Average electricity usage in the UK: how many kWh does your home use?

The figures included in this article were correct at the time of publication, July 2026, but may become incorrect due to changes in the cost of energy in the future.

Have you ever wondered how much electricity the average UK home uses? And if you’re using too much, or paying too much? Or have you considered which appliances might be the major electricity guzzlers in your home? Smart meters and In-Home Displays have made it much easier to track our energy use these days. And if you have a smart meter, you can keep track of your energy usage on the OVO app.

So, let’s take a peek inside the average UK household, and see how much we spend on electricity. And, perhaps more importantly, which appliances we spend the most on. We’ll also compare UK energy use to different countries around the world. 

How much electricity (kWh) does the average home use in the UK? 

First up, what’s a kWh? Quite simply, it’s just the way energy is measured – in the same way that kgs measure weight. Energy suppliers use kWh to see how much energy you’ve used, and work out your bills. For example, using 1kWh, you could boil a kettle 10 times, or watch TV for 7 hours.

All the appliances in your home use energy, but some use more than others. When you know how many kWh each one uses, you can better track your use, be more energy efficient, and cut your bills. 

UK household electricity use has been dropping over the last 10 years¹, largely because we have more energy-efficient appliances. Smaller houses, better insulation and warmer winters also play a role. According to Ofgem, the energy regulator, the average household uses 2,500kWh per year.²  

What's a typical home's electricity use?

Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, shared these Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCVs) for 2026. These estimates show how much electricity a UK home uses in average a year. 

As you can see from the table below, the data is divided into 2 profiles. There are 9 profiles in total – but only the first 2 relate to domestic use. Profile 1 is Domestic Unrestricted, which most homes fall under. And Profile 2 covers Domestic Economy 7. Economy 7 users have a lower off-peak rate at night, when they pay less for their electricity. 

To find out more about Economy 7, take a look at our focused guides. 

From this, we can work out that in a home with medium electricity use, the average monthly electricity use is about 208kWh. (2,500kWh divided by 12 months).

How much electricity does a home use per day? 

It’s tricky to be precise with daily usage, because it depends on a few factors – such as whether it’s midweek or weekend, how many people live at home, and the number of appliances in use, etc. The time of year is another factor. Darker, colder months mean higher energy bills than in summer, for example. 

Taking all this into consideration, home electricity use works out at around 6.9kWh (208kWh divided by 30 days) for the average household. 

How much is your energy use costing you?

Figures for average bills also vary massively. Again, it’s based on the size of the home, number of people living there, insulation levels, and even bill payment methods. To find out more about how you can benefit from a dual fuel tariff, or get the low-down on all the various other types of energy tariffs, check out our handy guides.

What's an average dual fuel bill?

Direct Debit customers will pay, on average, £1,663³ for their annual usage. This equates to £139 per month. 

Standard Credit customers will pay, on average, £1,796³ for their annual usage. This equates to £150 per month.

Prepayment Meter customers will pay, on average, £1,620³ for their annual usage. This equates to £135 per month. Find out more about our energy plans, and start cutting your carbon footprint today, by making the switch.

When do we use electricity?

The peak time for electricity use is between 6pm and 8pm. This is  when most people are cooking dinner, switching on lights, watching TV, and using various appliances around the home. 

Understanding when we use electricity and what we use it for, can be really helpful when you’re trying to be more energy-efficient. But what you may not yet know is that some appliances, like a TV or laptop, still use electricity, even when they’re on standby.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, an average home can spend £35 a year, just by leaving appliances on standby. Which is a total waste of energy, and money. So remember to unplug, or switch it off at the wall. 

Join OVO today and get insights into exactly where and when you use your electricity. Our smart meters and In-Home Displays give accurate information every half-hour⁴ – making it easy to see how you could save money on your bills. Plus, you can keep track of your energy use with our app.

How do we use electricity in the home?

This table shows how much power different types of household appliances use, as a percentage of your energy bill. (Bear in mind that most homes use gas for heating, which isn’t included in this table.)

Data from the Energy Saving Trust⁴

Unsurprisingly wet appliances use most of your power, but using eco mode will help here – and making sure you only use your appliances once they're full. Cold appliances are the next biggest drain on your power at 13% – because by nature they have to be kept on constantly. It’s worth noting that lighting bills (5% of your electricity bill) can be kept low by using energy-saving LEDs. TVs, laptops and consoles use a considerable 6% – that's largely due to leaving everything on standby mode. Remember to turn it off fully, or those energy vampires will drain your power.

Now let’s take a look at how much your appliances are costing you per year. It’s important to note that the energy-efficiency ratings system changed in 2021. This means that many appliances previously rated A++ might now rank as an F. These aren’t actually using any more electricity – it’s just that for some products the classifications have been tweaked so that they’re future proofed as products become more energy efficient.

How much does it cost to run a TV?

How much electricity a TV uses will obviously depend on how much you watch it. But it also depends on the size of screen you choose. The bigger the screen, the more energy it uses. The Energy Saving Trust estimates an F-rated 60 inch TV would cost £40 a year to run.⁵

How much does it cost to run a fridge?

Fridges and freezers are the only appliances in your home which need to be plugged in and working around the clock. So it definitely makes sense to get the most energy-efficient model. Electricity use varies greatly depending on size – and just so you know, it’s cheaper to run a fridge-freezer than two separate appliances. 

The Energy Saving Trust estimates an F-rated 424-litre fridge freezer would cost £80 a year to run.⁵

To find out more about energy-efficient fridges and freezers, see our useful blog.

How much does it cost to run a washing machine?

On average, a 2100w washing machine uses around 55p per wash, according to the Centre for Sustainable Energy⁶ – nearly £60 a year if you do 2 washes a week. To save the most energy, make sure you’re only washing with a full load, and use low temperatures whenever possible.