Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn U.S. homes, air conditioning is the largest reported residential electricity end use: it accounted for 19% of residential site electricity consumption in 2020. Space heating and water heating each accounted for 12%. Those are broad end-use categories, not a ranking of individual appliances, and the shares vary with weather, region, home and fuel. Among individual appliances, clothes dryers, refrigerators and freezers can also be substantial loads—but an older NIST estimate is illustrative, not a current universal leaderboard.
What uses the most electricity in a house?
For U.S. residential electricity use, air conditioning was the leading end-use category in the Energy Information Administration’s 2020 figures, at 19%. Space heating and water heating followed at 12% each. The distinction matters: an end use describes what electricity is used for, while an appliance is a particular piece of equipment. Heating, for example, may involve different systems, and water heating may run on electricity or another fuel.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The figures describe residential site electricity consumption in 2020. They are not a current reading of every home, nor a measure of total energy from all fuels. A home with a gas furnace or gas water heater will not have the same electric load for those uses as a home with electric equipment. EIA also notes that weather affects annual end-use shares; region, housing type and fuel choices matter too.
EIA cites average U.S. household electricity consumption of about 10,500 kWh per year. That is a national average, not a target or prediction for a specific home, and it excludes generation and delivery losses. Comparing a home with that figure can provide context, but it cannot tell you which appliance is responsible for a high bill.
#1 Best Overall
- 10 Drying Cycles, 6 Options: This versatile Kenmore electric dryer offers 10 drying cycles and 6 options to care for all your clothing and household fabrics. Reduce energy use by up to 7.6% with Energy Saver (compared to the normal cycle)
- Wrinkles Be Gone: The Wrinkle Guard Option tumbles clothes intermittently after the cycle is complete to help prevent wrinkles from setting in to keep your clothes looking smooth and ready to wear
- Dry It Right: Smart sensors detect moisture content in clothes to prevent over-drying, helping your clothes look and feel their best. Use additional cycles that are perfect for non-washable items like decorative pillows, sleeping bags and plush toys
- Easy to Use: The display features easy to use, LED light-touch controls that match different types of fabric and also displays cycle status and time remaining. You can walk away, our dryer’s got everything under control
- Large Capacity Dryer: This front load dryer has a large, 7.0 cubic foot capacity to give clothes, bedding, and other household fabric items space to move freely and dry thoroughly
Which individual appliances can use a lot of electricity?
A 2014 National Institute of Standards and Technology report compiled typical annual appliance-use estimates from historical survey and literature inputs. Its figures are useful for seeing the relative scale of common loads, but they are not a 2026 ranking or a guarantee of what a particular appliance will use. The assumptions and the age of the estimates should travel with the numbers.
| Appliance or use | Illustrative annual electricity use | How to interpret the estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | 3,220 kWh/year | NIST compiled estimate; actual use is strongly affected by climate, system and operation. |
| Space heater | 2,136 kWh/year | NIST estimate assuming 12 hours of use per day in November through February. |
| Freezer | 1,120 kWh/year | NIST compiled estimate; not a model-specific prediction. |
| Clothes dryer | 1,039 kWh/year | NIST compiled estimate; loads, frequency and dryer type change consumption. |
| Refrigerator | 1,007 kWh/year | NIST compiled estimate; model and operating conditions matter. |
The NIST estimates are a way to identify loads worth checking, not a way to forecast your bill. Their inputs are historical, and use patterns differ across households. A space heater running for long stretches can be a major electrical load, while a household that rarely uses air conditioning may not resemble the national end-use pattern. Refrigerator and freezer consumption continues over time rather than occurring only during a selected cycle, so an older or less efficient unit can merit attention even when its draw is less visible.
Why a household’s ranking may be different
Climate and season
Cooling demand rises with hot weather, and heating demand changes with cold weather. A mild year can shift the annual shares compared with an unusually hot or cold one. Regional climate also means a home in a cooling-intensive area may have a different electricity profile from a home where heating dominates—or where heating uses a non-electric fuel.
Fuel and equipment
Electricity rankings do not measure all household energy. A gas-fired furnace or water heater uses gas for its main heating work, though associated controls or fans may use some electricity. Likewise, a gas dryer is not comparable to an electric dryer as an electricity load. Check the appliance’s fuel and the system boundary before interpreting an electricity comparison.
Rank #2
- Portable Clothes Dryer with Fast Drying Technology: The MOJOCO Portable Clothes Dryer features a powerful 600W heating system with 2 drying modes to suit different fabric types. Choose between a lower temperature for delicate garments or a higher temperature for faster drying. Using advanced heat and airflow technology, it can dry clothes in as little as 50 minutes, making laundry faster and more convenient.
- Portable Dryer Machine for Convenient Drying: This ultimate portable and foldable dryer brings efficiency and eases your drying needs. It can hang up to 9 pieces of clothing and has a maximum load capacity of 22 lbs. It’s a great solution if you live in a small apartment, have limited laundry space, or are traveling, camping, or on vacation. In addition, it is lightweight and easy to move around. This is a lifesaver for those who are always on the go or have a busy schedule.
- Deep Cleansing with Built-in LED UV & Automatic Overheat Protection: Keep your clothes fresh with the built-in LED UV sanitizing feature, designed to help maintain cleaner garments after every cycle. For added peace of mind, the dryer also features automatic overheat protection, which helps prevent overheating for safer, more reliable operation.
- Quiet Functioning and Timer Functionality: No more noisy drying cycles that disrupt your peaceful environment. Mojoco mini dryer machine has a built-in timer and whisper-quiet functioning. With the timer feature, you can easily set the desired drying duration to suit your needs. You can enjoy a tranquil laundry experience without disturbing your surroundings.
- Maximize Your Laundry Savings: This is a cost-effective solution for drying clothes. Mojoco portable dryers are smaller than traditional dryers, and they use less energy to operate. It saves you money on your electric bill in the long run. With Mojoco dryer, you don't have to use your regular drying machine when you just have a few clothes to dry. Instead, you can dry your clothes .
How many people live in the home and how they use equipment
More residents can mean more hot water, laundry loads, refrigeration needs and appliance cycles. Actual consumption also depends on appliance age, settings, hours of operation, load size and season. A household’s use can therefore differ materially from a typical estimate even when it owns the same type of appliance.
What the available national data do—and do not—show
EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey program documents supplemental monthly estimates for 2020 heating, cooling and water-heating end uses released in May 2025. It also reports preliminary 2024 housing-characteristic data. Those housing characteristics should not be mistaken for a complete updated national ranking of appliance electricity consumption. The clear national end-use comparison cited here remains tied to 2020 figures.
How to find the biggest loads in your own home
National estimates can point you toward likely candidates, but the most useful comparison comes from your own equipment and operating habits. Start with appliances that run for many hours, serve multiple people, or have high-use cycles. Then compare a model’s stated annual energy use with how often your household actually uses it.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- Identify the fuel and function. Note whether each major system or appliance uses electricity, gas or another fuel. Separate electricity use from total household energy use; do not treat a gas furnace’s heating output as electric consumption.
- Check the appliance’s EnergyGuide label or model documentation. ENERGY STAR advises using EnergyGuide information to compare model energy use and estimate annual operating cost. Use the value for the exact model where available rather than assuming every refrigerator, dryer or washer uses the same amount.
- Write down actual usage. For cycle-based appliances, note loads or cycles per week and the settings you use. For seasonal equipment, note the months and approximate hours of operation. The NIST space-heater example illustrates why an assumption such as 12 hours a day for four winter months is essential context for an annual number.
- Estimate the energy cost with your electricity price. Multiply the appliance’s annual kWh estimate by your per-kWh electricity price to get a simple estimated annual energy charge. For example, if a model is labeled at 400 kWh/year, the estimate is 400 multiplied by your rate per kWh. The result is an estimate, not necessarily the exact utility-bill change; rates, fees, use and actual performance may differ.
- Compare like with like. Check similar capacity and appliance type, and use the same usage period. A high-efficiency model used more often may consume more in a particular home than a less efficient one used sparingly. For a replacement decision, weigh purchase and installation costs against expected operating savings.
If a utility meter or home-energy monitor gives household totals, treat it as a whole-home view unless it measures a particular circuit or device. A single monthly bill rarely isolates one appliance’s contribution. Labels, model documentation and a record of operating patterns help narrow down the cause without mistaking a seasonal bill change for an appliance defect.
Rank #3
- Large 3.6 CU.FT Capacity: This spacious 3.6 cu.ft electric dryer (23"x22"x33") is designed to handle substantial laundry loads, making it ideal for families living in laundrys or condos. From bulky bed sheets to daily loads of shirts and underwear, the stainless steel drum provides ample room for clothes to tumble freely, ensuring even drying and reduced tangling without occupying excessive floor space.
- 12 Customized Drying Modes: Tailor your drying cycle to any fabric type with our advanced LED touch control. Choose from specialized settings including Cotton, Synthetic, Mix, Wool, Down, and Delicate to protect sensitive fibers. Features a dedicated Baby Care mode for hygiene-conscious parents and a Refresh cycle to revitalize clothes. Whether it’s heavy bedding or fragile silk, your garments receive the precise heat and time they need.
- 160° Wide-Angle Door & Easy Access Filter: Our clothes dryer for laundry features an 160° door opening angle, making loading and unloading bulky bedding and towels effortless. The convenient front-facing lint filter easily slides out for quick cleaning, eliminating the need to reach inside or dismantle parts, and ensuring optimal airflow and drying performance.
- Powerful Drying Performance: Experience rapid drying with our 1400W dryer machine, featuring a robust heating system that reaches up to 140°F. The innovative back-and-forth drum function ensures even heat distribution, making it perfect for drying clothes on rainy or cloudy days. Enjoy enhanced drying efficiency by starting with less humid clothes!
- Smart Safety & Personalized Scheduling: Designed for modern living, this dryer features a Delay Start and customizable Timer, allowing you to run cycles during off-peak energy hours or have warm clothes ready when you wake up. Safety is paramount; it includes a Child Lock to prevent accidental operation and automatically stops if the door is opened. The clear viewing window lets you monitor progress at a glance.
How model efficiency changes the comparison
Refrigerators: compare exact models
The Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program provides a model-specific comparison for an 18.1-cubic-foot, top-freezer, automatic-defrost refrigerator: an ENERGY STAR-level example is listed at 363.5 kWh/year, compared with 404 kWh/year for a less efficient example. The guidance uses December 2023 ENERGY STAR data and a stated federal electricity-price assumption. This example shows why checking the model’s annual kWh is more useful than applying one average to every refrigerator; it is not a promise that all certified models use that amount or that the savings will be the same in every home.
Clothes dryers: technology and installation matter
ENERGY STAR’s clothes-dryer guidance, accessed October 13, 2026, says heat pump dryers use around 70% less energy than conventional clothes dryers. That is a comparison of dryer technologies, not a precise forecast of savings for a particular household. The same guidance notes practical trade-offs: heat pump dryers can have a higher initial cost, and collected moisture needs to be drained or emptied. Check the model’s annual energy information and the installation requirements before choosing one.
Washers: the water temperature is part of the energy picture
Washer comparisons should include more than the electricity used by the washer itself. ENERGY STAR’s washer guidance notes that water heating is a major share of washer energy and recommends comparing EnergyGuide labels. If hot water is heated by an electric water heater, some of the energy associated with a wash cycle appears in water heating rather than only in the washer’s own electrical use. That system boundary can make a washer-only comparison incomplete.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Which appliances cost the most to run?
The appliance with the most kWh is not automatically the one with the highest bill in every home: the cost depends on its actual use and local electricity price. For an electricity-only estimate, use:
Rank #4
- 10 Drying Cycles, 2 Options: This versatile Kenmore electric dryer offers 10 drying cycles and 2 options to care for all your clothing and household fabrics
- Wrinkles Be Gone: The Wrinkle Guard Option tumbles clothes intermittently after the cycle is complete to help prevent wrinkles from setting in to keep your clothes looking smooth and ready to wear
- Dry It Right: Smart sensors detect moisture content in clothes to prevent over-drying, helping your clothes look and feel their best. Use additional cycles that are perfect for non-washable items like decorative pillows, sleeping bags and plush toys
- Easy to Use: The display features easy to use, LED light-touch controls that match different types of fabric and also displays cycle status and time remaining. You can walk away, our dryer’s got everything under control
- Large Capacity Dryer: This front load dryer has a large, 7.0 cubic foot capacity to give clothes, bedding, and other household fabric items space to move freely and dry thoroughly
Estimated annual energy cost = annual kWh × electricity price per kWh
Use the same units and billing period. If your rate is quoted in cents, convert it to dollars before multiplying. If a utility bill includes fixed charges, taxes or time-varying rates, the simple calculation will not reproduce the full bill. For equipment operating at different times of day, the relevant rate may also vary by time, depending on the utility plan.
When comparing replacement models, also consider purchase price, installation, venting or drainage requirements, and how long you expect to keep the appliance. A lower-kWh model reduces estimated energy use, but whether it saves money overall depends on the price premium and the household’s actual cycles, hours and electricity rate. The supplied refrigerator example is one specific pair of models, not a universal payback calculation.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePractical priorities for reducing electricity use
- Start with the biggest plausible loads. Air conditioning, electric heating and electric water heating are high-priority categories in the U.S. end-use data. Check whether those systems in your home are electric before focusing on their electricity consumption.
- Review long-running equipment. Refrigerators and freezers operate continuously, while dryers and space heaters may use substantial energy during operation. Look at the model’s annual kWh and your actual usage rather than relying solely on age or appliance category.
- Adjust usage where it is practical. Operating patterns and settings affect consumption. For a dryer, compare technology and typical loads; for laundry, consider that water temperature affects the energy associated with washing. These adjustments should fit the household’s needs and equipment instructions.
- Use replacement decisions as comparisons, not assumptions. Compare annual kWh for similar models, then estimate cost using your own electricity price. Include installation constraints and upfront cost, particularly for a heat pump dryer that may require moisture drainage or emptying.
The most dependable answer for an individual home comes from matching appliance-specific energy information to its real operating pattern. National shares identify where electricity commonly goes; a model label and household usage tell you whether that pattern applies to your home.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
