Carrying Out A Survey Of Electricity Use

Step 1.

List every room in the house which has items that use electricity

Don't forget garages, passages, outbuildings, gardens and lofts, etc.

Step 2.

For each room list all the electrical appliances

Lights, appliances, computers, telephones, anything else plugged into sockets, permently connected items such as door bells, alarms and water softeners.

Step 3.

For each appliance list:

a. What power is used when on?
b. What power is used if left on Standby?
c. Is the item low (0-1hrs/day), medium (1-4hrs/day), high (4-24hrs/day) usage?
d. What percentage of usage is covered by Cheap Rate electricity?

While it is usually fairly easy to find out the power consumption of an appliance it is harder to find the standby power consumption, sometimes handbooks have the information but who has all the handbooks! I used a cheap (£15) plug in wattmeter from Maplin to measure both standby and on power. Be cautious about the results for low power items as the meter accuracy below 10W may be suspect if measuring consumption.

Step 4.

For each item decide what opportunities there are to reduce electricity use

Switching off when not in use, fitting low energy bulbs, changing how items are connected, fitting time switches, etc.

Step 5.

Compile the whole lot into a chart for review

Click here for the initial survey results plus details of changes made

For an example survey have a look at the 2006 Survey Results.

For an example record sheet you can print out have a look at the Checklist Index