A large share of the money is spent on utility bills. Significant savings on utilities will help reduce electricity costs. Electricity is needed in a private home to operate most of the appliances used, however, you can reduce its consumption in various ways.
What is electricity consumption for?
To understand how you can save on electricity, you need to find out from what the sum of electricity costs is formed:
- lighting devices
- Appliances
- pumping unit
- hot water supply
- heating system
- sewer installation
The listed devices make up almost the entire volume of power consumption. The good news is that by making some changes to how each device works, you can significantly reduce costs without changing your lifestyle.
The main factor in saving on pumping and sewerage installations is the elimination of the work of these stations in vain. It is necessary to choose such pumps that will not drive water if it is not needed, and thereby affect the level of costs in a positive direction.
What electrical appliances affect the consumption of electricity in a private house?
A significant consumption of electricity is carried out at the expense of household appliances. Each house has a standard set of appliances that residents need:
- iron
- refrigerator
- lighting devices
- washing machine
- radio system
- telephone
- microwave
- Electric kettle
- a vacuum cleaner
- kitchen appliances
- video systems, etc.
The main thing you can do to save electricity is to choose your home appliances carefully. That is, pay attention to its characteristics, especially the power or the level of electricity consumption per hour.
You can save energy by developing new habits
To minimize energy costs, you need to not only buy devices with a low power level, but develop several habits:
- predominant use of natural light - get used to the fact that the brightest places in your house are near the window, and do not turn on the light when the first cloud appears
- refusal to use "standby mode" - while electrical appliances are in this mode, they still absorb small amounts of electricity
- if you leave the room, you must turn off the lights, TV or other electrical appliances
To make it light inside the room even in the evening, you should use light colors when decorating the interior. Moreover, the white color will be able to more diffuse the light from one light bulb. You can also get mirrored surfaces. For example, if you place a mirror in front of a window or other source of natural light, you will notice that the room has become much brighter.
The points above are mostly about saving on lighting. Indeed, with the right approach to the use of lighting fixtures, you can save up to seventy percent of electricity. To do this, you need to correctly install lighting devices so as not to need unnecessary elements, and do not forget to turn off the lamp when you leave the room.
How can you save on electric heating in a private house?
The main source of electricity costs in a private house is heating. This is due to the fact that a private house has a fairly large area compared to a city apartment, and to provide heat throughout the house, an overall and intricate system must be installed. However, there are methods by which you can reduce the cost of heating your home:
- roof insulation- it is the roof that serves as an element that "does not release" heat from the house
- installation of warm windows- drafts appear due to poorly installed or outdated windows
- wall insulation- you can insulate the walls of your house from the inside or from the outside
- heating system installation
- Installation of air conditioner
- selectionthe most suitableboiler for heating
Very often the roof is the most unfinished part of the building. More than half of the generated heat inside a building can be released in a couple of hours. Mineral slabs that are installed inside the roof will save from this effect. If your house has an attic, then you can insulate the attic floor, but in this case you deprive yourself of the opportunity to use it as a cozy attic.
You also need to ensure that your home is as tight as possible. This is done by installing double-glazed windows. You can use double-glazed windows from any material. Currently, there are technologies that allow even old wooden windows to be "rewarded" with thermal insulation characteristics. To prevent winter from entering your house in any way, you must use windows with a five-chamber profile and higher. They will definitely not freeze in the cold, and will keep warm inside the house for a long period of time.
It should be borne in mind that when insulating the walls from the inside, you reduce the internal area of the building, and processing the house from the outside is a more intricate process from a technical point of view. It should be noted that the most advantageous option for wall insulation is their external treatment. This is due to the fact that with external heating of the walls, you will be able to provide them with protection from external factors, for example, temperature fluctuations or precipitation.
The first thing to do to save electricity is to install thermostatic valves on each of the radiators. After that, heat consumption will immediately decrease by twenty percent. In addition, balancing valves can be installed to efficiently distribute heat throughout the house. This approach will provide all rooms with an optimal level of heat, while not creating unnecessary costs. With the correct installation of the system, you will be able to regulate the supply of heat energy, and as a result, the use of electricity in each season.
We save on air conditioning in other ways
The air conditioner can be attributed to both the heating system and household appliances. It is used in both hot and cold seasons. The first thing to do is choose the right air conditioner. When choosing it, you should pay special attention to the table on the use of electricity, so you can predict the level of your expenses in advance.
When selecting a heating boiler, special attention should be paid to two characteristics: heat output and type of fuel. The boilers can run on gas, diesel or electricity. If your boiler is powered by an outlet, then you need to understand that one cubic meter of the house requires 30 watts of electricity. It is unprofitable to buy a boiler with a capacity exceeding the required one.
Currently, there is a system called "smart home". With its help, owners of private houses will be able to reduce their electricity bill. This system has several modes. Thanks to her, the light in empty rooms will always be turned off, and in the absence of owners, the waste of electricity will be automatically minimized.