How much power do your home appliances really use? Knowing your home appliances’ electrical requirements can be beneficial for two main reasons. The first of these is safety and the second is keeping your power bills low.
Safety
The first and most important reason you should consider conducting an electrical audit on your appliances is safety. If you use too many energy draining appliances in your home, you run the risk of overloading your home’s electrical systems and this can potentially cause damage and/or safety issues.
Always check that you aren’t plugging an appliance into an outlet that is designed for an appliance with lower electrical requirements. If you aren’t sure, it’s worth calling out your local electrician to have a look and advise you on your home’s capacity.
Save money
Another reason you may want to consider an electrical audit of your home is to identify any power-draining home appliances that might be costing you money. The cost of electricity is not getting any lower, and your home’s appliances can really push up your power bill. This is especially true of older appliances that might not be as energy efficient as their newer alternatives.
How to conduct an electrical audit of your appliances
Conducting an electrical audit of your appliances is fairly straightforward. If you know how much electricity they use, you can calculate your overall consumption and how much you are using at different power outlets. If you don’t know how much particular appliances are using, there are a few devices you can purchase that will monitor their usage and tell you how much electricity is really being consumed.
Be particularly aware that plugging multiple appliances in to powerboards can lead to excess pressure on your home’s electrical systems, even if the individual appliances are only operating at a low wattage.
If you notice any signs of overloading such as your circuit breakers tripping frequently or visible damage to power outlets, it’s a good idea to get in touch with an electrician as soon as possible to have a professional audit of your home’s electrical circuits.
Unfortunately, overloaded electrical circuits in the home can lead to more than just higher electrical costs, they can potentially cause a fire or pose a safety risk to you and your family.
Keep an eye on your home’s electricity usage, especially your appliances, and you can safeguard your family as well as keep your power costs under control.
