Energy prices are rising, and the coming winter in particular will give many Germans a headache when they look at the costs. The Stiftung Warentest reveals where in the household power guzzlers are hiding that can cost you a lot of money.

From televisions to refrigerators: These devices will cost you dearly

Many household appliances run on electricity. Accordingly, the use of refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, fully automatic coffee machines and the like is becoming more and more expensive as energy costs rise. Some devices that we use every day hide behind them real power guzzlers. If you know them and use them more consciously in the coming expensive winter, you can keep the costs down.

Therefore the Stiftung Warentest Get an overview of past tests and identify devices that draw a lot from the socket:

  • One of the top electricity consumers in most households is the Washing machine. Depending on how cost-efficiently your model uses electricity and water, there can be differences of up to 60 percent in consumption (electricity). Calculated over ten years, washing machines come up with electricity costs between 855 and 1,345 euros. According to Stiftung Warentest, if you want to save money, you should use an Eco program as often as possible, because after all you don’t want to do without the services of the washing machine.
  • It is very similar with the dishwasher out. After all, the 10-year costs here are a little lower, between 870 and 1,150 euros. If you want to save electricity, you can also wash by hand – unless your warm water is also heated electrically. But: When rinsing by hand, the water consumption is often higher.
  • Indispensable, but unfortunately also at the forefront when it comes to power consumption fridge or fridge-freezer combination. The current test in mid-2022 resulted in a decent range: According to Stiftung Warentest, between 1,100 and 2,000 euros will be collected in 15 years at a room temperature of 25 degrees. A small advantage of saving in the cold months: If you heat up the apartment less, you can expect lower costs for the refrigerator as well.
  • Be careful fans recommended: The old one from the basement can cost you six to eight times as much as a modern, energy-saving propeller in the last warm days and weeks. It also depends on the design.
  • Of the TV is the classic stand-by device. Anyone who sees the red light glowing here pays a lot of electricity over the years. But there are also significant differences in operation. From a size of 65 inches, it is twice as expensive as with smaller devices. If you buy a new device, you should also pay attention to the energy label in addition to the size.

Those who produce their own electricity have a good hand:

Power strips: savers’ best friends

The general rule: If you want to save on electricity, you need devices that can be switched off or power strips. According to Stiftung Warentest, a single television can consume up to 17.5 kWh per year in stand-by mode. In many households, however, there is not just one TV, but several, on top of that there are other stand-by devices such as game consoles, Internet routers or stereo systems. All in all, there is plenty of potential for saving money here.