Older homes may not be energy efficient.
Which appliances do you use the most? Do you know where you are pulling your most power? Here are some tips to discover if you are energy efficient.
First, older homes were designed with fewer circuits.
Some older homes used one circuit for all the lights in the whole house.
There was not a dedicated circuit for a refrigerator.
They were smaller and did not use up as much energy as today's refrigerators.
Years ago, people cooked and heated on top of their stoves.
Then smaller appliances came along to shorten cooking time.
The first was a toaster/toaster ovens which can draw a lot of power.
People bought one, sat it on top of their kitchen counter top and plugged it in to the nearest outlet.
So, that probably means it was not a dedicated circuit.
Then the microwave was invented.
Once again it was bought by the homeowner, placed on a kitchen counter top and plugged in anywhere.
A microwave needs a separate circuit outlet because of the power it uses.
Appliances are the most used equipment.
They should be designed with dedicated circuits in mind.
You don't need to re-wire your whole house if you buy a new appliance.
But I recommend you re-wire the circuits you need and use the most.
I recommend dedicated circuits for the bathroom outlets.
In the kitchen, I recommend dedicated circuits for each of the following: the refrigerator, counter top receptacles, dishwasher and microwave.
In the living room, you will need a dedicated circuit for that big screen TV that uses up to 600 watts of power.
Older houses are harder to re-wire but may be worth it if you have good foundation.