy.  The information is old, from 2001, but I found the report interesting nonetheless.

The most interesting piece of information was a table (here) that outlines average household electricity use by category — HVAC, kitchen appliances, electronics, etc.  It gave me a better idea of the relative amounts of energy used by various items in my home.

I was particularly surprised at the high percentage of electricity used by kitchen appliances.  According to the report, 26% of household electricity is used by the various appliances in our kitchens.

Actual energy usage amounts will vary by region due to the amount of energy needed for HVAC and also your personal consumption habits.  However, I found the report useful to help remind me of the relative impact of items like electronics and my refrigerator.

Photo credit:  sateda