Published January 16, 2026 · Updated June 22, 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
In most homes, heating and cooling (HVAC) is the single biggest electricity user — the U.S. EIA puts space heating and cooling at over half of annual home energy use. Water heating, EV charging, the clothes dryer, and the always-on refrigerator round out the top five. Solar plus a battery offsets the load that runs during expensive peak hours.
By Vinnie Curcie, Founder & CEO
It's a few big loads — not a mystery device
When an electric bill climbs, it's rarely one hidden gadget. In most homes a small group of energy-hungry systems — the ones that heat, cool, or run continuously — does most of the work. Knowing which appliances use the most electricity is the first step to lowering your bill, and to sizing solar correctly. Here are the top five in a typical Southern California home, with practical ways to manage each.
1. Heating & cooling (HVAC)
Heating and air conditioning are the largest source of residential electricity in most climates. The U.S. Energy Information Administration puts space heating and cooling together at more than 50% of a home's annual energy use. HVAC systems move and condition large volumes of air for hours at a time, so they draw more sustained wattage than almost anything else. Replace filters regularly, use a smart thermostat, seal leaks, and consider a high-efficiency heat pump — which pairs especially well with solar.
2. Water heating
Water heating is usually the second-largest energy expense — the U.S. Department of Energy estimates it at roughly 18% of home energy use. A heat-pump (hybrid) water heater uses a fraction of the power of a conventional electric tank, and running it on solar during the day is far cheaper than on grid power in the evening.
3. EV charging
An electric vehicle can add the equivalent of another small household's worth of electricity. Charging during the day on your own solar — or overnight from a battery — avoids the expensive 4–9 PM peak entirely. If you drive electric, factor it into your system size from the start; see EV charging.
4. The clothes dryer
Electric dryers are short-burst power hogs, drawing a lot of wattage every cycle. Running full loads, cleaning the lint filter, and using moisture-sensor cycles all help — and a heat-pump dryer cuts the load substantially.
5. The refrigerator and always-on loads
Your refrigerator runs 24/7, so even a modest draw adds up over a year — and older units are far less efficient than modern ENERGY STAR models. The same goes for pool pumps, second fridges, and the phantom loads of electronics left plugged in. These steady, all-day loads are exactly what daytime solar covers best.
How solar changes the math
Solar offsets the daytime portion of these loads directly. The evening peak — when HVAC, cooking, and EV charging often overlap — is where a battery earns its keep under NEM 3.0: store cheap daytime solar and spend it at 4–9 PM instead of buying expensive grid power. Want to see what your specific usage would need? Get a free estimate.
FAQ
Heating and cooling (HVAC) is the single largest user in most homes — the EIA puts space heating and cooling together at over half of annual home energy use. Water heating is typically second (~18% per the DOE), followed by EV charging, the clothes dryer, and the always-on refrigerator.
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