Household load identification can improve user’s awareness of electricity, optimize the power mode, and make response to energy saving policy. A method to identify household load step by step was presented in this paper. Obtain the load classification and clustering center by spectral clustering method before identification to establish the standard template library for storage 6 load category features, including: the standard value and amplitude of transient active and reactive power waveform, the value of steady state active and reactive power. First of all extract the characteristic quantities on the time load changing and the time entering stable operation based on the change of composite load. The first step: rough election, determine the load of large class on the basis of the waveform matching between the normalized instantaneous waveform after adjusting and the standard template library; the second step: selection, get the identification result through comparing the corresponding features(instantaneous wave amplitude and steady operation of power value) of the loads in the class. The method can determine the load type accurately, it’s simple and reliable, so household load identification can provide the data support for the family of load modeling. Examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method.