Electricity is a resource used in all spheres of civilization. The price of kilowatt-hours is constantly rising, and the need to reduce consumption is becoming more acute. Energy saving implies a rational consumption of electricity, includes a whole range of solutions: scientific, organizational, legal, economic and technical.
Saving electricity is not only a financial issue, but also an important environmental challenge. The world's energy resources are gradually depleted, nature suffers in the process of production: the environment is polluted by emissions of fuel combustion products. Therefore, energy saving is a measure that can minimize the negative impact on the environment and save money.
Where do kilowatts flow, and how to reduce consumption
Almost no one thinks about the fact that the charger left in the network continues to work in idle mode. It is available for all power supplies, pulse and transformer. Consumption depends on the power of the device. The amount of wasted electricity in a year can be surprising.
In addition, modern appliances are equipped with displays, indicators, for example, a clock on a microwave oven or a flashing LED on a stereo system. They also consume energy. The solution is to disconnect the memory, household appliances of periodic use from the network.
The most "gluttonous" electrical appliances
Top 10 most energy-consuming household appliances that every home has:
- Refrigerator. It consumes about 40-60 kW per month. In order to reduce these numbers, you need to open the doors less often.
- Washing machine. Consumption 40-50 kW, the exact figure depends on the frequency of washing, the modes used.
- Computer. 35-40 kW. Most users only turn it off at night.
- Electric kettle. It consumes a record amount of energy in 1 hour, 28-30 kW comes out in a month.
- Hair dryer. 25 kW in daily use.
- Dishwasher. 22-25 kW, depending on the power of the device, the number of hours of operation.
- Microwave. It consumes 16-20 kW per month, if used 3 times a day, plus 2-3 hours a week for defrosting food.
- TV set. 13 kW during working hours - up to 5 hours a day. Standby instead of turning off increases this figure.
- Vacuum cleaner and coffee maker. They spend the same amount of electricity - 10-12 kW, if the number of active hours does not exceed 2 per week.
- Iron. With moderate use - 7-8 kW.
In order not to be upset every time you receive an electricity bill, household appliances should initially be chosen based on needs. Buying a professional high-power vacuum cleaner for a small apartment is not practical, just like a 10 kg washing machine for a family of two.
Each device has an energy-saving class, you should take the time to study the characteristics before buying.
Does the standby mode help to save equipment?
Manufacturers claim that the electricity consumption of household appliances in hibernation mode is minimized. This statement is partly true: consumption is reduced significantly. However, there are specific figures that cast doubt on actual savings.
It has been empirically verified that a TV with a diagonal of 50 cm spends 9 kW per month in sleep mode, a stereo system - 7-8 kW, a video player - 4-5 kW. If we add to this list a computer, a microwave oven with an always-on display, chargers forgotten in sockets, and other appliances, then the total consumption reaches 370-420 kW per year.
This proves that for real savings it is still worth disconnecting equipment from the network.
How to save electricity? A good counter is an effective way
Equipment for accounting for electricity consumption is installed in all apartments, houses, industrial facilities. In addition to its direct purpose - fixing indicators, this device helps to save significantly.
Modern electronic meters support a multi-tariff function, in which you can schedule energy-intensive tasks for hours when the cost per kilowatt is reduced. Supplier companies have introduced tariff distribution in order to reduce the load on the network during peak hours, attracting subscribers to use electricity at less busy times.
There are the following periods, differing in unit cost:
- T1 - daytime: from 7 am to 11 pm. Tariffing is standard.
- T2 - night phase: from 11 p. m. to 7 a. m. The lowest price per kilowatt.
- T3 - peak period: in the morning - until 10 o'clock, in the evening - from 20 to 23 o'clock. Increased unit cost.
At night, the price of electricity is reduced by up to 70%. Many users put household appliances, for example, washing machines and dishwashers, into a "delayed start" mode. Devices automatically start working at the specified time and consume a resource that is paid at a reduced rate.
To reduce energy consumption, it is not necessary to sacrifice comfort, it is enough to purchase a multi-tariff electronic meter, with which the savings will be simple and effective.