What’s the average electricity use for a UK household?

Have you ever compared your gas/electricity bill with that of friends or family members – and wondered why you pay so much more or, if you’re lucky, a whole lot less? It could be that your tariff is simply more costly, or conversely – really reasonable. The size of your property and the number of people in it are also factors to consider. And then, of course, how you use your appliances – whether you turn your light off when you leave a room or whether you’re happy to leave the light on.

In an article by Ovoenergy.com, household electricity use in the UK is an average of 3,940kWh per home. This is about 20 per cent higher than the global average for electrified homes of 3,370kWh. But when compared to other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, electricity use in the UK isn’t that high – averaging closer to the European average of 3,600kWh. This is generally because UK homes are quite small, heating is primarily done with gas, and air conditioning is not widespread. American homes average 12,300kWh each year, in Canada it’s 11,000kWh, and in Australia it’s 7,000kWh.

To know where your home sits on the scale of average, have a look at the following stats (listed in ascending order):

Mid Terrace – 2,779 kWh
Flat – 2,829 kWh
End Terrace – 3,442 kWh
Semi Detached – 3,847 kWh
Bungalow – 3,866 kWh
Detached House – 4,153 kWh

(This data excludes electricity from space heating – which is more common in detached properties naturally – so it doesn’t distort our view of the data.)

You’ll be unsurprised to know that the peak load occurs between 6-7pm when cooking, lighting and audiovisual demands are all ramped up. And, bearing in mind that it’s winter and we’re all sure to be cranking the heat at some point, you’ll be pleased to learn that cold appliances (basically refrigeration) top the list of uses, followed by lighting, consumer electronics, cooking and wet appliances (washing mostly). Check out the average end use of electricity in UK homes/year (in ascending order):

Computing – 240 kWh
Water heating – 280 kWh
Other – 528 kWh
Wet appliances – 536 kWh
Cooking – 544 kWh
Consumer Electronics – 567 kWh
Lighting – 607 kWh
Cold appliances – 638 kWh

These averages may help you gauge where you are with your own electricity use, and help you decide whether you need to turn off the lights or change provider!

For all your energy-related needs, contact the team at AACooper on 01689 485007 or info@aacooper.co.uk.

Source: Ovoenergy.com – “How much electricity does a home use”