Biggest energy hogs at home
The biggest energy hog among common appliances, by annual electricity use at typical usage, is Electric furnace / strip heat at about 7,200 kWh/year (~$1,336/yr at 18.56¢/kWh), followed by Electric tankless water heater (~6,570 kWh/yr) and Electric water heater (tank) (~4,928 kWh/yr). The full ranking of all 36 appliances by annual kWh is below.
Source: U.S. DOE — Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use. Data as of June 2026.
All 36 appliances ranked by annual energy use
| # | Appliance | Typical watts | Annual energy | Cost/yr @ 18.56¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric furnace / strip heat | 15,000 W | 7,200 kWh | $1,336 |
| 2 | Electric tankless water heater | 18,000 W | 6,570 kWh | $1,219 |
| 3 | Electric water heater (tank) | 4,500 W | 4,928 kWh | $915 |
| 4 | EV charging (home, Level 2) | 7,200 W | 4,000 kWh | $742 |
| 5 | Heat pump | 3,000 W | 3,600 kWh | $668 |
| 6 | Central air conditioner | 3,500 W | 3,360 kWh | $624 |
| 7 | Hot tub / spa | 1,500 W | 2,500 kWh | $464 |
| 8 | Pool pump | 1,500 W | 2,160 kWh | $401 |
| 9 | Electric space heater | 1,500 W | 1,440 kWh | $267 |
| 10 | Heat-pump water heater | 500 W | 913 kWh | $169 |
| 11 | Window air conditioner | 900 W | 864 kWh | $160 |
| 12 | Dehumidifier | 500 W | 750 kWh | $139 |
| 13 | Well pump | 1,000 W | 730 kWh | $135 |
| 14 | Electric clothes dryer | 3,000 W | 600 kWh | $111 |
| 15 | Refrigerator | 150 W | 600 kWh | $111 |
| 16 | Electric oven / range | 3,000 W | 600 kWh | $111 |
| 17 | Gaming desktop PC | 400 W | 584 kWh | $108 |
| 18 | Standalone freezer | 100 W | 400 kWh | $74.24 |
| 19 | Dishwasher | 1,500 W | 375 kWh | $69.60 |
| 20 | Electric stovetop burner | 1,500 W | 375 kWh | $69.60 |
| 21 | Electric kettle | 1,500 W | 274 kWh | $50.81 |
| 22 | Humidifier | 200 W | 240 kWh | $44.54 |
| 23 | Microwave oven | 1,000 W | 183 kWh | $33.87 |
| 24 | Television (LED/LCD) | 100 W | 183 kWh | $33.87 |
| 25 | Toaster oven | 1,200 W | 180 kWh | $33.41 |
| 26 | Washing machine | 700 W | 140 kWh | $25.98 |
| 27 | Laptop computer | 50 W | 110 kWh | $20.32 |
| 28 | Coffee maker | 1,000 W | 110 kWh | $20.32 |
| 29 | Hair dryer | 1,800 W | 108 kWh | $20.04 |
| 30 | Sump pump | 800 W | 96 kWh | $17.82 |
| 31 | Electric blanket | 100 W | 96 kWh | $17.82 |
| 32 | Computer monitor | 35 W | 77 kWh | $14.23 |
| 33 | Ceiling fan | 50 W | 72 kWh | $13.36 |
| 34 | Toaster | 1,100 W | 40 kWh | $7.45 |
| 35 | Clothes iron | 1,100 W | 33 kWh | $6.12 |
| 36 | Vacuum cleaner | 1,000 W | 30 kWh | $5.57 |
Source: U.S. DOE — Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use; EIA US average rate (March 2026). Data as of June 2026.
At each appliance's typical usage. Estimate — verify with your appliance label and bill.
Frequently asked questions
What uses the most electricity in a home?
Among the 36 appliances here, the biggest annual energy users at typical usage are Electric furnace / strip heat (~7,200 kWh/yr), Electric tankless water heater (~6,570 kWh/yr) and Electric water heater (tank) (~4,928 kWh/yr). Across most US homes, heating, cooling and water heating together are the largest share of the electric bill.
What is an energy hog?
An energy hog is a device that consumes a large share of your electricity — usually because it runs for many hours (fridge, freezer, pool pump) or uses a lot of power when on (electric furnace, water heater, EV charging). Targeting these for efficiency upgrades or reduced use saves the most.
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Last updated: 2026-06-20