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If you’re tired of high electricity bills and worried about the reliability of the national power grid, you’re not alone.
Extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts are increasing in frequency and severity, putting enormous strain on aging utility grid infrastructure.
Electricity demand continues to skyrocket — partially due to the adoption of electric vehicles and the energy-hungry data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI).
When the demand for electricity exceeds supply, blackouts and extended power outages put homes and entire communities at risk.
If you’re concerned about home energy insecurity and skyrocketing power bills, options exist that can cut your electricity consumption by 75% (or more).
What are they?
Read on to find out.
(Source: Energy Information Agency)
Which Home Appliances Consume the Most Energy?
- Air Conditioners
Depending on factors like climate and seasonality, HVAC systems for cooling and heating consume the lion’s share of electricity in many homes.
The most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) found that 89% of American homes use air conditioning.
The average annual cost of AC for homes that use it was estimated at $299 per annum — about $25 monthly.
Given that the average annual electricity bill in 2020 was $1,380, AC accounted for approximately 21% of expenditures in homes with air conditioning.
The EIA estimates that air conditioning accounts for 19% of annual electricity consumption per household.
- Space Heating
Just over half of American homes — 51% — use natural gas as the primary fuel for space heating, while 25% use electricity for heating and cooling (AC).
Electricity consumption in homes that use it for heat is substantially higher than in homes that use fossil fuels like natural gas, fuel oil, or propane (LPG).
The average annual cost of space heating in 2020 was $519, regardless of fuel type.
The share of annual electricity consumption in homes heated with electricity was 12%.
- Water Heating
Keeping your house warm isn’t the only energy-guzzling end-use that requires heat.
Water heaters are also responsible for 12% of electricity consumption in the average American home.
If you’re like most people, you consume hot water multiple times a day, unlike space heating and air conditioning, which typically see more seasonal use.
Electric water heaters are by far the most commonly used, but there are alternatives that are likely more cost-effective over the mid-to-long term, such as solar water heaters and heat pumps.
Unlike solar panels that generate electricity from sunlight using the photovoltaic effect, solar water heaters use the sun’s natural heat.
Thermal solar is a clean, renewable energy source.
After all, unlike utility grid electricity, heat from the sun is free.
- Lighting
As more people switch to energy-efficient LED lighting, electricity consumption for home lighting has declined.
However, in 2020, home lighting required a significant percentage of total annual consumption — an average of 6%.
The sale and manufacture of most incandescent lightbulbs for home lighting was banned in the US starting August 1st, 2023, so that 6% figure may decline for the next RECS, which commenced data collection in Fall 2024.
You can still use any incandescent bulbs purchased before the ban, but they consume significantly more electricity to produce the same amount of light (in lumens) as LEDs.
Incandescent bulbs for specialized applications — like black lights or bug lamps — remain available, but “normal” lightbulbs are now effectively banned.
The ban is good news when it comes to cutting electricity consumption.
According to the Dept. of Energy, “LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.”
- Refrigerator
Refrigerators accounted for 8% of total home electricity consumption in 2020, — not including separate freezers.
As one of the most power-hungry home appliances—largely because they run 24 hours a day—upgrading your old fridge to a new Energy Star-rated model can significantly reduce electricity consumption.
(Source: Parks Associates)
- Televisions, Home Entertainment Systems, Computers, and Personal Electronic Devices
Home entertainment devices like televisions, gaming consoles, and audio equipment don’t necessarily consume much electricity individually, but the combined load can be substantial.
Consulting firm Parks Associates estimated that the average US home with internet access had 17 connected devices, including Smart Devices and computers.
In homes that use fossil fuels like natural gas for heating, “other end-use devices,” such as the examples listed above, are likely to consume the most combined electricity in the average American apartment or house.
Starting and Running Watts of Typical Household Appliances
| Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Starting Watts |
| Dishwasher | 1300W | 1800W |
| Washing Machine | 1200W | 2300W |
| Refrigerator/Freezer | 700W | 2200W |
| Light Bulb | 60-75W | 0 |
| Microwave | 600-1000W | 0 |
| TV | 500W | 0 |
| Toaster | 900W | 0 |
| Vacuum | 1440W | 2500W |
| Coffee Maker | 1000W | 0 |
| Blender | 300W | 800W |
| Clothing Iron | 1500W | 0 |
| Dryer | 5400W | 7000W |
| Toaster Oven | 1200W | 0 |
| Curling Iron | 1500W | 0 |
| Space Heater | 2000W | 0 |
| Laptop | 50-300W | 0 |
| 20” Box Fan | 200W | 350W |
9 Ways To Help Cut Your Electric Bill by 75%
Unless you swear off modern technology completely, reducing your power bill to 25% of its current cost is no easy feat.
But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Here are 9 ways to help cut your electricity bill by 75% (or more).
1. Embrace Renewable Energy
The only way to maintain a comparable level of electricity consumption while slashing your utility bills by 75% is to start generating a significant portion of your home power from renewable energy sources, such as:
- Solar photovoltaic (Electricity)
- Wind (Electricity)
- Hydropower (Electricity)
- Solar thermal (Heat)
- Geothermal (Electricity & Heat)
For the vast majority of homeowners and renters in the US, photovoltaic modules — like solar panels — and a balance of system are the only feasible way to tap into renewable energy, particularly to generate electricity.
Geothermal heat pumps and solar thermal systems may be viable water and space heating options, particularly for new-build homes.
But unless you live near a fast-moving body of water for hydropower or have at least an acre of unobstructed property to install a wind turbine, small wind energy, and hydro systems are unlikely to be viable.
Wind and hydropower are essential to the global net-zero transition away from burning fossil fuels.
However, both are far more practical on a utility-scale than for residential use.
More on residential solar power systems is below.
2. Conduct an Energy Audit
If your primary goal is to reduce electricity consumption and reliance on the utility grid, generating off-grid power is the only way to cut your bills by 75% or more.
However, there are additional steps you can take to reduce consumption.
Cumulatively, they can significantly increase energy efficiency, decrease electricity bills, and maximize return on investment in renewable energy generation from solar power.
The logical first step in improving energy efficiency is conducting a home energy audit.
It’s possible to DIY a home energy assessment…
But, many homeowners opt for a professional audit that includes a room-by-room examination using specialized equipment, such as infrared cameras, gas leak and carbon monoxide detectors, blower doors, moisture meters, and more.
If you’re a homeowner and US taxpayer seeking a professional home energy assessment for your primary residence, you should be eligible for the Home Energy Audit Tax Credit.
3. Upgrade Old Appliances
One of the best ways to reduce electricity consumption is to rid your household of energy-guzzling high-wattage appliances like old refrigerators, washing machines, standalone air conditioners, water heaters, etc.
Thanks to significant improvements in energy efficiency technology, appliances less than a decade old may already be out-of-date.
It makes sense to check the manufacturer’s label on your most power-hungry appliances first.
Compare the rated power wattage to similar Energy Star-rated appliances to identify the least efficient appliances.
Consider how much an upgrade will increase performance and save you on electricity bills over time.
4. Monitor Electricity Consumption
For the most part, checking the manufacturer’s label or website for an appliance’s starting and running watts will give you an adequate estimate of its electricity consumption.
Most home appliances measure operating consumption in watts or kilowatts.
To assess consumption over time, multiply the required operating wattage by the number of hours the appliance runs for your desired assessment period (typically an hour, week, or month).
This simple calculation gives you electricity consumption over time in watt-hours (Wh) and kilowatt-hours (kWh) — the same metric your power company uses on your electricity bills.
Learn more about calculating electricity consumption in kWh here.
Using manufacturer product specs is a relatively convenient and effective method for estimating consumption by each appliance…
Unless one or more appliances malfunction and draw more power than they should — not an uncommon occurrence, especially with aging devices.
If you suspect one or more of your high-wattage appliances is drawing more power than it should, purchase an inline electricity usage monitor — or power meter — to measure actual consumption in real time.
Basic power meters are inexpensive and readily available from hardware stores or online.
Whole-home energy monitors like EcoFlow PowerInsight enable you to monitor consumption for multiple circuits and appliances simultaneously and swiftly identify areas for improvement.
5. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
If you’re serious about reducing electricity consumption, improvements that make your home more energy efficient can have a significant impact, likely second only to adding a generator.
Failing to properly insulate your home and taking other essential steps toward energy efficiency can significantly diminish the benefits of investing in a renewable energy system — for example, a rooftop photovoltaic system with rigid solar panels and a solar generator.
If you need an additional incentive to make your residence more energy efficient, qualified homeowners can apply for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which offers a 30% federal income tax credit towards qualified expenses, including:
- Qualified energy efficiency improvements installed during the taxable year
- Residential energy property
- Home energy audits
The maximum credit you can claim each year is:
$1,200 for energy efficient property costs and certain energy efficient home improvements, with limits on exterior doors ($250 per door and $500 total), exterior windows and skylights ($600) and home energy audits ($150)
$2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, water heaters, biomass stoves or biomass boilers
The credit has no lifetime dollar limit. You can claim the maximum annual credit every year that you make eligible improvements or install energy efficient property until 2033. However, beginning in 2025, for each item of qualifying property placed in service, no credit will be allowed unless the item was produced by a qualified manufacturer and the taxpayer reports the PIN for the item on their tax return.
The credit is nonrefundable, so you can’t get back more on the credit than you owe in taxes. You can’t apply any excess credit to future tax years.
6. Eliminate Energy Vampires and Limit Phantom Power
Energy vampires aren’t quite as scary as they sound, but having too many devices that continue to draw phantom power when they’re “turned off” can add up fast.
Many — if not most — modern electronics don’t stop consuming electricity when they’re not in use.
Instead, they continue to draw standby power.
It’s estimated that 5-10% of residential electricity consumption comes from electronic devices drawing standby power.
According to The Berkeley Lab:
“Standby power use is a global problem and even affects climate change: those billions of products continuously drawing standby power are responsible for about 1% of global carbon emissions.”
One way to drive a stake through energy vampires is to unplug them when they’re not in use.
For example, plug all the components of a home entertainment system into a single surge protector power strip, including:
- Television
- Gaming console
- Home theater system
- Apple TV, Roku, or FireStick
When you’re done watching or playing for the day, simply switch off the power strip, cutting off phantom power at the source.
7. Avoid Time-of-Use Rates and Electricity Demand Charges
This step isn’t so much about reducing electricity consumption — instead, it’s about lowering your bills.
Most, if not all, utility providers and power companies use Time-of-Use rates that charge customers different prices for electricity per kWh based on certain criteria, such as time of day and seasonality.
Energy demand pricing is partially designed to discourage customers from consuming electricity during on-peak demand hours and protect against infrastructure damage from insufficient supply, which can lead to brownouts, blackouts, and worse.
Seasonal demand pricing may be an attempt to anticipate price spikes in fuel at certain times of year.
Electricity providers have multiple reasons to charge energy demand rates…
But the bottom line for customers is that using power during on-peak times leads to a significant increase in the price you pay per kWh and your monthly bill.
For many consumers, restricting consumption during peak hours isn’t a realistic option without additional equipment to help.
That’s where portable power stations or home battery backup comes in.
For example, EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 offers numerous ways to save on ToU rates and provide home energy security during power outages.
Either plug your most energy-hungry appliances directly into the unit or integrate DELTA Pro 3 with your home circuit board using Smart Home Panel 2 or a compatible transfer switch.
Once the portable power station is installed, you can use the EcoFlow smartphone app to program DELTA Pro 3 to auto-switch to the backup battery during on-peak billing periods.
8. Take Shorter Showers
Electric water heaters are notorious energy hogs…
All those luxurious hot showers add up to higher consumption and electricity bills — particularly during the cold winter months.
Be mindful of how much money you let go down the drain.
9. Turn the Thermostat Down (or Up)
If you use electricity for heating and cooling your home — or just for air conditioning — adjusting the thermostat higher or lower can significantly reduce your consumption over time.
Even if you use natural gas or another fuel for space heating, cutting down on how much you burn will reduce your energy bills.
Consider raising or lowering the temperature and reducing the hours of use.
And don’t forget to turn off standalone space heaters and AC units when you leave the room or the house.
How Can Solar Help Reduce Your Electricity Consumption?
Renewable energy sources like wind, hydro, and photovoltaic solar power are essential to reducing the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas and coal to generate electricity.
Next to transportation, electricity generation is the largest consumer of fossil fuels by industry sector in the United States.
Utility-scale wind turbines, hydroelectric systems, and solar farms are generating an increasing amount of America’s electricity supply.
However, only solar photovoltaic systems are practical for most individuals, renters, homeowners, and small businesses.
The installation requirements for Small Wind Energy and Microhydropower systems are too restrictive for almost everyone — especially if you don’t own at least several acres of land.
On the other hand, rooftop and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems require minimal outdoor installation space.
Even if you only have a balcony, small rooftop, or carport that receives direct sunlight, you can likely find a solar photovoltaic system that substantially reduces on-grid power consumption, increases energy security, and slashes your electricity bills.
A residential solar power system is essential if you want to cut utility-grid electricity consumption by 75% or more.
Why Solar Is Key
There are many ways to decrease electricity consumption from the grid without generating your own power, but not by 75%.
We’ve covered many methods to make your home more energy efficient, but a 75% drop in consumption requires an alternative electricity generation source.
Traditionally, individuals without reliable access to grid power turned to gas, diesel, or propane generators to produce electricity for residential use.
Gas generators are still an option for reducing consumption, but they won’t save you money on electricity bills.
Even the most efficient inverter generators still cost more per kWh in fuel than buying electricity from the grid — usually a LOT more.
Small wind energy and micro-hydropower systems have installation requirements so onerous that very few property owners can use them, not to mention obtaining building permits and zoning or water rights.
Solar generators like EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max are affordable and can help lower electricity consumption and bills — but not by 75%.
That’s where a whole home generator like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra excels.
DELTA Pro Ultra is a highly expandable hybrid solar system that offers multiple options for reducing electricity consumption and spending by 75% or more.
Unlike grid-connected renewable energy systems without battery storage, you can run your home on electricity you’ve generated from solar panels during the day without consuming utility power after dark.
Grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems without storage may cost less upfront, but solar panels don’t work at night.
On-grid PV systems that connect directly to the grid through a solar inverter with a bidirectional or smart meter also don’t work during blackouts.
Grid-tied solar panel systems automatically shut down during a power outage and remain offline until electricity is restored.
Auto-shutdown is required to protect utility workers and grid infrastructure.
If one of your goals for installing a residential solar power system is reducing dependence on the grid, you can’t achieve that without installing solar battery storage.
Solar + storage systems are often referred to as hybrids, but EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra has them beat by offering 4 different charging methods — including solar panels and grid power — with numerous fast multi-charging options.
You can even connect a gas or inverter generator like EcoFlow Smart Generator 4000 — which runs on unleaded gas and/or propane (LPG) — as a last line of defense in case of extended blackouts.
With up to 21.6kW of AC output and 90kWh of storage, EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra provides enough electricity to power almost any home.
And with up to 16.8kW of solar charge input, you can connect up to 42 x EcoFlow 400W Rigid Solar Panels.
Depending on how much peak sunlight you receive, you can stay off-grid indefinitely.
What’s more, there’s never been a better time to invest in home energy independence.
Federal, state, and local governments now offer numerous incentives — like rebates and tax credits — to offset the purchase and installation costs of residential clean energy systems like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra.
For example, US taxpayers are eligible for a 30% solar tax credit against their federal income tax liability for the purchase and installation of an eligible solar panel + battery storage system like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra at their home.
By taking advantage of government programs like the Residential Clean Energy Credit and Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Credit, you can significantly reduce your upfront costs and shorten your solar payback period.
The sooner your solar panel system pays for itself by reducing electricity bills, the sooner you see a positive return on investment.
Money saved is money earned.
Even conventional standby generator installers advise people to invest in renewable whole-home backup and home circuitry integration with EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra and Smart Home Panel 2.
You can easily reduce your grid electricity consumption by 75% or more with daily use.
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about cutting on-grid electricity consumption by 75% or more, a whole-home solar generator is the best choice.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra is a modular hybrid solar + storage that offers home energy security and enough power to eliminate utility grid power completely, not just by 75%.
From whole-home backup to backpacking, EcoFlow offers a wide assortment of industry-leading solar generators and portable power stations for almost any use case.
Check out our selection today.