If you want to cut your electricity bill, start with the biggest users — not the phone chargers. Cost is wattage × hours, so the appliances that matter most are the ones that are both high-power and run for a long time.
Estimate. Annual energy figures use typical DOE/ENERGY STAR wattages; costs use the US average 18.56¢/kWh (EIA, March 2026).
The usual ranking
| Category | Why it’s big | Typical annual energy |
|---|---|---|
| Heating (electric furnace / heat pump) | High power, many hours in winter | Thousands of kWh |
| Air conditioning | High power, many hours in summer | ~1,000–3,000+ kWh |
| Water heating (resistance tank) | Runs daily year-round | ~3,000–4,500 kWh |
| EV charging at home | ~34.6 kWh/100 mi → ~4,000 kWh/yr at 12k miles | ~4,000 kWh |
| Refrigerator / freezer | Always on | ~400–800 kWh each |
| Pool pump | Many hours in season | ~1,500–3,000 kWh |
See the live ranking on the biggest energy hogs page and the most expensive appliances to run.
Why wattage alone is misleading
A 1,800 W hair dryer sounds power-hungry, but used 6 minutes a day it costs pennies. A 150 W refrigerator sounds small, but running 24/7 it uses far more energy over a month. This is the watts vs kWh distinction — and it’s why heating, cooling and water heating dominate bills.
Where to focus
- Heating & cooling — a heat pump instead of resistance heat, plus thermostat discipline, saves the most.
- Water heating — a heat-pump water heater uses about a third of a resistance tank.
- EV charging — shift to off-peak rates (still cheaper than gas per mile — see EV charging cost).
- Always-on loads — replace a pre-2001 fridge or freezer.
Bottom line
The biggest electricity users are heating, cooling and water heating, plus EV charging if you have one. Price any of them at your own rate in the calculator, and see the full appliance list for typical wattages.