Home Energy Audit Calculator
What's eating your electricity? Enter your appliances and HVAC details — see your top energy consumers and monthly cost breakdown instantly.
How to Use This Calculator
Start with HVAC — your biggest load
HVAC (heating and cooling) typically accounts for 40–60% of a home's electricity use. Select your heating and cooling system type, enter AC capacity in tons, and specify how many hours/day and months/year each system runs. If you have a gas furnace, only your AC uses electricity — heating won't appear on your electric bill.
Water heater
Enter your electric water heater's daily kWh. A standard 50-gallon electric water heater uses about 12–15 kWh/day for a family of 4. If you have a heat pump water heater, enter 3–5 kWh/day. Gas water heater? Enter 0 — it doesn't use electricity.
Appliances and lighting
Dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers are the biggest electric appliances. The dryer is often the single largest appliance at 5 kWh per load. Adjust each input to match your household habits. Loads per week and hours per day convert to monthly kWh automatically.
Insulation quality
Insulation quality adjusts your HVAC estimate up or down. A poorly insulated pre-1980 home may use 30% more energy for the same indoor temperature than a well-insulated modern home. This is a rough correction — real-world variation depends on home size, window area, and local climate.
How the Calculator Works
Results are estimates based on typical appliance power ratings. Real consumption varies by appliance age, efficiency rating, thermostat settings, and usage habits. For exact numbers, check your utility's hourly data portal or install a whole-home energy monitor.
Example: Average American Home
3-bedroom, family of 4, Southeast US, gas furnace + 3-ton AC
Top consumers by category
Water heater and AC/HVAC dominate. Switching to a heat pump water heater (saves ~200 kWh/month) and improving insulation or thermostat settings would have the biggest impact on this home's electricity bill — and on the solar system size needed.
How to Reduce Each Major Load
HVAC (biggest opportunity)
Set thermostats to 78°F cooling / 68°F heating. Use programmable or smart thermostats to reduce runtime when away. Seal air leaks around windows and doors. Add attic insulation. Consider upgrading to a heat pump — modern units are 3x more efficient than electric resistance.
Water heater
Lower temperature to 120°F (saves 10–15%). Install a heat pump water heater (saves 60–70% vs electric resistance). Add an insulating blanket to older tanks. Use timers to heat water during off-peak hours if on TOU rates.
Clothes dryer
Clean the lint filter every load (improves airflow = faster drying = less energy). Air dry when possible. Dry full loads. A heat pump dryer uses 50% less energy than a resistance dryer — worth considering at replacement time.
Lighting
If you haven't switched to LED yet, doing so cuts lighting energy by 75%. Use daylight sensors and timers for outdoor lights. Smart bulbs let you dim and schedule lighting automatically.