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Single person in an apartment vs Family of four in a house: Electricity Use Compared in the UK (2026)

A family of four uses roughly two to three times the electricity of a single person, not four times. The fridge, router, lighting and standby loads are shared, so each extra person adds less than the first. Per head, the single person is the most expensive household there is.

In the UK, single person in an apartment uses about 1,600 kWh a year (£34.67 a month) and family of four in a house about 3,800 kWh (£82.33 a month). That is 2.4× as much, or £47.67 more per month. Per person: 1,600 kWh vs 950 kWh a year.

Sources: Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values, decision May 2026, effective 1 July 2026: Low user (single-rate). Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values, decision May 2026, effective 1 July 2026: High user (single-rate). Priced at £0.26 per kWh (Ofgem price cap 1 Jul–30 Sep 2026, 2026-07).

Where the difference comes from

CategorySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseDifference
Refrigeration & freezing240 kWh570 kWh+330
Cooking140 kWh331 kWh+191
Washing, drying & dishwashing138 kWh327 kWh+189
TV, computing & network143 kWh341 kWh+198
Lighting83 kWh196 kWh+113
Other appliances857 kWh2,035 kWh+1,178

Only in the family of four in a house

Only in the single person in an apartment

  • None
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The same comparison in other countries

CountrySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseRatioExtra per month
United States (average)7,18413,0721.8×$88.32
United Kingdom1,6003,8002.4×£47.67
Germany1,2003,8003.2×€80.17
France1,9056,0343.2×€68.82
Australia3,1097,3112.4×A$122.56
Canada (average)6,58312,6941.9×C$71.30

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