What your power use looks like

Would you choose 66,000 cups of coffee or Netflix for 900 days?

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Ofgem figures show that an average home uses 3,100kWh of electricity per year – but what does that look like in real life?

To mark Earth Day (22 April), Gocompare.com Energy has revealed what the average UK home’s electricity usage equates to in daily tasks, showing how much power is guzzled by the electrical items we use every day.

How much energy’s used?

The annual electricity used by the average home would give you enough power to:

Leave the light on (40 Watt) for 8.8 years
Make 66,420 coffees using the office coffee machine
Iron for 47 days
Vacuum for 90 days
Cook 7,471 roast dinners
Take 678 30-minute power showers
Take 338 40ºC baths
Boil 31,000 full kettles
Make 37,200 microwave meals
Watch 10,850 movies

‘We know these figures are a little tongue-in-cheek, but it highlights what many of us may not realise – how much the seemingly small things we do around the house can an impact our bills. Yet, when you add them all up, it’s quite eye-opening.’

BEN WILSON
Spokesman for Gocompare.com Energy

Impact on bills

It’s great news for those who like to spend a weekend engrossed in a new box set; you could watch more than 10,000 movies and still have some energy left for a microwave meal.

If you’d rather be cleaning than lounging around on the sofa with a TV dinner, be warned: a year’s supply of electricity would only let you vacuum (constantly) for 90 days and iron for 47 days. These appliances could ramp up your power bill if you use them very frequently.

‘We’d recommend that people install smart meters in their homes where possible, just to keep a track of their daily usage, as well as remembering to turn off appliances and gadgets when not in use. That extra energy you’re saving could all contribute to reducing your bills and preserve the planet for a little longer.’

BEN WILSON
Spokesman for Gocompare.com Energy

The research also shows that us cuppa-loving Brits would have to boil a staggering 31,000 kettles to fulfil our entire annual energy usage. However, if the 100+ brews a day are still too few for you, make the most of the office coffee machine – it’d take 66,000 machine coffees to fill our energy quota for the year.

Click here to use Gocompare.com Energy’s real-time energy calculator.