Ever wondered what really gets your power meter spinning? We took the power bill for an average New Zealand house, broke it down into six parts, and identified just where the money had been spent.
Two adults and two children live in this all-electric, well-insulated, suburban Wellington home. The time of year is autumn/winter.
The family mostly take showers, but have the luxury of an occasional bath. An electric heat pump is used to heat the main living area, with thermostatically controlled oil-column heaters for the sleeping areas.
The kitchen has a fridge/freezer, and a dishwasher which is used on the eco-dry setting. All laundry is done with cold water, and the dryer is used as little as possible. A dehumidifier is run part-time to keep the house dry, and all lighting is incandescent.
Here is the breakdown of their power bill:
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