Rates are going up and utility bills are going up 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 saving energy?
General recommendations
Big savings start with little habits. Many people know how to save energy in the house; it is difficult to get a family used to these simple rules. Turn off lights when you leave the room, unplug chargers from the outlet when the device is charged, use appliances more efficiently, watch less TV - small lifestyle changes can save a lot of money.
Light can be saved both with the help of restrictions and using techniques used by the Swedes and Scandinavians. Refusal of heavy curtains, the tulle on the windows gives the best lighting. Light-colored walls and floors reflect up to 80% of the sun's rays, which means you will have to turn on the lights less often.
It is also important to wash the glass regularly, wipe off dust from light bulbs, lampshades on chandeliers and sconces - pollution dampens the light by a third. Windows and doors with good thermal insulation, wiring, and modern fixtures are a waste, but they will pay off quickly with lower utility bills.
The main ways to save energy
In an apartment and a private house, you can save electricity on both lighting, cooking and 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 chandelier with 3-5 horns. You will need to vacuum less often if you regularly get rid of carpets and dust. The correct use of household appliances, the choice of lamps and energy-saving appliances, the calculation of tariffs are the main resources for a reasonable expenditure of money.
Correct use of electrical appliances
Knowing the secrets will save you a lot of money. How to properly use household appliances so as not to pay too much for electricity?
- Appliances that don't need an uninterrupted power supply, such as a refrigerator, are best unplugged at night. For this it is convenient to use line filters with switches.
- Do not leave your computer, laptop, printer, or other equipment in sleep mode. This will reduce the cost of payment by 200 kW per year.
- Only place the refrigerator away from heating appliances. Unaccustomed a family to look into things like this - 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 objects that require gentle handling, after turning them off, with an iron. Iron your clothes only after accumulating a few sets, so as not to heat the iron several times. Bed linen is easy to straighten after washing and folds neatly.
- Refuse to buy unnecessary material - electric fireplaces, coffeemakers, thermos, decorative lamps do not contribute to savings. Their functions are often duplicated by other techniques.
Controlling device shutdown is a problem, but the cost savings will appeal to the responsible owner. Saving energy in your home is as easy as creating new habits.
Purchase of energy-saving household appliances
Buying the right devices is an important part of the economy. 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 130-300 kWh, categories D and C will increase this figure 2-3 times.
- Size. A family of three is unlikely to need a full size refrigerator, it will stay half empty and you will have to pay for its energy use.
- Modern technologies. Induction hobs only heat the bottom of the utensil, their efficiency reaches 95%!
Portable solar batteries will charge your smartphone, these batteries are also used to charge flashlights, which are used in place of a night light. Power saving modes are built into modern computers, tablets, it is important not to be lazy and know how to use it properly. Disabling and removing unnecessary apps will increase your smartphone's runtime by 15-20%, which means you will need to charge it less often.
Applications of the LED lamp
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 bulbs. An incandescent lamp consumes 60 W, a fluorescent lamp - 15 W and an LED lamp - 8 W. The choice is obvious. You need to buy LED lights from reliable manufacturers, they are more expensive, but due to the long service life, they justify the costs and provide tangible savings. What other advantages do they have?
- Light up instantly.
- The base and the ceiling do not heat up.
- The E27 and E14 bases are suitable for most luminaires.
- You can choose warm or cold light - this is indicated on the packaging.
Replacing all bulbs is the fastest way to save energy. In one month, the kilowatts saved will reduce the cost of electricity by 2 times.
Definition of a meter with two tariffs
Ranges of meters with two tariffs: from 7: 00 a. m. to 11: 00 p. m. , from 11: 00 p. m. to 7: 00 a. m. The installation will pay off in a year if there are many electrical appliances in the home that can be turned on at night - a washing machine and dishwasher, underfloor heating, air conditioning, and also if the ownerscome home late or work on the computer at night.
Recording in the kitchen
The most energy-consuming appliances are in the kitchen. It is a stove, kettle, refrigerator, microwave. How to reduce energy costs 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 walls and bottoms - foods languish in them when the heat is turned off, will have time to cook and will stay hot 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 quality of life. Regularly descaling the kettle, closing the pot when preparing food, using a pressure cooker are some simple recipes for the home.
Other ways to record
There are various methods on the Internet to reduce the cost of paying bills. Intrigued on how to save electricity in an apartment with folk remedies, you can find household tips that residents use to avoid paying for electricity. This is the use of a magnet, a wire to block the meter. When asked how to save energy in the house, recommendations on zero contact grounding and other illegal methods may appear. The consequences of their use may be too unpleasant to seriously advise such experiences.
Energy-saving devices
Which technique will help you use less electricity? All energy saving devices are designed to turn off equipment or turn on in time.
Is it possible to save money with their help and how to do it, reflect the owners of apartments and private houses. What should be done?
- Install motion and presence sensors in places where a person stays for a short time: storage rooms, hallways, toilets.
- Use pass-through switches: at the start and end of the stairs, long corridor, they put keys to turn off the lights when leaving the room.
- Use the time relay. It is convenient to program flower lamps, fan heaters and even water heaters with a volume of 30-40 liters to operate for a certain period. You no longer have to watch for their timely shutdown.
- Configure thermostats. You can save electricity at home by adjusting 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 a few degrees, so that the thermostat increases the temperature an hour or two before the owners arrive.
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. Warm floors, electric boiler is better to replace 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 homeowners know how to easily save electricity in a private house. During the construction phase, they plan a cellar or basement that will replace the refrigerator, as well as a summer kitchen where they cook using an oven or a grill. In the area you need to install solar powered lanterns. The sun will heat the water in summer and an outdoor shower has no energy.
Cottage owners know how to save energy in a private house - the installation of solar panels gives 120 kW from 1 m2. m) The system requires investment, but can become a serious aid to reduce resource costs.
Economy and respect for the environment are current priorities. Consuming energy wisely will save money on vacation or study. There are many people around the world who care about saving electricity, which means conserving the planet's resources.