Technology is a rapidly developing area. Startup businesses are being formed all the time, drumming up new ideas to keep people engrossed in the digital world for as long as possible.
Moreover, there’s high demand for this too, as these new devices keep coming into the home year in, year out, and taking up great swathes of power and electricity in order to be operational. It’s all financially demanding, but in the end, it’s not deterring many people from jumping aboard the latest technological craze.
Of course, numerous questions arise from this. How much energy does the average household truly need? How much is the average household using?
How Much Energy Are We Using?
Due to the rise of technology, our homes have been transported into powerhouses of energy. Phones, tablets, lights, computers, microwaves – we have them all. Across the nation, these devices are constantly humming away. That said, 2018 recorded data that showed the UK was the only EU country that reduced its overall electricity use, a statistic few expected. Still, does this mean that UK energy is being used in sensible proportions?
The average homeowner powers their household appliances by using anywhere between 3000 and 6500 watts of electricity. Of course, this is a relatively light amount of electricity use compared to the rest of the world, with some countries like Australia using over well 6000 watts per household. For context purposes, a quality generator from SGS engineering can use up to an impressive 8000 watts of electricity, which shows just how much electricity is being used in UK homes today. Bear in mind these kinds of generators are meant to power large scale machinery or vehicles for long periods of time, etc.
One might say UK energy usage is still borderline excessive, especially when multiple users are plugged in and charge to watch their favourite programs or play their favourite video games. When you have families of four or five at home all using different rooms, different lights and different machines, it all tallies up to what some might consider an unprecedented result.
What’s Causing the Energy Surge?
Unsurprisingly, today people are becoming more fixated to their machines. Last year video game addiction was sighted as a bona fide mental health condition, and aside from this, there’s also the matter of social media addictions too. More and more people are retreating from the real world for longer, instead preferring to head to a digital landscape that’s free of consequence.
Of course, computers, smart televisions, iPads and smartphones – they all feed into this one issue. Multiple devices are being used for the same end; to escape and to have fun. While it’s innocent enough on the surface, it’s the time people are spending doing these things that eats up most energy domestically.