How Much Energy Do You Use?

May 10, 2021

How Much Energy Do You Use?

Even though we don’t often consider how we use energy in our everyday life and having this knowledge can come in handy when trying to save energy. Whether it’s electricity or gas, knowing how much energy you use and more importantly how you use it, can help to save money and the environment.

Did you know that devices can consume energy even when switched off? Or that having a shower instead of a bath can help you save a lot on electricity over the course of a year.

You can find more information on how to save money on energy with our tips for saving money on your electricity.

But how much energy do we use?

First of all, let’s get into how your energy consumption is measured.

The amount of energy is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) and it is essentially a unit of power in a unit of time. Kilowatt hours are also the units per which you pay electricity, so the less kWh you use the lower the energy bill.

How much energy a household uses can be broken into different parameters.

Some of these are:

  • The number of people in the household

  • How much and which appliances you use

  • Individual energy consumption habits

  • The energy efficiency of your home (i.e. double or triple glazed windows can help a lot with energy savings)

Today, the most common issue with the energy consumption is the number of appliances an average household uses. Progress comes at the price they say, and the price of the technological progress in the last few decades was a drastic increase of the number of appliances in our homes.

Average energy bill in Ireland

So, how much do we spend on electricity?

The average electricity bill in Ireland is just under €1050 per year (of course this varies a lot with the number of people, and appliances in a household). Insights into the real time energy consumption (and appliance energy costs) has shown this can be cut down significantly. In 2015 we saw that the annual energy consumption off our customers was reduced by 9% after they switched to PrepayPower.

Another interesting information shows that Ireland uses around 12 Ktoe (kilotonne of oil equivalent) of energy in various forms per year. This is concerning given that the energy demand is increasing year after year. Some of the energy we create is exported to other countries, and a part is imported.

What is the impact of the energy consumption to the environment?

Reducing energy spending is not only cost efficient but also helps preserve the environment. Even though it may seem like there’s not much we can do individually, but together we can all play our part in reducing the carbon footprint.

You may not realise this but producing electricity takes a lot of energy. By reducing the amount of energy, you use, you’re playing a small part in lowering the energy demand.

How can PrepayPower help you spend less?

PrepayPower gives you full transparency and a clear insight into the amount of energy you use, and how much it costs, so you can always be on top of the spending. Your credit balance can be checked at anytime with our smart mobile app, so you can monitor how much energy you’re using on any particular day. More importantly our prepaid electricity meter will show you which appliances are spending the most.

Having a clear insight into the amount of energy an appliance is using helps you plan the energy consumption and save money. It can also help you in changing or adjusting your habits to reduce energy spending, and it can be as simple as turning off the light or unplugging a gadget.

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