The price of energy carriers is steadily increasing, so the question of how to save electricity at home is becoming increasingly relevant. It should be noted that if ten or fifteen years ago the average family of three did not particularly think about this, since the cost of utilities did not eat up the lion's share of the budget, now the situation has changed dramatically.
At the same time, using all modern possibilities for saving energy, it is not at all necessary to use dimmed lighting, refuse to turn on necessary appliances and "rewind" meter readings, which threatens offenders with impressive fines. It is important to simply recognize and take for granted the need to save money and to embrace this principle in a way that is very accessible to each of us.
Today on the agenda - how and how much you can save on electricity. We all sometimes ask ourselves the question – "Do I pay a lot for light (or electricity)? Is it possible to somehow reduce these payments? " But as a general rule, the matter goes no further than conversations. But in fact, not everything is so scary and difficult. Try applying the rules described below (or at least some of them) and you will immediately notice the difference.
There are two ways to reduce electricity bills:
- change our behavior slightly
- we use modern energy-saving technologies
In the first case, everything will depend only on us, that is, compliance with certain rules will reduce energy costs. The second method is to invest in the purchase of equipment and devices that can significantly reduce electricity consumption. Corn . . . . . having invested once, you can relax, the technique will do everything for you. And in most cases, the costs are amortized within a year.
If we turn to statistics, the approximate electricity costs in an average apartment are distributed as follows:
- 25% - electric cooker, kettle, microwave oven and other kitchen appliances
- 21% - refrigerator
- 20% - lighting
- 9% - washing machine, dishwasher
- 11% TV, computer
- 14% - other
Using this data, you can calculate approximately how much and on what you can start saving. Before you start, I advise you to write down how much energy you consume per month. Why? This will allow you to understand how much you actually save by applying certain methods. The result will be visible immediately, and this will give you an extra incentive.
Let's start saving energy:
Turn off the light when you leave
Everyone knows the expression, only . . . . . for some reason we don't use it at home. In vain, this is the easiest and most affordable way to save energy. Make a rule to turn off the lights when you leave the room. The court can also be assigned as a working TV. Such "excesses" cost us about 30% of all lighting costs.
Energy saving lamps
Old incandescent lamps consumed 100 watts, energy saving - 20 watts. Saving power consumption by 5 times. Now popular LED lamps with a power of 5 watts. Of course, they are more expensive than both, but with the same lighting brightness, they consume MUCH less energy and last longer. Don't be stingy and buy. The main thing is to choose those that have a large warranty - about 2 years. Within a year, the LED lamps bear fruit.
More natural light
Rooms with white or light colored wallpaper are lighter (sorry for the pun) as they reflect 90% of the light. For example, dark tones (closer to black) absorb up to 90% of the light that strikes them. Keep windows and lamps clean. Not very clean, dusty, they are able to retain up to 30% of the light. Do not clutter the windowsill with flowers and other nonsense. Place your workspace near a window. If you don't have enough light, use a low wattage table lamp.
Multi-tariff meters (day-night)
The advantage is that many devices are always on (refrigerator) or in standby mode (computers, TV, etc. ). Accordingly, in the evening and at night, the cost of energy consumption will decrease. If you transfer some energy-intensive operations to the evening (washing, cooking, ironing), the savings will become even more noticeable.
Turn off all devices
First of all, there is equipment that operates in standby mode: a computer, a television, a microwave oven. air conditioning, water heater and many more. Count how many hours (or even minutes) per day you use this or that device. Microwave for 15 minutes, TV - say 2-3 hours, etc.
It turns out that in standby mode, the devices work almost around the clock - 20-23 hours. And all the while they are slowly "stealing" energy from us, and therefore money. Each individual, of course, does not consume much, but he consumes in quantity. For a year, standby mode costs us about 3, 000 rubles.
Few people know it, but many devices still consume energy even if they are turned off, but not disconnected from the network: hair dryer, phone charger.
smart technology
Use appliances of energy class A (accordingly, the most energy-consuming is class G). The difference in power consumption, even among modern models, can vary greatly. What about outdated equipment (from the 90s and up). The difference in power consumption may differ, no, not sometimes. Dozens of times!
Many models have an automatic recording mode. For example, in washing machines and dishwashers, depending on the workload, the system uses the optimal amount of water and energy, reducing consumption by 30-40%. If you're not planning on changing gear yet, we'll save on what we have.
Appliances
Fridge
Proper installation away from direct sunlight, central heating and stoves will save 20-30%. Additional measures: leave a space between the refrigerator and the wall for free air circulation. Defrost more often - the more frost, the higher the energy consumption. No hot food in the fridge. Always cover all liquid dishes (soups, compotes). Remember that higher humidity equals higher energy consumption.
Washing and dishwasher
- Work only at full load.
- In fast and economical washing mode.
- Washing (washing) at low temperature (where high temperature washing is not necessary)
Food
- If you have gas in your apartment, you're in luck. It is several times more economical than electricity.
- Boil with the lid closed.
- Always boil water as needed.
- Pre-poured water for cooking in the pan itself heats up to room temperature, and the stove needs less energy to heat it further and boil it.
- Residual heat. Turn off the heat 10-20 minutes before the end of cooking. The cooked dish itself will reach the desired state.
- Heat the dish in the microwave at once on a large plate - then you can divide it into portions for everyone.
ironing
- Over-dried and under-dried laundry represent increased energy consumption. We use the middle ground.
- Switch off the iron 5 to 10 minutes before the end of ironing. We go back to the residual heat.
- Use an iron with an automatic shut-off feature.
Warming up
Up to 50% of heat loss in an apartment occurs through windows and doors. Our actions are either plastic windows (they reduce heat consumption by 80% at once), or a more economical option - we close all the cracks in windows and doors (we use gaskets). If the house is cool (not cold), do not rush to immediately turn on the heating - sometimes it is enough to wear something warmer from clothes.
As you can see, it's not that difficult to start saving on electricity. You can easily save 30-50%, if you are a little confused you can usually reduce payments by 2-2. 5 times. The main thing is to activate the "power saving" mode in your head. You will immediately notice that the payments will decrease. Good luck with all your savings.