Many people worry about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in different ways:
- use natural lighting rationally and insulate the house;
- purchase new electrical appliances and modern technical devices;
- abandon some household appliances and do the work manually.
Why save energy?
If saving money on your electricity bills isn't a strong incentive for you, then look at the problem differently.Electricity is produced by thermal power plants, which emit many harmful substances into the atmosphere daily by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and, consequently, natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity will help preserve nature.If everyone consciously tackles environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We bring to your attention the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Home lighting - ways to save energy
Lighting costs when using incandescent lamps account for approximately a third of all electricity costs.
How to Reduce Energy Consumption Using Natural Lighting
Try to make the most of natural light during the day: open the curtains, raise the blinds.Light transparent curtains will make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not harm your eyesight and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it enter your home.Make the most of daylight hours.Move some tasks from late evening to morning to avoid artificial lighting.
Place the sofa and desk near the window.This way you can read without an additional light source.You can set up a relaxation area on the glass balcony.Try to prevent windows from being obscured by tall houseplants.There should also be no tree branches outside the window.
If you are renovating or building a house, plan in advance the location of large windows, light guides and skylights.Choose the right doors for your premises.For example, glass inserts in doors can let light into a dark hallway.
How to effectively save energy by zoning rooms
Divide the space into zones with different lighting brightness.Use various light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, night lights.Arrange them according to your light needs.For example, the room can accommodate:
- a large chandelier with several bulbs whose light is regulated by a two-button switch;
- floor lamp near the reading chair;
- table lamp with a daylight source on the desk.
It is more effective to add light to the desired area than to turn on bright general lighting.Do not replace the main lighting with additional light sources, as this may damage your vision.There should be no darkness in the room;Dim lighting can harm your health: leading to migraines and depression.Let's see how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right bulbs.
Which bulbs to use for lighting to reduce energy costs
If you use ordinary incandescent lamps, look at where in the apartment you can replace them with less powerful lamps.Better yet, replace this type of bulb with a more modern bulb.
Energy-saving lamps consume several times less electricity than their predecessors.They are more expensive but have a long lifespan.The investment will be profitable within a year.
Types of energy saving bulbs:
- Mercury bulbs.They consume 4 times less energy than incandescent bulbs.The only downside is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED bulbs.They appeared on the market recently, but have already proven their reliability and economy.They last even longer than mercury ones and do not contain harmful substances.The disadvantages of these lamps include their high cost.
How to get rid of the bad habit of leaving lights on
The easiest way to avoid wasting electricity is to not leave the lights on when leaving the room.The habit of not turning off the electricity often leads to the fact that the light bulb remains lit even when a person leaves for work.You can combat this with reminder notes stuck on front doors.The inscription could be: “Before you leave, turn off the lights!”», “Check the lights, the water, the iron, the gas!”It is very convenient if there is a switch near the door that can be used to cut off the power to all the light bulbs in the house.
How to save on home lighting using new technologies
- Motion sensors that turn on lights when a person appears;
- Light sensors that do not allow artificial lighting to be turned on during the day;
- A switch with a timer that turns the bulb on for a certain time;
- Programs that turn on electricity by zones, depending on the lighting level and time of day.
- Remote controls allow you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- Adjustable switches to adjust the brightness of the lighting.
- Light bulbs that store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heating in the house.How to reduce energy consumption?
With the onset of cold weather, people are increasingly turning on electric heaters.Insulating your home will help keep it at a comfortable temperature before turning on the central heating, without using electrical appliances.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double-glazed windows.If this is not possible, use mounting tape to insulate window and door openings.Covering windows for the winter will eliminate heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses must ensure good thermal insulation of exterior walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, this will help keep the room warm during the cold season.In hot summer weather, such a house will be cool, so you will not need to turn on the air conditioning.Thus, insulating the house saves energy both in winter and in summer.
Maintain the optimal temperature in the room.It should not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heater unless the temperature drops below this mark.This way you will not dry out the air in the room and, as a result, you will suffer less from ARVI.It is best to dress a little warmer if you are not comfortable in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your apartment using electrical appliances
First, let’s see which electrical appliances consume the most energy.These data are very approximate, but they allow you to know which equipment has the greatest impact on the amount of electricity spent per month.
| Device | Operating time, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| Television | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave | 1 | 1 |
| multicooker, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| fan heater | 2 | 5 |
| hair dryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric cooker | 4 | 3 |
| water heater 60-70 liters | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| fridge | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| incandescent lamp, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Unplug equipment you are not using
Leaving appliance plugs plugged into outlets wastes electricity.Equipment in sleep mode continues to use it.When leaving the house, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee maker;
- TV;
- computer;
- speakers;
- phone chargers;
- Hair dryer;
- food processor and other appliances.
This way you will not only save energy, but also protect your equipment from voltage surges and short circuits, which can cause a fire.Your efforts will be rewarded at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old equipment with new models with a high energy saving class
Previously, manufacturers did not set the goal of producing energy-saving household appliances.Today, the situation has changed radically;the energy consumption of household appliances continues to decline.Devices that consume little electricity are among the best in their category.They are also not cheap, but the money invested in them pays off within a few years.It therefore makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is advisable to change the refrigerator and washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a Class A appliance whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- A few simple rules will help you reduce your electricity costs.
- Load the dishwasher completely instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure the refrigerator door closes securely and do not leave it open for long periods of time.
- When cooking in an electric oven, do not open the oven door too often so as not to reduce the heat inside the oven.Additional electricity will be required to restore the previous temperature.
- Set aside a day for laundry.This way you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not doing daily laundry.
- Do not heat a full electric kettle if you only need a cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical appliances unless necessary
Nowadays, advertising forces people to buy many household appliances.Some of them really make homework easier, while others are not necessary at all.You can prepare dinner for two people every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when you prepare for winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also helps keep the milk at a constant temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener, it is useful to use aromatic oil or simply ventilate the room more often.
Instead of using an electric dryer, you can hang your laundry on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, it is better to replace the electric kettle with a regular one.If you're worried about forgetting to turn it off, buy a kettle with a whistle.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents did housework without the help of sophisticated equipment.Think about what devices you can live without.
How to save electricity when heating water
The boiler not only heats the water, but also maintains its temperature at the same level all day.If you do not control the consumption of hot water, then you will have to pay a significant amount to heat it at the end of the month.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the boiler temperature too high, this will reduce energy consumption for heating water during the day.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler will keep the water hot for a long time without additional heating.
- If you take a shower instead of a bath, you can reduce your water consumption by three times.As long as you don't spend more than 20 minutes in the shower.
- It is more economical to wash the dishes once a day.But if you don't like a mess, wash your plates in hot water in a bowl then rinse them under cold running water.
Search for alternative energy sources
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative energy source.When installing them, you should take into account the climate of the region and the number of sunny days per year.In the southern regions of the country, solar panels are successfully used in large houses.Electricity stored in batteries connected to solar panels can be used to light the house and heat water.
Conclusion
Energy saving methods don’t have to be complicated.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid wasting electricity.Efficient use of electricity will not limit your freedom, because you can take care of nature and its resources while benefiting from the achievements of progress.As an added bonus to reducing your energy consumption, you will benefit from a significant reduction in your utility bills at the end of the month.