A modern apartment is crammed with all kinds of electrical appliances, without which people can no longer imagine their life. That is why residents of an ordinary two- or three-room apartment often receive electricity bills for 200-300 kW. However, energy saving in an apartment is possible, and we will consider options for how to save electricity in an apartment with a meter.
General directions of savings
First of all, residents should determine which devices consume the most energy. A household wattmeter can help with this. With its help, you can find out how much electricity a particular device (refrigerator, TV, hairdryer, iron) consumes when it is on or in standby mode.
By conducting such an analysis of the energy consumption, it is possible to develop savings measures.
When carrying out the next renovation of an apartment, you should:
- Replace the old electrical wiring that was installed decades ago and was not designed for so many electrical appliances. The use of a larger cable, rational arrangement and an increase in the number of safe outlets will avoid connecting extension cords and tees. This is the path to economy and fire safety.
- Wallpaper or paint walls and ceilings in light colors that will prolong the use of sunlight in the room. Remove all bulky items from window sills and hang transparent light curtains.
- Think over the zoning of the apartment and, in accordance with this, place lighting devices of the required power (general lighting, floor lamps, table lamps, sconces). If possible, replace the chandeliers and shades with more transparent ones that absorb less light, after which it will be possible to use lower wattage lamps.
- Insulate walls, replace windows, seal doors. All this will make it possible to turn on additional heating systems less often.
- Install a two-phase meter and use energy-intensive appliances after 23. 00, when the tariff is much lower.
- Replace old incandescent bulbs with more modern energy-saving or LED ones. This will save 70-80% of your home lighting costs.
Correct use of electrical appliances
If possible, you need to say goodbye to old energy-intensive electrical appliances. Modern devices are much more attractive, practical and economical. Energy efficiency class A, A +, A ++ means that this device is the most economical today. However, even when using old appliances, you can save energy in the apartment.
- Electric stove. Boil the food at partial power after boiling water, closing the pan with a lid. Use only cookware, cleaned from carbon deposits, with a flat bottom and of the correct size (preferably stainless steel), use a pressure cooker in which the cooking temperature is higher due to its tightness. Change burnt-out spirals in the burners in time. following all these tips will save up to 60%.
- Place the refrigerator in a cool, well-ventilated area. The door should be well sealed and open as rarely and for a short period of time as possible. The refrigerator should not be completely filled with dishes and food, because the air inside should circulate freely. Put pots with food in the refrigerator only after they have cooled down to room temperature.
- Audio and video equipment must be constantly cooled by a stream of air. Do not leave it in standby mode. It is better to place the TV and computer monitor in an evenly lit place to reduce the brightness and contrast of the screen.
- Computer. When you stop working on it, after a while the monitor goes into standby mode, and then the entire computer. The user can adjust the time after which the monitor will "fall asleep".
- The vacuum cleaner should be regularly cleaned of accumulated dust, this will increase its traction and reduce energy consumption.
- The washing machine must be loaded to the standard specified in the passport. Underloading is just as unprofitable as overloading.
- The electric kettle should be regularly cleaned of scale, which impairs the thermal conductivity of the heating element.
- Turn on the air conditioner only with the windows and doors closed.
- Chargers for electronic gadgets, not unplugged from the socket, consume electricity, which is used to heat them up.
How to save electricity in an apartment with folk remedies
More often than not, such a wording hides not entirely legal methods of saving one's money, but simply theft from an energy company. There are a lot of ads on the Internet like "saving electricity in an apartment with a magnet".
- Powerful neodymium magnets (NdFeB) are most often used to slow down the counter. These magnets are able to stop or slow down electromechanical (induction) meters, both single-phase and three-phase. Electronic meters do not react to magnets, except for devices in which the measuring part is not electronic. However, it should be noted that from such an impact, up to 30-40% of the meters fail, and if they are replaced in the power supply, they can conduct a magnetization test and bring the cheater to justice through the courts.
- Various economists are also actively offered. Manufacturers claim that with its help the electrician is used more rationally, the service life of electrical appliances is extended. In this case, the device has no effect on the counter. Upon closer examination, it was found that these devices have the simplest device: several LEDs and a 5 Microfarad film capacitor. This device can have the least effect on the reactive energy of a low-power device, such as a fluorescent lamp. However, the apartment meter takes into account only active energy, and does not react to reactive energy. Therefore, such economists are a pure scam.
It can be concluded that there are many ways how you can save electricity in an apartment, but it is better to use legal methods than illegal and fraught with troubles of both a technical and legal nature.