How much electricity is needed to run a house?

The amount of electricity required to run a house varies significantly and depends on the size of the home, the climate, family living habits and the electrical appliances being used in the home. Estimating appliance energy consumption is a good place to start when determining a home's electricity load.

One method of calculating an appliance's energy use is to multiply its wattage by the number of hours used per day, and then divide the product by 1,000. The result is the appliance's daily kilowatt-hour consumption. The wattage, or maximum amount of power drawn by the appliance, is generally stamped on the back or bottom of the appliance or on its nameplate.