Saving electricity at home

Last checked: 18.10.2026

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Fridge, standby, washing and cooking: where the electricity goes at home, which simple steps really help and where to get advice in Berlin.

Saving electricity sounds like doing without, but it is usually a matter of a few simple steps. The biggest items are appliances that run around the clock, appliances that keep running unnoticed, and anything that heats water or air. Lighting, on the other hand, carries comparatively little weight: according to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), it accounted for around eight per cent of the electricity used by private households in 2024, while cooking, washing, cooling and freezing together made up around half [4].

Measure first, then act

A plug-in energy meter between socket and plug shows how much an appliance actually uses; the German Environment Agency recommends one, for example, to check whether an old fridge is still worth keeping [1]. You don't have to buy one: according to the consumer advice centre, its energy advice service (Energieberatung der Verbraucherzentrale) lends plug-in energy meters free of charge [5], and in Berlin the KlimaWerkstatt Spandau, run by the Spandau district office, does too, for example [6]. Your electricity meter also helps you track things down [3]: read it in the evening and again the next morning – whatever adds up overnight is used by the appliances that are always on.

Cooling: 7 degrees is enough

Fridges and freezers run around the clock and are among the biggest electricity users in the home [1]. 7 °C in the fridge and minus 18 °C in the freezer compartment are enough [1]. Only put food in once it has cooled down, open the door only briefly and don't place the appliance next to the cooker or a radiator [2]. Defrost regularly: even a one-centimetre layer of ice can increase consumption by up to 15 per cent [3]. According to the German Environment Agency, replacing a working appliance with a new one is usually not worth it; from an environmental point of view only if consumption is very high, for a fridge from around 240 kilowatt hours a year [1]. In most cases, a repair is worth it too [1].

Standby: what keeps running unnoticed

Under EU rules, new appliances may draw no more than 0.5 watts on standby – but this does not apply to networked devices such as smart TVs or games consoles [2]. With devices like these, according to the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), you can save up to 60 euros a year by switching them off completely [2]. A Wi-Fi router can cost up to 50 euros a year [3]. In a three-person household, idle consumption can make up as much as 15 per cent of the electricity bill [3]. The simplest solution is switchable power strips, which let you take several devices off the grid with one click [3].

Washing, cooking, dishwashing

With a full load, hot-wash laundry and coloureds get clean at just 20 to 30 °C, whites at 40 °C; eco programmes use less energy but take longer [2]. A washing line replaces the tumble dryer [2]. When cooking, a lid on the pot and the right pot size help; you heat water more efficiently in a kettle than on the hob [2]. The dishwasher runs most efficiently fully loaded on the eco programme [2]. If your hot water is heated with electricity, every shorter shower saves electricity too – more on this in the guide “Water in everyday life”.

Getting help

The energy advice service of the Verbraucherzentrale assesses your electricity consumption and suggests specific measures – online, by phone or in person, independently of any provider; for low-income households with proof it is free of charge [3]. You will find more advice centres in Berlin in the area “Housing and energy”. And if you want to generate electricity yourself: the guide “Plug-in solar on the balcony” explains the first steps.

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