Many people are concerned about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in several ways:
- reasonable use of natural lighting and insulation of the house;
- purchase of new electrical appliances and modern technical devices;
- giving up some household appliances and doing the work by hand.
Why should we save energy?
If saving money on your electricity bill isn't a strong incentive for you, look at the problem differently.Electricity is produced by thermal power plants, which release many harmful substances into the atmosphere every day by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and consequently to natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity helps preserve nature.If everyone consciously deals with environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We would like to draw your attention to the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Home lighting - energy saving methods
Lighting costs account for about one-third of all electricity costs when using incandescent lamps.
How to reduce energy consumption by using natural lighting
Try to make the most of natural light during the day: open the curtains, raise the blinds.Light transparent curtains make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not harm your vision and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it into your home.Make the most of the daylight hours.To avoid artificial lighting, transfer some tasks from late evening to morning.
Place the sofa and desk near the window.So you can read without an additional light source.A relaxation area can also be created on the glazed balcony.Make sure windows are not blocked by tall indoor plants.There should be no tree branches outside the window either.
If you are renovating or building a house, plan the placement of large windows, skylights and glass roofs in advance.Choose the right doors for your rooms.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 light intensities.Use various light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, lamps, night lights.Arrange them according to your light needs.For example, you can place in the room:
- a large chandelier with several bulbs, in which the light is controlled by a two-key switch;
- floor lamp near the reading chair;
- table lamp with a daylight source on the table.
It is more effective to illuminate the desired area than to turn on strong general lighting.Just do not replace the main lighting with additional light sources, as this can damage your vision.There should be no darkness in the room;low light can negatively affect your health: it can lead to migraines and depression.Let's see how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right light bulbs.
Which bulbs should be used for lighting in order to reduce energy costs
If you use traditional light bulbs, see where in the apartment you can replace them with lower wattage ones.Better yet, replace this type of bulb with a more modern one.
Energy-saving lamps consume several times less electricity than their predecessors.They are more expensive but have a long life.The investment will pay for itself within a year.
Types of energy-saving light bulbs:
- Mercury bulbs.They consume four times less energy than incandescent lamps.The only downside is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED bulbs.They appeared on the market recently, but have already proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last even longer than mercury ones and do not contain harmful substances.Among the disadvantages of these lamps is the high cost.
How to get rid of the bad habit of leaving the lights on
The easiest way to avoid electrical waste is to not leave the lights on when you leave the room.The habit of not turning off the electricity often results in the fact that the light bulb is burning even when a person goes to work.You can combat this with reminders stuck on front doors.The inscription can be: "Turn off the lights before leaving!", "Check the lights, water, iron, gas!"It is very convenient to have a switch near the door to turn off all the light bulbs in the house.
How to save lighting at home using new technologies
- Motion detectors that turn on the 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 lights the bulb for a certain period of time;
- Programs that turn on the power in the zones depending on the level of illumination and the time of day.
- Remote controls allow you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- Rotary switches to adjust the brightness of the lighting.
- Light bulbs that store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heat in the house.How can energy consumption be reduced?
With the onset of cold weather, people turn on the electric heating more and more often.If you insulate your home, you can keep it at a comfortable temperature without the use of electrical appliances before turning on the central heating.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double-glazed windows.If this is not possible, use masking tape to insulate window and door openings.Covering the windows in winter eliminates heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses must ensure good thermal insulation of external walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, it helps to keep the room warm in the cold season.In hot summer weather, such a house will be cool, so you don't have to turn on the air conditioner.In this way, the insulation of the house saves energy both in winter and summer.
Maintain the optimal temperature in the room.The temperature must not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heating if the temperature does not fall below this mark.Thus, you will not dry out the air in the room, and as a result, you will suffer less from ARVI.It is better to dress a little warmer if you are not comfortable in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your home by using electrical appliances
First, let's see which electrical appliances consume the most energy.These figures are very approximate, but will allow you to find out which equipment has the biggest impact on the amount of electricity you spend each month.
| Device | Operating hours, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| TV | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave oven | 1 | 1 |
| multicooker, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| bonnet | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| fan heating | 2 | 5 |
| hair dryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| water heater 60-70 liters | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| refrigerator | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| light bulb, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Unplug unused equipment
Leaving the device's plugs plugged in will waste electricity.Equipment in standby mode is still in use.When you leave home, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee maker;
- TV;
- computer;
- loudspeakers;
- phone chargers;
- hair dryer;
- food processing and other equipment.
In this way, you not only save energy, but also protect your equipment from current fluctuations and short circuits that can cause a fire.Your efforts will pay off with significant savings at the end of the month.
Replace old equipment with new models with a high energy-saving class
Previously, manufacturers did not aim to produce household appliances that save energy.Today, the situation has changed dramatically;the energy consumption of the devices decreases further.Devices that consume minimal current are among the best in their category.They are not cheap, but the money invested in them pays off in a few years.Therefore, it makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is advisable to replace the refrigerator and the washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a class A appliance whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- A few simple rules will help reduce the cost of electricity.
- Instead of washing in small batches, load the dishwasher full.
- Make sure the refrigerator door closes tightly and don't leave it open for long periods of time.
- When baking in an electric oven, do not open the oven door too often so as not to reduce the heat inside the oven.Additional current will be required to restore the previous temperature.
- Take a day to do laundry.This way you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not doing a daily load of laundry.
- Don't heat a full kettle if you only need a cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical appliances unless necessary
Nowadays, advertisements force people to buy many household appliances.Some of them really make homework easier, while others we don't need at all.You can prepare dinner for two every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy if you prepare for winter.
You can use a thermos instead of a yogurt maker.It also does a good job of keeping the milk at a constant temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener, it is worth using aromatic oil or simply airing the room more often.
Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, you can hang your clothes on the balcony.
If there is a gas stove in the house, it is better to replace the electric kettle with a conventional 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 sophisticated tools.Think about what tools you can do without.
How to save electricity when heating water
The boiler not only heats the water, but also keeps its temperature at the same level throughout the day.If you do not regulate the consumption of hot water, then at the end of the month you will have to pay a significant amount for its heating.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the boiler temperature too high, so you can reduce the energy consumption of water heating during the day.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler helps to keep the water warm 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.This is provided that you spend no more than 20 minutes in the shower.
- It is more economical to wash dishes once a day.But if you don't like the mess, wash the plates with hot water in a bowl and then rinse under cold running water.
Search for alternative energy sources
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative source of energy.When installing them, the climate of the area and the number of sunny days per year must be taken into account.In the southern regions of the country, solar panels are successfully used in large houses.The electricity stored in the batteries connected to the solar panels can be used to light the house and heat the water.
Conclusion
Energy saving methods don't have to be a problem.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid wasting electricity.Efficient use of electricity does not limit your freedom, because you can take care of nature and its resources, while at the same time benefiting from the achievements of progress.As a bonus for reducing energy consumption, you will receive a significant utility reduction at the end of the month.