Many people are concerned about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in different ways:
- rational use of natural lighting and insulation of the house;
- purchase of new electrical devices and modern technical devices;
- giving up some household appliances and doing work manually.
Why save energy?
If saving on electricity bills is not a strong incentive for you, then look at the problem differently.Electricity is produced by thermal power plants that emit many harmful substances into the atmosphere every day by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and, as a result, natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity will help preserve nature.If every person consciously deals with environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We present you the best ways to efficiently save energy at home.
Lighting in the home - ways to save energy
Lighting costs when using incandescent bulbs are about one-third of all electricity costs.
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 will make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not damage your vision and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it into your home.Make the most of the 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 equip a space for relaxation on the glazed 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, then plan in advance the location of large windows, light pipes and glass roofs.Choose the right door 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.Use different light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, night lights.Arrange them depending on your lighting needs.For example, the hall can accommodate:
- a large chandelier with several bulbs, the light in which is regulated by a switch with two keys;
- a floor lamp near a reading chair;
- table lamp with a source of daylight on the work surface.
It is more effective to add light to the desired area than to turn on bright 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;Dimmed light can negatively affect your health: 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 to use for lighting to reduce energy costs
If you use regular incandescent bulbs, see where in the apartment you can replace them with less powerful 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 service life.The investment will pay off 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 have recently appeared on the market, but have already proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last even longer than live 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 the lights on
The easiest way to avoid wasting electricity is to not leave the lights on when you leave the room.The habit of not turning off the electricity often leads to the light bulb burning even when the person leaves for work.You can combat this with reminders taped to the front door.The inscription could be: "Before leaving, turn off the lights!", "Check the lights, water, iron, gas!"It is very convenient if there is a switch near the door that can turn off all the light bulbs in the house.
How you can 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 on the bulb for a certain time;
- Programs that include electricity in zones, depending on the lighting level and 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 accumulate electricity during the day.
Electricity and heating in the house.How to reduce energy consumption?
With the onset of cold weather, people are turning on electric heaters more and more.Insulating your home will help you keep it at a comfortable temperature before turning on the central heating, without using electrical appliances.
Start insulating your premises by replacing old windows with modern plastic constructions with double glazing.If this is not possible, then use mounting tape to insulate window and door openings.Covering windows for the winter eliminates heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses should take care of good thermal insulation of external walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, it will help to keep the room warm during the cold season.In hot summer weather, such a house will be cool, so you won't have to turn on the air conditioner.Therefore, the insulation of the house helps to save 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.In this way, 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 apartment by using electrical appliances
First, let's understand which electrical appliances consume the most energy.This data is very approximate, but it allows you to find out which equipment has the biggest impact on your monthly electricity consumption.
| Device | Working hours, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| TV | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave | 1 | 1 |
| multicooker, steam cooker | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| fan heater | 2 | 5 |
| hair dryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| boiler 60-70 liters | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| refrigerator | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| incandescent light bulb, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Turn off equipment you are not using
Leaving appliances plugged into outlets wastes electricity.Standby equipment continues to use it.When you leave the house, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee machine;
- TV;
- computer;
- loudspeakers;
- chargers for telephones;
- hair dryer;
- food processor and other appliances.
In this way, you will not only save energy, but also protect your equipment from electric shocks and short circuits that can lead to fires.Your efforts will pay off at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old equipment with new, high-class energy-saving models
Previously, manufacturers did not set themselves the goal of producing household appliances that would save energy.Today, the situation has changed dramatically;device energy consumption continues to decline.Devices that consume minimal electricity are among the best in their class.They are also not cheap, but the money invested in them pays off in a couple of years.Therefore, it makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is advisable to change the refrigerator and the washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a class A appliance whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- Some simple rules will help you reduce your electricity costs.
- Fill the dishwasher all the way instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure that the refrigerator door closes well and do not leave it open for a long 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.
- Take a day to do laundry.This way, you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not doing laundry every day.
- Do not heat a full kettle if you only need one cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical appliances unless necessary
Today, advertising makes people buy many home appliances.Some of them really make homework easier, while others we don't really need at all.You can prepare dinner for two every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when you are preparing the winter house.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also works well to keep the milk at a constant temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener, it is useful to use aromatic oil or simply air the room more often.
Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, you can hang your laundry on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, then it is better to replace the electric kettle with an ordinary one.If you are afraid that you will forget to turn it off, then buy a kettle with a whistle.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents did household chores without the help of sophisticated equipment.Think about which devices you can do without.
How to save electricity when heating water
The boiler not only heats the water, but also maintains its temperature at the same level throughout the day.If you do not control the consumption of hot water, then at the end of the month you will have to pay a significant amount for heating.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the temperature on the boiler too high, this way you can reduce energy consumption for heating water during the day.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler will help the water stay hot for a long time without additional heating.
- If you shower instead of bathing, you can reduce water consumption by three times.This is provided 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 the mess, wash your plates with hot water in a bowl and then rinse them under cold running water.
The search for alternative sources of energy
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative source of energy.When installing them, you must take into account the climate of the area and the number of sunny days in a 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 do not have to be a problem.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid wasting electricity.Efficient use of electricity will not limit your freedom, as you can take care of nature and its resources and at the same time benefit from the achievements of progress.As a bonus for reducing your energy consumption, you will receive a significant reduction in your utility bill at the end of the month.