Which of these electric appliances consumes the most electricity per hour of use? A television, dishwasher, or toaster?

It might seem surprising, but the humble toaster is the powerhouse of this group. The reason lies in how it works. A toaster's job is to generate intense heat very quickly to brown bread, and it accomplishes this by passing a large amount of electrical current through a series of special wires, making them glow red hot. This process demands a high power draw, with a typical toaster using between 800 and 1500 watts of power while in operation. When you measure energy consumption on an hourly basis, this high power rating gives the toaster a distinct lead.

In contrast, a modern television is quite energy-efficient, generally consuming between 50 and 200 watts per hour. A dishwasher's consumption is more complex, as its power use varies throughout its cycle. While its heating element can draw a lot of power, when averaged over a full one-to-four-hour cycle, its hourly consumption is significantly less than a toaster's peak draw. A standard dishwasher might use around 1000 watt-hours (1 kWh) per load.

This highlights a key difference in appliance energy use: high-power, short-term devices versus low-power, long-term ones. While you may only use a toaster for a few minutes, its instantaneous power demand is far greater than that of a television running for the same amount of time. Therefore, for any given hour of active use, the appliance designed for rapid, intense heating will consume the most electricity.