@j.y.espinosa, I didn’t want to hijack your thread in the Product Wishlist, but as an Energy Consultant, I can give some helpful info on your questions… link to original post: What is normal usage?
1: What should water heater usage look like? (I really want to know)
if you have a newer water heater, you might have a yellow EnergyGuide label/sticker on it… that will give you a rough idea of how much your water heater should use in energy… now, those guides are based on some “typical” testing parameters, so if you have a smaller household, you should be below those numbers and likewise, if you have a larger household, you will be higher… also weather will play a part… for instance, I have a tankless water heater mounted on the outside of my home… last night was down to 32F so my supply pipes got down to about 40ish… I know that the pipes were 45 at midnight when I looked at them… anyway, my water heater will work harder at those temps, than any other time during the day… so my water heater will use more natural gas and more electricity than normal… I also have a family of 5 in my household, so I’m larger than normal… so my use will be higher than the EnergyGuide (usually based on family of 4)…
if you post your water heater model number, I can get the info easily for you…
2: Always on averages
my avg is about 290-310W… there are some on here that are lower… there is an article about the “King of Always On” - he was down to 50W if memory serves… some people here that have Sense at high use business were over 2kW always on… but those were heat & grow lamps that were running all the time…
3: Does warm house make refrigerator run more
yes, warmer homes make frig & freezers work more… if you look at it like this, your home may have R13-R19 insulation in the walls just to keep your home comfortable… so lets say your home has 4-6in of insulation to keep it 20 degrees cooler than the outside… your frig/freezer may only have 1-1.5in of insulation and is trying to keep your food 40-70 degrees cooler than the home… so yes, weather and home temps play a part in run times and efficiency of your frig/freezers… here in CA, where I am, I try to advise people to quit putting their freezers in the garage… with summer temps in the 100-108 range, that freezer or extra frig will be running at full blast nearly non-stop considering garages here are usually 10-20 degrees hotter than outside temps… it all plays…
4: Seasonality of usage
as I mentioned above, your outdoor temps and even indoor temps all play a part… just like your heater and air conditioning, temps affect nearly all your appliances… even your TV and oven affects your A/C & heater loads… computers, monitors, lights… they all put off heat inside your home, makes your A/C work harder in the summer… in the winter, they help heat the home and your heater runs less… its all about the temps…
hope this helps… feel free to ask anything…