For years, energy experts focused on the big users of electricity, such as heating and air conditioning. Small appliances are classified under miscellaneous energy-use — which is now one of the fastest growing categories of energy use. Between 1976 and 1995, "miscellaneous" use in U.S. homes more than doubled, and now accounts for about 20 percent of the electricity used in homes, according to a 1998 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The table below shows the average energy consumption of typical home appliances. You can determine the amount of power used by your small appliances by starting with the wattage number, generally found on the bottom or back of the appliance. The wattage shown is the maximum power drawn by the appliance, although the actual amount depends on how the appliance is used. For example, a blender on low speed or a radio on low volume uses less power. Some appliances list amps rather than wattage.

The formula for determining the approximate number of watts used is the number of volts times the number of amps. Therefore, if you have a 10-amp appliance on the normal 120-volt household current, it would be a 1,200-watt appliance. If you use that appliance for one hour, you will have used 1,200 watt-hours. Dividing by 1,000 gives you the number of kilowatt-hours — the unit used on your bill. To find out the cost of operating that appliance, multiply the number of kilowatt-hours — in this case, 1.2 kilowatt-hours — by the cost per kilowatt-hour. Jackson EMC's cost per kilowatt-hour averages 7.3 cents.

Many appliances continue to draw some power even when they are switched off. This power usually maintains remote control features, channel memory or time, or enables the appliance to come on instantly. Some of the main appliances that "leak" power are VCRs, televisions, cable boxes and digital satellite boxes. Also, charging devices use power whether or not something like a cell phone or drill is actually being charged in them.

One estimate says that the average American household leaks about 50 watts of power all the time, adding up to about 450 kilowatt-hours a year. You can reduce this by unplugging infrequently used appliances or by putting such appliances on a power strip and using the strip's off switch to cut power to the appliances.

When you buy new appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary labeling program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR appliances not only use less energy while operating, but also use significantly less power when the appliance is turned off. For example, ENERGY STAR televisions and VCRs consume as much as 75 percent less energy when switched off.

Common Household Appliance Energy Use

Here are some common appliances and their electricity use: