Tariffs are increasing and utility bills are increasing every month. It's time to think about how you can save electricity in your apartment. Using simple methods, it is not difficult to achieve cost savings of 25%. Isn't there a reason to think about energy saving?
General recommendations
Big savings start with small habits. Many people know how to save energy in the house, it is difficult to accustom a family to these simple rules. Turning off the lights when leaving the room, unplugging chargers from the outlet when the device is charged, using household appliances more efficiently, watching TV less time - small lifestyle changes can save a lot of money.
Light can be saved both with the help of restrictions and using the techniques used by the Swedes and Scandinavians. Refusal from heavy curtains, tulle on the windows gives the best illumination. Light-colored walls and floors reflect up to 80% of the sun's rays, which means that you will need to turn on the lighting less often.
It is also important to regularly wash the glass, wipe dust from light bulbs, lampshades on chandeliers and sconces - pollution dims the light by a third. Windows and doors with good thermal insulation, modern wiring and appliances are a waste, but they will quickly pay off with a reduction in utility bills.
The main ways to save energy
In an apartment and a private house, you can save electricity both on lighting, cooking, and on household appliances - in each direction it is necessary to reduce costs. It is comfortable to work, you can read with a table lamp without lighting a 3-5 horn chandelier. You will need to vacuum less often if you get rid of carpets and dust regularly. The correct use of home appliances, the choice of energy-saving lamps and devices, the calculation of tariffs are the main resources for a reasonable spending of money.
Proper use of electrical appliances
Knowing the secrets will save you a lot of money. How to use household appliances correctly so as not to overpay for electricity?
- Devices that do not need an uninterrupted power supply, like a refrigerator, are better off unplugged at night. For this, it is convenient to use surge protectors with switches.
- Do not leave your computer, laptop, printer, or other equipment in standby mode. This will reduce the cost of paying 200 kW per year.
- Place the refrigerator only away from heating appliances. To disaccustom the family to look into it just like that - the energy consumption for cooling, after opening the door, increases by 5%.
- Start the washing machine, dishwasher only at full load. Use high-quality household chemicals and low-temperature conditions.
- Iron things that require delicate handling, after turning off, with a cooling iron. Iron your clothes only after accumulating a few sets, so as not to heat up the iron many times. Bed linen is easy to straighten after washing and fold neatly.
- Refuse to buy unnecessary equipment - electric fireplaces, coffee makers, thermal pots, decorative lamps do not contribute to savings. Their functions are often duplicated by other techniques.
Controlling the shutdown of appliances is a hassle, but the cost savings will please the responsible owner. Saving energy in your home is as easy as creating new habits.
Purchase of energy-saving household appliances
Buying the right appliances is an important part of saving. Modern technology will save money for electricity. What is important to consider?
- Energy efficiency class. It is better to choose A or B. A class A refrigerator consumes from 130 to 300 kW / h, categories D and C will increase this figure 2-3 times.
- Size. A family of three is unlikely to need a large refrigerator, it will stand half empty, and you will have to pay for its energy consumption.
- Modern technologies. Induction hobs only heat the bottom of the cookware, their efficiency reaches 95%!
Portable solar-powered batteries will charge a smartphone, such batteries are also used to charge flashlights, which are used instead of a night light. Energy saving modes are built into modern computers, tablets, it is important not to be lazy and figure out how to use it correctly. Disabling and removing unnecessary applications will increase the operating time of your smartphone by 15-20%, which means you will need to charge it less often.
LED Lamp Applications
Light is an affordable way to save money, many people know how to do it. It is necessary to replace incandescent bulbs with energy-saving ones. An incandescent lamp consumes 60 W, a fluorescent lamp - 15 W, and an LED - 8 W. The choice is obvious. You need to buy LED lamps from reliable manufacturers, they are more expensive, but due to the long term of use, they justify the costs and give tangible savings. What other advantages do they have?
- Turn on instantly.
- The base and ceiling do not heat up.
- E27 and E14 bases fit most luminaires.
- You can choose warm or cold light - this is indicated on the package.
Replacing all bulbs is the fastest way to see energy savings. Within a month, the saved kilowatts will reduce the cost of electricity by 2 times.
Setting a two-tariff meter
Ranges of metering devices with two tariffs: from 7. 00 to 23. 00, from 23. 00 to 7. 00. The installation will pay off in a year if there are many electrical appliances at home that can be turned on at night - a washing machine and dishwasher, underfloor heating, an air conditioner, and also if the owners come home late or work on the computer at night.
Saving in the kitchen
The most energy consuming appliances are in the kitchen. This is a stove, kettle, refrigerator, microwave oven. How can energy costs be reduced here?
- Defrost the refrigerator regularly if it is not equipped with a No Frost system.
- If possible, connect a gas stove.
- Buy dishes with thick sides and bottom - the food languishes in it when the heating is turned off, will have time to cook and will stay warm longer.
- Boil water without reserve - as many cups as you plan to drink.
- Use a thermos. If you fill it with boiling water in the morning, there will be enough water for the whole day.
- A steamer or multicooker allows you to cook several dishes at the same time.
A wise housewife knows how to save energy without compromising the quality of life. Regular descaling of the kettle, closing the pot when preparing food, using a pressure cooker are simple home thrift recipes.
Other ways to save
There are various methods on the Internet to reduce the cost of paying bills. Puzzled how to save electricity in an apartment with folk remedies, you can find household tricks used by residents to avoid paying for electricity. This is the use of a magnet, wire to block the meter. When asked about how to save energy in the house, recommendations on grounding the zero contact and other illegal methods may come out. The consequences of their use may be too unpleasant to seriously advise such experiments.
Energy saving devices
Which technique will help you use less electricity? All energy saving devices are designed to turn off equipment or light in time.
Is it possible to save money with their help and how to do it, owners of apartments and private houses are thinking. What should be done?
- Install motion and presence sensors in places where a person stays for a short time: storeroom, corridor, toilet.
- Use walk-through switches: at the beginning and at the end of the stairs, a long corridor, they put keys to turn off the lighting when leaving the room.
- Use time relay. It is convenient to program lamps for flowers, fan heaters, even water heaters with a volume of 30–40 liters to work in a certain period. You no longer have to monitor their timely shutdown.
- Configure thermostats. You can save electricity at home by setting the temperature of the water in the boiler, underfloor heating or electric boiler.
You can save money by installing useful devices in your apartment or house. If there are no owners during the day, the heating for this period can be lowered by a few degrees, so that the thermostat raises the temperature an hour or two before the arrival of the owners.
How to save electricity in a private house
All the methods listed for apartments work for individual residential buildings, but due to the larger area, they may have their own characteristics. Saving electricity in a private house is no more difficult than in an apartment, you just need to know how. Heating is responsible for most of the costs. Underfloor heating, it is better to replace an electric boiler with gas or solid fuel heating. Well-insulated walls will limit heat loss. The Russian stove and fireplace will warm the room and add originality to the interior.
Thrifty owners know how to easily save electricity in a private home. During the construction phase, they are planning a cellar or basement that will replace the refrigerator, as well as an outdoor kitchen where they cook using an oven or grill. In the local area, you need to install solar-powered lanterns. The sun will heat the water in summer, and an outdoor shower is energy-free.
Owners of cottages know how to save energy in a private house - installing solar panels gives 120 kW from 1 sq. m. The system requires investment, but can become a serious help in reducing resource costs.
Economy and respect for the environment are the current priorities. Consuming energy wisely will save money on vacation or study. Many people around the world are concerned about saving electricity, which means preserving the resources of the planet.