The modern apartment is full of all kinds of electrical appliances without which people can no longer imagine their lives. That is why residents of an ordinary two- or three-room apartment often receive electricity bills for 200-300 kW. However, energy savings in the apartment are possible, and we will consider options on how to save electricity in the apartment using meters.
General directions of savings
First of all, residents should determine which devices consume the most energy. A home wattmeter can help with that. With its help, you can find out how much electricity an individual device (refrigerator, TV, hair dryer, iron) consumes when it is turned on or in standby mode.
By conducting such an analysis of energy consumption, it is possible to develop savings measures.
During the next renovation of the apartment it is necessary:
- Replace an old electrical installation that was set up decades ago and was not designed for so many electrical devices. Using a larger cable, rational layout and increasing the number of secure sockets will avoid connecting extension cables and T. This is the path to economy and fire safety.
- Wallpaper or paint the walls and ceiling in bright colors that will prolong the use of sunlight in the room. Remove all bulky items from window sills and hang transparent light curtains.
- Consider zoning the apartment and install lighting fixtures of the required power accordingly (general lighting, floor lamps, table lamps, lamps). If possible, replace chandeliers and blinds with more transparent ones that absorb less light, after which it will be possible to use less powerful lamps.
- Insulate walls, replace windows, close doors. All this will allow less frequent inclusion of additional heating systems.
- Install a two-phase meter and use energy-intensive devices after 11 pm, when the tariff is significantly lower.
- Replace old incandescent bulbs with more modern energy-saving ones or LEDs. This will save 70-80% on the cost of your home lighting.
Proper use of electrical appliances
If possible, you should say goodbye to old energy-intensive electrical appliances. Modern devices are much more attractive, practical and economical. Energy efficiency class A, A +, A ++ means that this device is the most economical today. However, even when using old appliances, you can save energy in the apartment.
- Electric stove. Cook the food on partial power after boiling the water, closing the pan with a lid. Use only utensils, cleaned of carbon deposits, flat bottom and appropriate size (preferably stainless steel), use an espresso pot in which the cooking temperature is higher due to impermeability. Replace burnt spirals in burners in time. following all these tips will save you up to 60%.
- Place the refrigerator in a cool, well-ventilated place. The door should be closed and opened as seldom and for as short a time as possible. The refrigerator should not be completely filled with dishes and food, because the air in it should circulate freely. Only place food containers in the refrigerator when they have cooled to room temperature.
- Audio and video equipment must be constantly cooled by air current. Do not leave it on standby. It is better to place the TV and computer monitor in an evenly lit place to reduce the brightness and contrast of the screen.
- Computer. When you stop working on it, after a while the monitor goes into standby mode, and then the whole computer. The user can set the time after which the monitor will "fall asleep".
- The vacuum cleaner should be regularly cleaned of accumulated dust, this will increase its traction and reduce energy consumption.
- The washing machine must be filled according to the standard stated in the passport. Insufficient workload is just as unprofitable as overload.
- The electric kettle should be regularly cleaned of limescale, which reduces the thermal conductivity of the heating element.
- Only switch on the air conditioner with the windows and doors closed.
- Chargers for electronic devices that are not disconnected from electricity consume the electricity used to heat them.
How to save electricity in the apartment folk remedies
Often such a formulation does not hide completely legal methods of saving money, but theft from an energy company. There are a lot of advertisements on the Internet such as "saving electricity in the apartment with a magnet".
- Strong neodymium magnets (NdFeB) are most commonly used to slow down counters. These magnets can stop or slow down electromechanical (induction) meters, both single-phase and three-phase. Electronic meters do not react to magnets, except for devices where the measuring part is not electronic. However, it should be noted that from such an impact, up to 30-40% of the meters break down, and if they are replaced in the power supply, they can conduct a magnetization test and bring the deceiver to justice through the courts.
- Various economists are also actively offered. The manufacturers claim that with its help, the electrician is used more rationally, and the lifespan of electrical devices is extended. In this case, the device has no effect on the counter. After a detailed examination, it was found that these devices have the simplest device: several LED diodes and a 5 microfarad film capacitor. This device may have the least effect on the reactive energy of a low power device, such as a fluorescent lamp. However, the housing meter takes into account only active energy and does not react to reactive energy. So, such economists are pure fraud.
It can be concluded that there are many ways you can save electricity in the apartment, however, it is better to use legal methods than illegal and overwhelmed with difficulties of technical and legal nature.