Tired of seeing your electricity bill creeping up month after month? You’re not alone. Since the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has, yet again, approved a 12.72% tariff increase (July 2024 – 30 June 2025) for Eskom’s direct customers and municipal local authorities, we’ve been paying even more to keep the lights on.
With rising costs and ongoing load shedding, it’s more important than ever to be smart about your energy use. The first step? Figuring out which appliances are draining the most electricity—even when you’re not using them. In this guide, we’ll break down the biggest energy guzzlers in your home and give you practical tips on how to save electricity so you can keep your bills as low as possible.
Which Appliances Are Draining the Most Electricity in Your Home?
The first step toward effective energy management is to understand your home wattage consumption, and in particular, which appliances are secretly driving up your electricity bill. Some household devices use way more power than you might think, even when they’re on standby! Let’s take a closer look at the biggest energy drainers:
- Geyser: Your geyser is often the biggest culprit, accounting for up to 40% of your electricity bill. Since it continuously heats water, it uses a lot of power—especially if it’s set at a high temperature.
- Air Conditioners & Heaters: Heating and cooling your home can quickly add up. Air conditioners, in particular, consume a lot of electricity, especially during summer. In winter, electric heaters are among the most expensive appliances to run.
- Pool Pump: If you have a swimming pool, your pool pump could be one of the biggest energy guzzlers. Running it for hours every day significantly increases electricity usage.
- Refrigerators & Freezers: Your fridge and freezer run 24/7, which means they’re constantly using electricity. Older models, in particular, consume more power.
- Washing Machines & Tumble Dryers: Doing laundry can be surprisingly energy-intensive, especially if you use hot water or rely on a tumble dryer.
- Dishwashers: Dishwashers are convenient, but they use a lot of electricity—especially if you run them multiple times a day or use the heated drying function.
- Stoves & Ovens: Cooking with an electric stove or oven requires a lot of power, particularly for long cooking times.
- TVs, Gaming Consoles & Home Entertainment Systems: Leaving your TV, gaming console, or other devices on standby mode might seem harmless, but they still consume electricity.
How to Save Electricity at Home
Now that you know which appliances use the most electricity, let’s talk about how you can cut down on your energy usage without sacrificing comfort. Adopting simple habits in your daily routine and making smart choices can lead to big savings on your utility bills. Here’s how to save electricity in house:
Turn Off Appliances When Not in Use
Many appliances still use electricity even when they’re on standby. TVs, gaming consoles, microwaves, and phone chargers all draw power when plugged in. To prevent “phantom load”, turn off appliances at the plug or use a power strip to easily switch them off when not in use.
Switch to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances is one of the easiest ways to reduce electricity usage. Appliances come with the South African Energy Efficiency Label (SAEEL), which helps you choose products that use less power. The label rates appliances from A+++ (most efficient) to G (least efficient), showing their energy consumption in kWh per year. When buying a new appliance, look for at least an A rating to ensure energy efficiency.
Change to a Prepaid Electricity Plan
Another one of the simple ways to reduce your electric bill is by switching to prepaid electricity plans, if you haven’t already. With a prepaid electricity meter, you pay for your power in advance, which encourages better tracking and control of consumption.
Manage Your Geyser Efficiently
The geyser is one of the most significant electricity consumers in South African homes. To manage it more efficiently:
- Lower the Thermostat: Set your geyser temperature to 50-60°C to prevent overheating and reduce energy consumption.
- Use a Timer: Install a timer to ensure the geyser operates only during necessary periods, such as a few hours before morning and evening showers.
- Insulate the Geyser and Pipes: Fit a geyser blanket and insulate the first 1.5 meters of water pipes leading to and from the geyser to retain heat longer.
Optimise Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling can significantly impact your electricity bill. To save:
- Limit Air Conditioning: Raising the thermostat by just 1°C in summer and lowering it in winter can save up to 10% on cooling/heating costs.
- Use Natural Ventilation: In hotter months, try using ceiling fans instead of AC, and open windows during cooler mornings and evenings.
- Insulate Your Home: Proper insulation, especially in the ceiling, can prevent heat loss in winter and keep your home cooler in summer.
- Dress Appropriately: Instead of relying solely on heaters, wear warm clothing and use blankets during colder months.
Adopt Smart Lighting Practices
Lighting accounts for ~15% of household electricity use. Optimize by:
- Switching to LED bulbs: They use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
- Maximizing Natural Light: Position workspaces near windows and use light-coloured curtains to reflect sunlight.
- Turn Off Unnecessary Lights: Always switch off lights when leaving a room to avoid wasting energy.
Be Smart with Kitchen Appliances
Kitchen activities can consume considerable energy. To save:
- Use the Right Pot Size: Match pot sizes to stove plates to ensure efficient heating.
- Keep Oven Doors Closed: Avoid opening the oven door frequently while cooking, as this lets heat escape and requires more energy to maintain temperature.
- Opt for Microwaves or Pressure Cookers: For smaller meals, use microwaves or pressure cookers, which consume less energy than traditional stoves.
- Limit the Use of Dishwashers: Only run full loads, turn off heated drying, and use the eco mode if available.
Use Laundry Appliances Efficiently
Washing machines and tumble dryers are significant energy users. To manage:
- Wash Full Loads: Operate your washing machine with full loads to maximize energy efficiency.
- Use Cold Water: Washing clothes in cold water can save energy used for heating.
- Air Dry Clothes: Whenever possible, hang clothes to dry instead of using a tumble dryer.
Pool Pump Management
If you have a swimming pool, the pump can be a hidden energy drain. To save:
- Limit Pump Operation: Run the pool pump for 4-6 hours daily instead of continuously.
- Regular Maintenance: Keep the pool and its filters clean to ensure the pump operates efficiently.
Invest in Solar Energy
If you’re looking for a long-term solution on how to save on electric bill and stay powered during load shedding, investing in solar energy is one of the best decisions you can make. South Africa’s abundant sunshine makes solar power an affordable and sustainable alternative to relying solely on the grid.
A solar generator, which combines solar panels with portable power stations, provides a reliable energy source and backup for your home, ensuring that you always have power when you need it.
One of the best solar power solutions available is the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station, paired with the EcoFlow 400W solar panels. The DELTA Pro is a portable home battery with an impressive 3.6kWh capacity, expandable up to 25kWh. This means it can keep essential appliances running for hours or even days during an outage.
With 3600W running AC output (expandable to 4500W with X-Boost technology), the DELTA Pro can run most heavy-duty appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers. Need more power? Pair two units to hit a massive 7200W when integrated with the Smart Home Panel.
The Smart Home Panel allows the DELTA Pro to be directly integrated with your home circuits, ensuring a seamless switch-over when a blackout occurs. It automatically detects power loss and switches over in just 20ms—so fast, you’ll barely notice the outage.
The DELTA Pro is the first portable power station that can charge from an EV station. It also supports MultiCharge, meaning you can combine different charging methods to reach an incredible 6500W charging speed. With three EcoFlow 400W Solar Panels, you can fully recharge the DELTA Pro in just 4-8 hours, depending on sunlight conditions.
By using 3 EcoFlow 400W Solar Panels, you can generate up to 2628kWh of solar energy per year, potentially saving up to R5,440 annually on electricity bills. That’s real, long-term savings while reducing your dependence on Eskom.
The EcoFlow app gives you full control over your energy consumption. You can track usage, customize power settings, and even schedule energy use based on your needs. Want to optimise for home backup or saving money? Simply adjust the settings from your smartphone.
Conclusion
Saving electricity at home doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple changes—like switching off unused appliances, using energy-efficient appliances and LED bulbs, or tweaking your geyser settings—can make a real difference.
That said, the most smart and effective method on how to save electricity costs in the long run is to invest in solar power solutions like EcoFlow’s solar generators and home backup. Not only will you cut down on your electricity bills and be ready for load shedding, but you’ll also reduce environmental impacts and help ease pressure on the national grid. Every little effort adds up! So, why not start today?
FAQs
How can I save electricity without spending a lot of money?
You can save electricity without extra costs by turning off unused devices, unplugging electronics to avoid standby power, optimising air ventilation to reduce reliance on fans or AC and using appliances efficiently. Simple habits like adjusting your thermostat and fixing leaks also help cut down energy consumption.
What runs your electric bill up the most?
High-energy-consuming appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, washing machines, and clothes dryers contribute the most to electricity bills. Devices left on standby mode, like televisions and gaming consoles can also add up to 10% of total energy usage.
How can I lower my electricity bill in South Africa?
To lower your electricity bill in South Africa, switch off unused appliances, use LED bulbs, and manage your geyser by lowering the temperature and installing a timer. Reduce heating and cooling costs by using fans instead of ACs and dressing warmly instead of using heaters. Wash clothes in cold water, air-dry laundry, and opt for microwaves or air fryers instead of the oven. Moreover, consider solar energy solutions like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro solar generator to produce and store green electricity, reducing reliance on Eskom.
Does TV use a lot of electricity?
It depends on the TV’s size and type. Modern LED TVs use around 30-100 watts, while older plasma TVs consume more. Watching a TV for a few hours a day won’t significantly increase your electricity bill, but larger screens and higher brightness settings use more power.