The price of energy carriers is rising regularly, 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 think much about it, since the costs of utilities did not eat the lion's share of the budget, now the situation has changed dramatically.
At the same time, using all modern possibilities to save energy, it is not necessary to use dim light at all, refuse to turn on the necessary devices and "rewind" meter readings, which threatens violators with impressive penalties. It is important to simply recognize and take for granted the need to save money and adhere to 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 - "Do I pay a lot for light (or electricity)? Is it possible to somehow reduce those payments? " But as a rule, the matter does not go beyond conversation. But in fact, not everything is so scary and difficult. Try to apply the rules described below (or at least some of them) and you will immediately notice the difference.
There are two ways to reduce your electricity bills:
- change our behavior a little
- we use modern technologies to save energy
In the first case, everything will depend only on us, that is. adhering to certain rules will reduce energy costs. Another way involves investing in the purchase of equipment and devices that can significantly reduce electricity consumption. But. . . . . By investing once, you can relax, the technique will do everything for you. And in most cases, the costs are paid within a year.
If we turn to statistics, then the approximate cost of electricity in the average apartment is distributed as follows:
- 25% - electric stove, kettle, microwave and other kitchen appliances
- 21% - refrigerator
- 20% - lighting
- 9% - washing machine, dishwasher
- 11% TV, computer
- 14% - the rest
Using this data, you can roughly calculate how much and what you can start saving on. Before you start, I advise you to write down how much energy you spend per month. Why? This will allow you to understand how much you really save by applying certain methods. The result will be visible immediately, and this will give you an extra boost.
Let's start with energy saving:
Turn off the light when you leave
Everyone knows the expression, just. . . . . for some reason we don’t use it at home. In vain, this is the easiest and most affordable way to save energy. Make it a rule to turn off the lights when you leave the room. The court can also be attributed to working TV. Such "surpluses" cost us about 30% of all lighting costs.
Energy saving lamps
Old incandescent bulbs consumed 100 watts, energy-saving - 20 watts. Energy saving 5 times. Now popular 5 watt LED lamps. Of course, they are more expensive than both, but with the same 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, LED lamps paid off in retaliation.
More natural light
Rooms with white or light wallpaper are brighter (sorry for the pun) because they reflect 90% of the light. For example, dark tones (closer to black) absorb up to 90% of the light that falls on them. Keep windows and lamps clean. Not very clean, dusty, they are able to retain up to 30% of light. Don’t bury the window sill with flowers and other nonsense. Place your workspace near a window. If you do not have enough light, use a low-power table lamp.
Multi-tariff meters (day-night)
The advantage is that many devices are always on (refrigerator) or in sleep mode (computers, TV, etc. ). Accordingly, in the evening and at night the cost of energy consumption will be reduced. If you switch some energy-intensive operations to evening ones (washing, cooking, ironing), the savings will become even more noticeable.
Turn off all devices
First of all, this is equipment that works in standby mode: computer, TV, microwave. air conditioning, water heater and many others. Calculate how many hours (or even minutes) a day you use this or that device. Microwave 15 minutes, TV - say 2-3 hours, etc.
It turned out that the devices work in standby mode for almost 24 hours - 20-23 hours. And all this time they are slowly "stealing" our energy, and therefore money. Each individual, of course, does not consume much, but takes in quantity. A year, standby mode costs about 3, 000 rubles.
Few people know, but many devices still consume energy even if they are turned off but not unplugged: hair dryer, phone charger.
smart technology
Use energy class A devices (therefore, the most energy-intensive class G). The difference in energy consumption, even among modern models, can vary significantly. What about outdated equipment (originally from the 90's and older). The difference in energy consumption can vary, no, not sometimes. Dozens of times!
Many models have an automatic save mode. For example, in washing machines and dishwashers, depending on the load, the system uses the optimal amount of water and energy, which reduces consumption by 30-40 percent. If you do not plan to change the equipment yet, we will save on what we have.
Appliances
Fridge
Proper installation away from direct sunlight, central heating and stoves will save you 20-30%. Additional measures: leave a space between the refrigerator and the wall for free air flow. Defrost more often - the more frost, the higher the energy consumption. There are no hot dishes in the fridge. Always cover all liquid dishes (soups, compotes). Remember, higher humidity equals higher energy consumption.
Washing machines and dishwashers
- Only work at full load.
- In fast and economical washing mode.
- Washing (washing) at low temperature (where washing at high temperatures is not necessary)
Cooking
- If you have gas in your apartment, you’re in luck. It is several times more economical than electricity.
- Cook with the lid closed.
- Always boil water only as needed.
- Pre-poured water for cooking in the pot heats itself to room temperature and the stove needs less energy for further heating and boiling.
- Residual heat. Turn off the stove 10-20 minutes before the end of cooking. Only cooked food will reach the desired state.
- Heat the dish in the microwave at once in one large plate - then you can divide it into portions for everyone.
ironing
- Too much and not enough dried laundry represents increased energy consumption. We use the golden mean.
- Turn off the iron 5-10 minutes before the end of ironing. We iron on the remaining heat.
- Use an iron with the automatic shut-off function.
Warming up
Up to 50% of heat loss in the 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 cracks in windows and doors (we use seals). If it's cold (not cold) in the house, don't rush to turn on the heater right away - sometimes it's enough to wear something warmer than clothes.
As you can see, it’s not that hard to start saving on electricity. You can easily save 30-50%, if you get a little confused, then you can generally reduce payments by 2-2, 5 times. The main thing is to turn on the "energy saving" mode in your head. You will immediately notice that payments will be reduced. Good luck with all your savings.