Trends in Appliance Energy Use

All electrical appliances except stoves have increased in energy use per appliance since 1959-60. The situation with natural gas appliances is mixed. Gas stoves and gas clothes dryers with electric pilots have increased in estimated average energy use; air conditioners, gas lights, and clothes dryers with gas pilots have shown modest declines (Table 3-23). The largest increase in energy use among natural gas appliances—clothes dryers with electric pilot—went up 33 percent.

Increases of over 50 percent in energy use occurred among some electrical appliances in the decade of the 1960s. Energy use of regular refrigerators and automatic clothes washers increased most (over 70 percent). Only one electric appliance declined in energy use—the electric stove—but only by 4 percent (Table 3-24).

Energy use data on electric appliances are available back to 1950. From them it is possible to trace the rising level of convenience offered by appliances—and the rising energy use that has accompanied it. For example, in 1950 a prosperous homeowner could buy something called a "home freeze cabinet" (620 kwhr per year). By 1959 the freezer was on the market (860 kwhr