Electricity is a resource used in all spheres of civilization. The price per kilowatt hour continues to rise and the need to reduce consumption is becoming more and more pressing. 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. World energy reserves are gradually being depleted, nature suffers in the production process: the environment is polluted by emissions of fuel combustion products. Therefore, saving energy is a measure that can minimize the negative impact on the environment and save money.
Where do the 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. The consumption depends on the power of the device. The amount of electricity wasted in a year can be surprising.
In addition, modern devices are equipped with displays, indicators, for example, a clock on a microwave oven or a flashing LED on a stereo. They also consume energy. The solution is to disconnect the memory, household appliances with periodic use from the network.
The most "greedy" electrical appliances
Top 10 of the most energy-consuming household appliances that every household has:
- Fridge. 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.
- The computer. 35-40kW. Most users only turn it off at night.
- Electric kettle. It consumes a record amount of energy in 1 hour, 28-30 kW come 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 per week for defrosting food.
- TV set. 13 kW during working hours - up to 5 hours a day. Standby instead of shutting down increases this number.
- 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 first be chosen according to need. Buying a high-powered professional vacuum cleaner for a small apartment is impractical, as is 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 sleep mode save hardware?
Manufacturers claim that the power consumption of household appliances in hibernation mode is minimized. This statement is partly true: consumption is significantly reduced. However, some specific figures cast doubt on the actual savings.
It has been empirically verified that a TV with a diagonal of 50 cm spends 9 kW per month in standby 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 a permanent display, chargers forgotten in the sockets and other devices, the total consumption reaches 370-420 kW per year.
This proves that for real savings it is always worth disconnecting equipment from the network.
How to save electricity? A good counter is an effective way
Equipment for metering electricity consumption is installed in all apartments, houses, industrial facilities. In addition to its direct purpose - fixing indicators, this device saves 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. Suppliers have introduced tariff sharing to reduce the load on the network during peak hours, incentivizing subscribers to use electricity at less busy times.
There are the following periods, which differ in unit cost:
- T1 - day: from 7 a. m. to 11 p. m. Pricing 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 a. m. , in the evening - from 8 p. m. to 11 p. m. Increase in 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 "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, one should not sacrifice comfort, it is enough to purchase a multi-tariff electronic meter, with which the savings will be simple and effective.