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Which appliances use the most electricity in your home?

Updated October 24, 2026

To lower your bill you need to know what uses the power. This table uses the typical wattage and hours of use published by CFE (and FIDE for the labeled refrigerator). Your real use may differ: in the calculator you can change each appliance's hours.

ApplianceTypical usekWh per 2 monthsIf in the excess tier
Window A/C, 2 tons3,600 W, 7 h a day1,533$7,209
Window A/C, 1.5 tons2,700 W, 7 h a day1,150$5,407
Mini-split, 2 tons2,200 W, 7 h a day937$4,406
Air conditioner, 1 ton1,800 W, 7 h a day767$3,605
Mini-split, 1 ton1,100 W, 7 h a day468$2,203
Dishwasher1,180 W, 3 h a day215$1,013
Old refrigerator400 W, 8 h a day195$915
Current 11 ft³ refrigeratorLabel: 385 kWh/year64$302
Clothes dryer1,270 W, 4 h, 1 day a week44$208
Television65 W, 10 h a day40$186
Microwave oven1,200 W, 30 min a day37$172
Vacuum1,500 W, 45 min, 3 days a week29$138
Devices on standby20 W, 24 h a day29$137
Washing machine395 W, 8 h, 1 day a week27$129
Clothes iron1,000 W, 3 h, 1 day a week26$123
75 W fluorescent lamp86.25 W, 4 h a day21$99

Sources: CFE, press release CFE-BP-72/23, table “¿Cuánto consume cada aparato?”; FIDE, “¿Sabes cuánto gastan?”. “If in the excess tier” = kWh × $4.70 MXN (rate 1 excess price, October 2026, with VAT).

The last column is the expensive case: what that usage costs if it falls in your rate's excess tier. If your home uses little and everything falls in the basic tier, it costs less than a third of that.

The big ones

Cooling. An air conditioner or mini-split running several hours a day uses more than everything else combined. Note the difference between units: according to CFE, a 1-ton mini-split draws 1,100 W and a 1-ton conventional A/C 1,800 W.

An old refrigerator. An old one can use about 97 kWh a month; an 11 ft³ one with an energy label, about 32. If yours is more than 10 years old, replacing it can pay for itself.

The usage you don't see

Appliances that are “off” but plugged in (TVs, cable boxes, chargers, microwaves with a clock) keep using power. CFE estimates about 20 W all day, around 29 kWh per two months. A power strip with a switch cuts it at once.

Why turning one off saves more than it seems

CFE bills by tiers and the last kWh are the most expensive. When you turn off an appliance, what you stop paying comes out of the highest tier you're in. That's why the appliance calculator tells you how much your bill would really drop without each appliance, not a proportional share.

Build your home's list and see how much your bill would drop without each appliance.

Calculate my usage

Frequently asked questions

What uses the most electricity in a home?

Almost always the air conditioner or mini-split, because of its power and the hours it runs. Then an old refrigerator, the clothes dryer, an electric oven and devices left plugged in all day.

How much electricity does a refrigerator use?

According to FIDE, an 11 ft³ refrigerator with an energy label uses about 385 kWh a year (about 32 a month). An old one can use about 97 kWh a month with CFE's data.

How much does a mini-split use per month?

With CFE's data (1,100 W, 7 hours a day), a 1-ton mini-split uses about 234 kWh a month. If you use it fewer hours, it uses proportionally less.

Do appliances use electricity when they're off?

Yes, if they're still plugged in. CFE estimates about 20 W of constant standby in a home, about 15 kWh a month.

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