Does the thought of your annual electricity bill and the extra payment that comes with it scare you? Electricity and gas prices keep climbing to dizzying heights, and you cannot be sure your next bill will be affordable. In this article we explain the average electricity consumption in a family house and a flat, how to save on energy, and whether photovoltaics and heat pumps are worth it.
We will also show you ways to save money. Electricity consumption depends on everything in the household that runs on electricity. But first, let us look at the average annual electricity consumption in the Czech Republic.
On average, a household in the Czech Republic uses around 2.5 to 3.5 MWh of electricity each year. If electricity is used only to run appliances and the household is careful with it, consumption can be just over 1 MWh a year.
ČEZ
💡 Tip: Also read how to cut your household expenses as much as possible and save money.
Table of contents
Average electricity consumption
Nothing can shake up a family budget as much as unexpected expenses. A broken washing machine, a car breakdown or even a large extra payment for electricity or gas. Especially today, when electricity prices are rising steeply and fluctuating. In general, everyone faces a larger energy bill at some point in their life. From then on, they start paying more attention to how much electricity each appliance uses or how to heat more economically. Do you know the electricity consumption in different houses and flats? Let us look at a rough overview for two to three people with electric heating:
💡 Tip: If you want to heat with electricity, even partly, definitely switch to the so-called low tariff
| Average electricity consumption in a 3+1 flat | 3,000 to 6,000 CZK (about 140 to 280 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a 2+1 flat | 2,500 to 5,000 CZK (about 110 to 230 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a 1+1 flat | 2,000 to 4,000 CZK (about 92 to 180 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a smaller house | 5,500 to 10,000 CZK (about 250 to 460 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a larger house | 7,000 to 14,000 CZK (about 320 to 640 USD) |
The next table shows electricity consumption without electric heating:
| Average electricity consumption in a 3+1 flat | 1,300 to 2,500 CZK (about 60 to 110 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a 2+1 flat | 1,000 to 2,200 CZK (about 46 to 100 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a 1+1 flat | 900 to 2,000 CZK (about 41 to 92 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a smaller house | 1,350 to 3,000 CZK (about 62 to 140 USD) |
| Average electricity consumption in a larger house | 1,500 to 3,500 CZK (about 69 to 160 USD) |
Average electricity consumption in a family house
In a family house, electricity consumption is naturally higher. It depends greatly on whether electricity is used only for lighting and powering ordinary appliances, or also for heating or cooking.
If electricity is used only for lighting and powering ordinary appliances, consumption ranges between 2,000 and 3,200 kWh a year. Most Czech households use electricity in exactly this way. In the Czech Republic, they therefore fall into the D02d category, the high tariff, where the price per kWh is higher. Tariff categories differ by country, so check with your local electricity supplier.
Water heating can add up to 1,000 kWh. It all depends on the number of people in the household. Bear in mind that hot water use averages about 60 litres per person per day. Do you take a hot bath filled to the brim every day? If you want to save, try a short shower instead!
However, because they heat water with electricity, these households are placed in the D25d (lower consumption) or D26d (higher consumption) category. In practice, this means that every day for 8 hours they can use the low tariff with cheaper electricity, and this applies to all appliances.
Consumption is highest when you also heat with electricity. In that case, consumption can be more than 10,000 kWh.
💡 Tip: Also find out how to reduce your water costs and try comparing electricity suppliers too.
Average electricity consumption in a flat
In a small flat where you have barely one lamp and a kettle, you do not need to worry much about electricity consumption. It may be different in a large flat, especially in an old, uninsulated building. As with a house, it depends on everything you power with electricity.
For a 20 m² flat, electricity consumption ranges between 1,500 and 2,800 kWh a year. In a larger 75 m² flat, it can be between 5,500 and 10,500 kWh.
If you want to find out the exact electricity consumption of your household, or of a single appliance, you can try one of the online calculators. For comparing energy prices, we personally recommend srovnejto.cz or the ceny energie website.
Heating a flat with electricity is fairly manageable, but heating a house with electricity may well land you with a hefty bill. Here, a heat pump, solar panels or ideally a combination of both starts to become a necessity. Do not hesitate to request a quote from one of the main suppliers of heat pumps and solar panels. In general, electricity for a house costs up to a third more than gas and twice as much as solid fuels. Average gas consumption in a family house is therefore a middle-of-the-road, convenient option.
How to save?
Here are a few tips on how to help your family budget and save on electricity:
1. Solar panels
You have probably heard that someone around you recently had solar panels installed on their roof. This boom was triggered both by rising electricity prices and by the desire for a greener household.
It works by taking energy directly from sunlight. The advantage is that solar panels have a fairly long lifespan and are easy to maintain and cheap to run. What is more, you can get a state subsidy to buy them (now called New Green Savings (Nová zelená úsporám)). If you want to make the most of the state subsidy, contact one of the vetted suppliers, who will handle the whole subsidy for you with no effort on your part.
The disadvantages, on the other hand, are the higher initial investment of tens to hundreds of thousands and the unpredictability of the weather. In addition, the panels are not suitable for every type of roof. Ideally, they should face south with a gentle slope of about 30°. However, today’s options are more advanced than 10 years ago. For a specialist company, installing a complete photovoltaic system usually takes two days.
2. Heat pump
Just like solar panels, the benefits of a heat pump, which you can use as an alternative and greener heating source at home, have recently been widely discussed.
A big advantage of a heat pump is its low running costs, as it draws roughly three quarters of its heat energy from the surroundings and only the remaining quarter from the electricity grid. A heat pump also gets you a cheaper electricity tariff. You can also cover much of that remaining quarter by combining it with solar panels.
However, a heat pump also has two big disadvantages: the high initial investment of tens to hundreds of thousands and the demanding installation, which requires digging to lay ground collectors. Many DIY enthusiasts can set up solar panels themselves. A heat pump is a job for a specialist company. Some heat pumps are also very noisy, so it is better to keep them in a separate room.
💡 Tip: If you are thinking about getting a heat pump, read what to do to obtain subsidies.
3. Home insulation
Think about it. Is your flat or house thermally insulated? Investing in new windows may cost you a lot of time, money and comfort, but every day a lot of money escapes through the gaps in them. With home insulation, heat will not escape and you will spend less on heating.
If you want to get to grips with this topic, here are a few tips:
- Have thermal bridges and heat leaks measured.
- If your windows are 25 years old, replace them.
- Start by insulating the ceiling, where the biggest heat losses are.
- Insulate the plinth and foundations.
- Get expert advice.
Many people think about investing in shares to protect their money in uncertain times, but the basis is a good investment in your property so that you do not waste money on heating.
4. Lifestyle
One of the most important ways to save on electricity is to adjust your lifestyle. If the lights are always on in every room, the TV runs from morning to night without anyone watching it, and every member of the household enjoys a hot bath every day, you cannot be surprised that your electricity consumption is too high.
By needlessly wasting electricity, gas and water, you are acting not only uneconomically but also irresponsibly towards the environment.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances: You can start saving energy in the shop when choosing the products themselves. As you surely know, every electrical appliance carries one of the energy labels from A to G, where A is the most efficient and G is the least efficient. Old appliances are also very inefficient, so it is better to invest in new ones
- Energy-saving laundry: You can save on washing too. Instead of washing at 60 °C, wash at 40 °C, and only run the washing machine when it is really full
- Energy-saving light bulbs: Instead of traditional light bulbs, use energy-saving ones, which save electricity
- Do not overheat: Is it so hot at home that you could happily walk around in swimwear? Not only is it unhealthy, but you are also wasting electricity needlessly. The ideal temperature in a flat is around 20 °C, and at night it should drop by roughly another two degrees
- Defrosting the fridge: When did you last defrost your fridge? If you can barely remember, take note. Ice build-up significantly increases energy consumption! Also, only put food that has cooled down into the fridge
- If you have an electric water heater and are going away for more than three days, switch it off. Also, heat the water in the water heater to the temperature you shower at. If you have ever been startled by unnecessarily hot water, you are overheating the water to 57 degrees or more. This costs you extra money, and the water heater also lasts less long when heating to a higher temperature.
You can find more tips on saving electricity in your household in the following video.
💡 Tip: Also read why you should start keeping a bullet journal. Or get inspired and save money on food.
USD amounts are approximate, converted at the Czech National Bank rate of 21.75 CZK per USD on 9 October 2026.
