A modern apartment is crammed with all kinds of electrical appliances, without which people can no longer imagine their lives. Therefore, residents of an ordinary two- or three-room apartment often receive electricity bills of 200-300 kW. However, it is possible to save energy in an apartment and we will look at ways to save electricity in an apartment with a meter.
General savings tips
First of all, residents should determine which devices use the most energy. A household wattmeter can help. With its help, you can find out how much electricity a certain device (refrigerator, TV, hairdryer, iron) consumes in switched on or in standby mode.
Such an analysis of energy consumption can be used to develop savings measures.
The next time you renovate an apartment, you should:
- Replace old electrical wiring that was installed decades ago and wasn't designed for so many electrical appliances. The use of a larger cable, a rational arrangement and an increase in the number of safe sockets avoid the connection of extension cables and T-pieces. This is the way to economy and fire protection.
- Wallpaper or paint walls and ceilings in light colors that extend the use of sunlight in the room. Remove any bulky items from the window sills and hang transparent light curtains.
- Think about zoning the apartment and accordingly place lighting devices of the required power (general lighting, floor lamps, table lamps, wall lamps). If possible, replace the chandeliers and shades with more transparent ones that absorb less light. After that, lamps with a lower wattage can be used.
- Insulate walls, replace windows, seal doors. All of this makes it possible to turn on additional heating systems less often.
- Install a two-phase meter and use energy-intensive equipment after 11 p. m. when the tariff is much lower.
- Replace old light bulbs with more modern energy saving or LED light bulbs. This will save 70-80% on your home's lighting costs.
Correct use of electrical appliances
If possible, you need to 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. But you can also save energy in the home when using old devices.
- Electric oven. After boiling the water, cook the food on partial power and close the pan with a lid. Only use cookware that has been cleaned of carbon deposits and has a flat bottom and the right size (preferably stainless steel), use a pressure cooker in which the cooking temperature is higher due to its tightness. Replace burned-out spirals in the burners in good time. If you follow all of these tips you can save up to 60%.
- Put the refrigerator in a cool, well-ventilated place. The door should be well sealed and opened as rarely and for a short time as possible. The refrigerator should not be completely filled with dishes and food, as the air inside should circulate freely. Do not put pots of food in the refrigerator until they have cooled to room temperature.
- Audio and video equipment must be constantly cooled by a stream of air. Don't leave it on standby. It is better to put 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 will go into standby mode, and then the whole computer. The user can set the time after which the monitor "falls asleep".
- The vacuum cleaner should be cleaned of accumulated dust regularly, this will increase its traction and reduce energy consumption.
- The washing machine must be loaded according to the standard indicated in the passport. Undercharging is just as unprofitable as overcharging.
- The kettle should be regularly cleaned of limescale deposits that impair the thermal conductivity of the heating element.
- Only turn on the air conditioning with the windows and doors closed.
- Electronic device chargers that are not unplugged use electricity that is used to heat them up.
How to save electricity in an apartment using folk remedies
Such a formulation does not usually conceal entirely legal methods of saving, but simply stealing from an energy company. There are many advertisements on the Internet such as "Save electricity in an apartment with a magnet".
- Powerful neodymium magnets (NdFeB) are most commonly used to slow down the counter. These magnets can stop or slow down both single-phase and three-phase electromechanical (induction) meters. Electronic meters do not respond to magnets, except for devices in which the measuring section is not electronic. However, it should be noted that with such a crash, up to 30-40% of the meters will fail, and if they are replaced in the power supply, they can perform a magnetization test and bring the fraudster to justice.
- Various economists are also actively offered. Manufacturers claim that with its help the electrician is used more rationally, the service life of electrical appliances is extended. In this case the device has no effect on the counter. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that these devices have the simplest device: multiple LEDs and a 5 microfarad film capacitor. This device has the least effect on the reactive energy of a low-powered device such as a fluorescent lamp. However, the apartment meter only takes active energy into account and does not react to reactive energy. Hence, such economists are an outright scam.
From this it can be concluded that there are many ways in which you can save electricity in an apartment, but it is better to use legal methods than illegal ones and fraught with technical and legal problems.