Tariffs increase monthly and utility bills increase. It’s time to think about how you can save electricity in your apartment. Using simple methods, it is not difficult to achieve 25% cost savings. Is there no reason to think about saving energy?
General recommendations
Big savings start with small habits. Many people know how to save energy in the house, it’s hard to get the family used to these simple rules. Turning off the lights when leaving the room, unplugging the chargers when the device is charging, using household appliances more efficiently, watching TV less time - small lifestyle changes can save you a lot of money.
Light can be saved with restrictions and using techniques used by Swedes and Scandinavians. Refusing heavy curtains, tulle gives the best illumination on the windows. Bright walls and floors reflect up to 80% of the sun’s rays, which means you 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 candles - it dims the light by a third of the pollution. Windows and doors with good thermal insulation, modern wiring and appliances are a waste, but they pay for themselves quickly by reducing utility bills.
The main ways to save energy
In an apartment and a private house, you can save energy for lighting, cooking and household appliances - reducing costs in both directions. Comfortable to work with, you can read with a table lamp without illuminating a 3-5 horn chandelier. You need to vacuum less often if you get rid of carpets and dust regularly. The correct use of household appliances, the choice of energy-saving lamps and appliances, the calculation of tariffs are the main sources of reasonable money.
Proper use of electrical appliances
Knowing secrets saves a lot of money. How to use household appliances correctly so as not to overpay for electricity?
- Appliances that do not require an uninterruptible power supply, such as a refrigerator, are better off unplugged at night. To do this, use line filters with convenient switches.
- Do not leave your computer, laptop, printer, or other equipment in standby mode. This reduces the annual payment cost of 200 kW.
- Only place the refrigerator away from heaters. The family’s habit of just looking at it that way - cooling energy consumption increases by 5% after the door is opened.
- Start the washing machine, the dishwasher only at full load. Use high quality household chemicals and low temperature conditions.
- After turning off, you can iron things that require gentle care with an iron. Iron your clothes only after a few sets have accumulated so as not to heat up the iron many times. After washing, the bedding is easy to straighten and fold nicely.
- Refuses to buy unnecessary equipment - electric fireplaces, coffee makers, heat tiles, decorative lamps do not contribute to savings. Their functions are often duplicated by other techniques.
Checking the shutdown of devices is a problem, but the cost savings are in the hands of the responsible owner. Saving energy in your home is as easy as creating new habits.
Purchase energy-efficient appliances
Purchasing the right equipment is an important part of saving. Modern technology saves money on electricity. What to consider?
- Energy efficiency class. It is better to choose category A or B. The Class A refrigerator consumes 130-300 kWh, increasing this value by 2-3 times for categories D and C.
- Size. A family of three probably doesn’t need a large refrigerator, is half empty, and you have to pay for its energy consumption.
- Modern technologies. Induction hobs only heat the bottom of the pan, their efficiency reaches 95%!
Portable solar batteries charge your smartphone, and they are also used to charge flashlights, which are used instead of night lights. Energy-saving modes are built into modern computers, tablets, it’s important not to be lazy and figure out how to use them correctly. Disabling and removing unnecessary applications will increase the operating time of your smartphone by 15-20%, which means you will have to spend less often.
LED light applications
Light is an affordable way to save money, many people know how to do it. The bulbs should be replaced with energy efficient ones. The incandescent lamp consumes 60 W, the fluorescent lamp consumes 15 W and the LED lamp consumes 8 W. The choice is obvious. You have to buy LED lamps from reliable manufacturers, they are more expensive but justify the cost due to long term use and result in tangible savings. What other benefits do they have?
- Turn on immediately.
- The base / ceiling does not heat up.
- The E27 and E14 bases fit 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. Within a month, the kilowatts saved will reduce the cost of electricity twice.
Set up two tariff meters
Dosing devices range with two tariffs: 7. 00 to 23. 00, 23. 00 to 7. 00. Installation pays off in a year if there are many electrical appliances in the home that can be turned on at night - washing machine and dishwasher, underfloor heating, air conditioning, and even if the owners come home late or work on the computer at night.
Saving in the kitchen
Most energy consuming appliances are in the kitchen. It has a stove, kettle, refrigerator, microwave. How can energy costs be reduced here?
- Defrost the refrigerator regularly if it is not equipped with a No Frost system.
- If possible, connect a gas stove.
- Buy thick-sided and bottom-out food - the food will turn off when you turn off the heating, you’ll have time to cook, and you’ll stay warm for longer.
- Boil water without reserve - as many cups as you want to drink.
- Use a thermos. If you fill it with boiling water in the morning, you will have enough water all day.
- The steamer or multicooker allows you to cook several dishes at once.
A wise housewife knows how to save energy without compromising quality of life. Regular descaling of the kettle, closing the pot when cooking, using the hob is a simple home-saving recipe.
Other ways to save
There are many ways on the Internet to reduce the cost of paying your bills. Embarrassed about how to save energy in an apartment with folk remedies, you can find household tricks used by residents to avoid paying electricity. This is the use of a magnet, a wire, to block the meter. On the question of how to save energy in the house, recommendations can be made for establishing zero contact and other illegal methods. The consequences of their use may be too unpleasant to seriously recommend such experiments.
Energy saving devices
Which technique helps you use less electricity? All energy-saving devices are designed to turn off equipment or lights in a timely manner.
Is it possible to save money with their help and how to do it - the owners of flats and private houses are thinking. What to do?
- Place motion and presence detectors in places where a person is for a short time: warehouse, hallway, toilet.
- Use permeable switches: at the beginning and end of the stairs, long corridor, keys are made to turn off the lights when they leave the room.
- Use a time relay. It is convenient to program the lamps on flowers, fan heaters and even 30-40 liter water heaters to operate for a certain period of time. There is no longer a need to monitor timely shutdown.
- Configure the thermostats. You can save household energy by setting the water temperature in the boiler, in the underfloor heating mode or in the electric boiler.
You can save money by installing useful tools in your home or house. If there is no owner during the day, the heating can be reduced by a few degrees during this period, so the thermostat raises the temperature an hour or two before the owners arrive.
How to save electricity in a private home
All the methods listed for apartments work for each residential building, but due to the larger area, they have their own characteristics. Saving electricity in a private house is no harder than in an apartment, you just need to know how. Heating is responsible for most of the costs. For underfloor heating, it is better to replace the electric boiler with gas or solid fuel heating. Well-insulated walls limit heat loss. The Russian stove and fireplace heat the room and lend originality to the interior.
Thrifty owners know how to easily save electricity in a private home. During the construction phase, a cellar or basement is planned to replace the refrigerator, as well as a summer kitchen where they cook using an oven or grill. Solar-powered lamps must be installed in the local area. In summer, the sun heats the water and the outdoor shower is energy-free.
Cottage owners know how to save energy in a private home - installing solar panels gives 120 kW per 1 square meter. m. The system requires investment, but can provide significant help in reducing the cost of resources.
Economy and environmental friendliness are the current priorities. If you consume energy wisely, you will save money for your vacation or study. Many people around the world care about saving electricity, which means conserving the planet’s resources.