Basics

A refrigerator stays plugged in around the clock, but that does not mean it draws its nameplate watts every minute.

Moving an appliance to a cheaper electricity period can lower its energy charge without reducing the kilowatt-hours it uses.

Kilowatts tell you how quickly electricity is being used.

A small device that stays on all year can use more energy than a powerful appliance used briefly each day.

A smart plug with energy monitoring can reveal useful consumption patterns, but its display is not automatically a laboratory measurement.

A heat pump can deliver several units of heat indoors for each unit of electricity it consumes.

Two electric resistance heaters drawing the same actual 1500W put roughly the same rate of heat into the room, even if one is advertised as revolutionary.

A dishwasher eco program can run longer while using less energy than a shorter program.

A larger electricity bill is evidence that something changed, but it does not identify a faulty appliance.

A refrigerant dehumidifier can make a room warmer while removing moisture.