Today hardly anyone imagines a life without a refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, television, computer, hairdryer, kettle, mixer and other devices. All these objects surround us in everyday life and make our life easier in many ways.
However, one should not ignore the fact that electricity tariffs are constantly rising. Along with them, the graph of expenses in the family budget for paying for electricity increases. What to do? The answer to that question is one, and it lies on the surface - to start saving.
Electricity that is consumed beyond the specified standard is paid at higher tariffs. At the same time, the standard does not depend on the number of people living in the apartment or on their surroundings.
Energy saving techniques
The power consumption of household appliances depends on their operating time and specifications, usually indicated in the instructions or on the manufacturers' websites. Many modern devices have special operating modes "Eco" or "Economy" in which the least amount of energy is used. It is therefore worthwhile to set economical operating modes when operating devices. Experts also recommend buying electrical appliances only with high energy efficiency classes (A, A + and higher).
We save on lighting the apartment
The cheapest and most common for lighting an apartment today are incandescent lamps. They are easy to use, but have a very low level of efficiency. Up to 95% of the energy is used for heating and only 5% for lighting. Another disadvantage of these lamps is that they often burn out.
The service life of halogen lamps is two or four times the service life of incandescent lamps. However, they are not energy-saving and have one major disadvantage: the light bulb cannot be touched with your hands even when the lamp is switched off and cold. Fingerprints burn it out.
Fluorescent lamps are more efficient. This 20 W lamp provides the same lighting as a 100 W incandescent lamp. The life of fluorescent lamps can reach 20, 000 hours, while incandescent lamps last no more than 1, 000 hours. However, fluorescent lamps contain mercury. The phosphor decays over time. This reduces the light output and affects the light transmission.
LED lamps are among the most environmentally friendly and versatile. They are superior to incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps in terms of energy efficiency, durability, safety and lighting. The lifespan of LED lamps ranges from 50, 000 to 100, 000 hours. Their main disadvantage is the high price.
We save on the fridge and kitchen appliances
Fridges should be installed in the darkest and coolest places in the kitchen. This saves energy for cooling the rear grill.
Do not place the refrigerator near windows, radiators, or stoves. If it is a two-compressor and one chamber is not in use, it is better to turn it off.
If the kitchen is equipped with a gas stove, it is preferable to heat the water on the stove rather than in the kettle. This helps to save energy.
If you are using a kettle, fill it with as much water as you are using at the same time. Your loved ones heat the water again and you have additional energy consumption.
If you are using an electric stove, switch the hotplate off 1-2 minutes before cooking. Choose pots that are the size of the oven, otherwise you will lose up to 5-10% of your energy. Crockery with a curved bottom uses up to 40-60% of the energy in excess.
If you use the microwave to reheat or defrost food, select the correct setting. It is stated in the instructions.
Prefer a hand mill to a food processor. This not only helps save energy, but also helps you chop food better.
Save money in the washing machine
Read the instructions for the "Washer" carefully. The more water the machine absorbs, the higher the temperature and the more energy is used for washing. The machine consumes more than 15% of the energy under load. If the program is installed incorrectly, the power consumption is approx. 30%.
We save the work of iron
Try to iron damp laundry. When you dry it, you need to heat the iron more intensely to iron it and, accordingly, use more electricity.
We save on cleaning the premises
When vacuuming, empty the dust bags often or replace them if you are using disposable bags. The accumulation of large amounts of garbage in the bag will cause the vacuum cleaner to overheat and consume significant energy.
We save in the standby mode of devices
Devices left on the network that are turned off do not consume much power. But you can save that too. If you want to save energy, don't forget to turn off your television, stereo or video player over the network. In addition, there are many cases where electronic equipment that is left on the power grid burn out during a thunderstorm or accident.
Save money on computers and the Internet
Try to use your computer for longer. When you leave the house, turn it off. This extends the operation of expensive devices and saves electricity.
Remember that an LCD monitor or laptop uses less power than an older monitor and desktop computer.
Cell phone "chargers" that stay on the network for a long time do not consume much power. However, these are switching power supplies. In the network, they can overheat and deteriorate. God forbid there is a fire in the apartment. Unfortunately there are such cases.
We save in public areas
In addition to the devices in your home, pay attention to the consumption of electrical devices in the public areas of a residential building - lamps, elevators, video surveillance, fire alarms, forced ventilation, etc. Energy efficiency and economical uses help you to reduce the costs of maintaining your housereduce.