The presence of a large number of lighting devices and many units of household appliances that consume electricity is a common occurrence in a city apartment. It is quite understandable that a modern person wants to live comfortably, interestingly and conveniently. But all these benefits of civilization are becoming more and more "gluttonous", while the resource itself is becoming more expensive. The monthly electricity bills are getting huge. Having received the next receipt, many have to think about how to save electricity in the apartment, so as not to give a significant part of their budget to the state. If you approach the solution of this issue responsibly, then it is quite possible to do this.
Pay attention to lighting if you want to save energy
To conserve electricity, start by converting old lighting fixtures and the interior of your apartment. By habit, most people use the central overhead light from large and bulky chandeliers that are powered by several bulbs. At the same time, outdated models with an incandescent spiral are used. In winter, it gets dark early, which means that you have to turn on the lighting for a long time. As a result, monthly electricity bills increase in size.
And this is a reason to save light and replace ordinary bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent or LED bulbs. They cost much more, but they advantageously differ in that they do not consume a lot of electricity for their work and, at the same time, are designed for a long service life. This way the one-off acquisition costs translate into sustainable savings in the future.
Additionally, to reduce the total kilowatt hours:
- keep lamps, glass shades and windows clean;
- make the most of natural light;
- paste over the walls with light wallpaper;
- turn off the light in the room when no one is there for a long time.
Use localized area lighting and low-power lighting fixtures. If necessary, install motion sensors that will turn off the light in an empty room. This will help you save a lot of energy in your home.
Save energy on the most powerful consumers
The refrigerator is the most wasteful household appliance in terms of energy consumption, since it must work around the clock to save food. In order to save on electricity in the apartment, use one of the modern models with low energy consumption (marked by manufacturers as class A). That being said, you shouldn't buy the largest device. Choose the right amount of equipment based on the needs of the family.
You can pay less with an old refrigerator if its replacement is not yet possible. For this:
- Defrost the freezer regularly (except for models with the "No Frost" system).
- Periodically check the tightness and tightness of the door seals.
- Place only dishes and pots that have cooled to room temperature inside.
- Ventilate the kitchen if the temperature rises above 30 degrees.
- Place the refrigerator away from heating appliances.
- Provide adequate and constant ventilation to the rear of the device.
The electric stove is another powerful consumer of electricity, but in this case there are several tricks that can help reduce costs. To save money:
- Preheat the oven strictly at the time indicated in the recipe, not in advance.
- Turn off the stove a few minutes before the food is ready, using the warmth of the hot plates for cooking.
- Use pans with a flat bottom exactly the size of the heating element.
- Do not use excess water for cooking instant meals; cover pots with lids.
- Use an electric kettle to boil water for tea.
By following these simple rules, the savings can be significant.
Bathroom appliances can consume less electricity
A washing machine is an indispensable electrical appliance in everyday life, but it accounts for up to 20% of the consumed current. This is provided that all the possibilities of the technique are used incorrectly. At the same time, it is quite possible to save electricity in the apartment, but it is quite possible to wash it not by hand. To do this, wash the stains first. Load the clipper to the maximum allowed, but do not overload it. Choose the wash mode that suits the fabric:
- cotton;
- synthetics;
- wool.
Give preference to the quick and economical wash mode. Set the temperature regulator to 30-40 degrees if the laundry is not heavily soiled. This will help reduce energy consumption, and hence the amount of payment.
Another device is an electric boiler. It allows you to always have hot water on hand, but to make heating water really economical, you need to correctly place and set it up. To do this, install the boiler as close to the bathroom as possible so that the liquid does not cool down when passing through a long water supply. Optimize the boiler operating mode by adjusting the on and off times of the heating element. Clean the heating element from scale from time to time, increasing its heat output.
Don't pay for what you don't use
Today you can provide yourself with leisure and entertainment without even leaving your own apartment. For this, there are color televisions, personal computers, laptops, stereos and DVD players.
To save energy, turn them on only when necessary and turn them off when you are away from the room for a long time. A couple of hours of work unnecessarily - and in a month, depending on the model of the device, several tens of extra kW can "run up".
Therefore, turn off the TVs with the remote control, and also put them into standby mode:
- all night long;
- when leaving for work.
For a long absence, it is better to unplug the cord altogether.
Computers are a technique that can be found in almost every home. Electricity saving rules exist for this category of electrical appliances. Powerful components such as a processor, graphics card, and widescreen monitor usually require a significant amount of power in a stationary device. In this regard, notebooks are much more economical.
In order not to pay too much and save energy, set the desired value in the PC power consumption settings. If you do not want to shut down programs, put your computer to sleep. Turn on all peripheral devices connected to it through the surge protector:
- printers;
- scanners;
- modems.
Turn them off after the session is finished. Unplug your laptop or computer completely if you are not using it for a long time. The savings in electricity and money will be visible soon.
Do not heat, but warm
Central heating in apartments has one feature. They turn it on according to the schedule, and the coolant does not always meet the required temperature. For this reason, many are accustomed to using electric heaters, convectors, etc. The early onset of cold weather, old radiators, and frames that are not glued for the winter can also force them to turn on additional heat sources.
All this contributes to the fact that the apartment becomes cool and not comfortable. Heaters are convenient in that, with their small dimensions, they allow you to quickly heat the air in the room to the required temperature, but at the same time, the devices consume a lot of expensive electricity for their operation. The power of one installation is measured in several kilowatts, so it is not difficult to calculate how many rubles a month such heating of an apartment can cost.
Therefore, in order to save energy, it is more profitable to take measures to increase the energy efficiency of the house: change old frames and doors, insulate walls, wash or install new heating radiators. Of course, this requires a serious investment at the initial stage, but in the long term it is profitable, since you will have to pay less for light.
Install new meters to save energy
Saving electricity in an apartment with a meter is also possible due to metering devices. The old meters familiar to everyone are designed for one tariff, regardless of what time of day the resource is being consumed. For those who have few connected consumers in the house and they are not used often, this does not matter. Owners of large apartments and numerous equipment can benefit from the installation of modern two-tariff metering devices.
Due to the lower cost of 1 kilowatt at night, the use of powerful equipment is much cheaper. It primarily includes installations with heating elements - washing machines and dishwashers, bread makers, water heaters. Such devices can be easily programmed to work at a convenient time, and you will have to pay less. Energy savings can amount to about 25% of the previous payment amount, which is undoubtedly beneficial.
