How much electricity appliances really use: measured data

Median annual kWh for 36 household appliances, measured every 10 minutes in 100 homes (ADEME, 2023–2024): water heaters, fridges, routers, TVs, washers and more, with running costs.

By the Wisiko editorial team · Published 8 October 2026 · 2 min read

Where the numbers come from

Most “how many watts does it use” tables online list the rated power printed on the appliance. That tells you little about what it actually consumes over a year. This table uses measured data instead.

ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, runs the Panel Elecdom: a monitoring system logs electricity use every 10 minutes for plug-in appliances and electrical circuits in 100 homes representative of French housing. Annual figures per appliance are published as open data.

We took the latest complete year (July 2023 – July 2024) and calculated, for each appliance type measured on at least 10 units:

• the median: half of the units use less, half use more (less distorted by outliers than the average);
• the middle half (interquartile range): where the central 50% of units fall;
• the median annual cost at the price per kWh you choose in the box above the table (default: UK price cap, 26.32p/kWh for October–December 2026). For the US average of 18.31¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), switch the currency to USD and type 0.1831.

Key findings

Electric storage water heaters are in a league of their own: 1,179 kWh a year at the median, with the middle half between 766 and 1,674 kWh. That is more than four times a fridge-freezer.

Cold appliances run around the clock. A fridge-freezer uses 268 kWh a year at the median, twice as much as a fridge without a freezer compartment (134 kWh). See how much electricity a fridge uses.

Always-on devices add up. An internet router/box uses 76 kWh a year at the median, an average draw of about 9 W, all day, every day. Details in how much electricity a router uses.

Washing machines use less than you might expect: 72 kWh a year at the median for front-loaders, largely thanks to low-temperature cycles. Tumble dryers use more.

Kettles are cheap per use but frequent: 32 kWh a year at the median. See the cost to boil a kettle.

Limitations

• 100 homes is a representative but small sample. For appliances measured on only 10–20 units, treat figures as orders of magnitude.
• The homes are in France (230 V supply, European appliances, French habits). Appliance types common in North America, such as large top-freezer fridges, central air conditioning or 240 V dryers, may use quite different amounts.
• Usage drives consumption: household size, number of cycles, settings and appliance age all matter.
• Space heating is not broken down by appliance. Whole-home electricity use has a median of 2,926 kWh a year in the panel (middle half 1,585–5,819 kWh), including electric heating where present.

To estimate a specific appliance, use the appliance running cost calculator with its wattage and your usage.