Electrical appliances are rated in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). One kilowatt is the same as 1,000 watts. The higher the rating of the appliance the more electricity it uses.

Units of electricity on your bill are measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) - this is 1,000 watts or 1 kilowatt of electricity used for 1 hour. Therefore a 1,000 watt appliance used for 1 hour uses 1 kWh of electricity which is commonly referred to as 1 unit of electricity.

The following will give you some indication of how much electricity modern everyday appliances use:

Appliance - How long it takes to use 1 unit of electricity (1 kWh) - Number of units used

Cooker (hob) - 1 to 3 hours - 0 units

Cooker (oven) - ½ hour to 1½ hours - 0 units

Cooker (grill) - ½ hour to 1½ hours - 0 units

Microwave - 1 to 2 hours - 0 units

Automatic Washing Machine - 0 hours - 2 units for an average family wash

Tumble Dryer - ½ hour - 2 to 4 units for an average drying load

Fridge - 24 hours - 0 units

Fridge freezer - 12 hours - 0 units

Fan Heater (2kW) - ½ hour - 0 units

Storage Heater (2.5kW) - 0 hours - 45 to 75 units per week in winter

Infra red or single bar fire - 1 hour - 0 units

Immersion Heater - 20 minutes - 0 units

Dishwasher - 0 hours - 2 units for a full load on cold fill

Television - 6 to 9 hours - 0 units

Kettle - ½ hour - 1 unit to boil 12 pints of water

Vacuum cleaner - 2 hours - 0 units

Iron - 1 to 2 hours - 0 units

Double electric blanket - 18 hours - 0 units

If you are interested in Energy Assessors London carry out inspection of your premises with a view to upgrading or improving you heating or lighting fixtures call us now on 020 8930 5668 to book an appointment.