The prices of energy carriers are regularly increasing, so the question of how to save electricity at home is becoming more and more relevant. It should be noted that if the average family of three didn't particularly think about this about ten or fifteen years ago, since utility costs didn't eat up the lion's share of the budget, now the situation has changed dramatically.
At the same time, with all the modern ways of saving energy, it is not at all necessary to use dim lighting, refuse to turn on the necessary devices and "rewind" the meter readings, which threatens violators with impressive fines. Important, the need to save money, simply acknowledging and taking for granted and adhering 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 electricity. We all sometimes ask ourselves the question: "Am I paying a lot for light (or electricity)? Is it possible to somehow reduce these payments? "But beyond conversations, as a rule, it does not go. But in reality everything is not 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 electricity bills:
- easily change our behavior
- We use modern energy saving technologies
In the first case, everything depends only on us, i. H. Compliance with certain rules reduces energy costs. The second method is to invest in buying devices and devices that can significantly reduce electricity consumption. But . . . . . once you invest, you can relax, technology will do everything for you. And in most cases, the costs are amortized within a year.
If we turn to statistics, the approximate cost of electricity in an average apartment is distributed as follows:
- 25% - electric stove, kettle, microwave oven and other kitchen appliances
- 21% - refrigerator
- 20% - lighting
- 9% - washing machine, dishwasher
- 11% television, computer
- 14% - other
Using this data, you can roughly calculate how much and where you can start saving. Before you start, I advise you to write down how much energy you use per month. What for? This way you can understand how much you really save by using certain methods. The result is immediately visible and gives you an additional incentive.
Let's start saving energy:
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 dish can be attributed, as well as a working TV. Such "excesses" cost us about 30% of all lighting costs.
energy-saving lamps
Old incandescent lamps consumed 100 watts, energy-saving - 20 watts. Saving energy consumption by 5 times. Now popular LED lamps with a power of 5 watts. Of course, they are more expensive than both, but with the same lighting brightness, they use MUCH less energy and last longer. Don't be stingy and buy. The main thing is to choose those that have a large guarantee - about 2 years. Within a year, LED bulbs will pay for themselves with a vengeance.
More natural light
Rooms with white or light colored wallpaper are brighter (sorry for the pun) as they reflect 90% of the light. For example, dark tones (closer to black) absorb up to 90% of the light that hits them. Keep windows and lamps clean. They are not very clean, dusty and can block up to 30% of the light. Do not overload the windowsill with flowers and other nonsense. Position your workspace near a window. If you don't have enough light, use a low wattage table lamp.
Multi-tariff meter (day-night)
The upside is that many devices are always on (fridge) or in sleep mode (computers, TVs, etc. ). Accordingly, in the evening-night time, the cost of energy consumption will decrease. If you shift some energy-intensive activities to the evening (washing, cooking, ironing), the savings are even more noticeable.
Turn off all devices
First of all, we are talking about devices that work in standby mode: a computer, a TV, a microwave oven. Air conditioning, water heater and many others. Count how many hours (or even minutes) you use this or that device a day. Microwave for 15 minutes, TV - say 2-3 hours, etc.
It turns out that in standby mode the devices work almost around the clock - 20 - 23 hours. And all the time they are slowly "stealing" us energy, and with it, money. Of course, each individual does not consume very much, but it increases in quantity. For a year, standby mode will cost us about 3, 000 rubles.
Only a few know it, but many devices still consume energy even when they are switched off but not unplugged: hair dryers, mobile phone chargers.
smart technology
Use devices of energy class A (class G is therefore the most energy-intensive). The difference in energy consumption can vary significantly even in modern models. What can we say about obsolete devices (originally from the 90s and older)? The difference in power consumption can vary, no, sometimes not. dozens of times!
Many models have an automatic saving mode. In washing machines and dishwashers, for example, the system uses the optimal amount of water and energy depending on the load, reducing consumption by 30-40 percent. If you're not already planning a gear change, we'll save on what we have.
domestic appliances
refrigerator
Proper installation away from direct sunlight, central heating and stoves saves 20-30%. Additional measures: Leave a gap between the refrigerator and the wall to allow air to circulate freely. Defrost more often - the more frost, the higher the energy consumption. No hot food in the fridge. Always cover all liquid foods (soups, compotes). Remember that higher humidity means higher energy consumption.
washing and dishwasher
- Only work at full load.
- In the mode of quick and economical washing.
- Washing (washing) at low temperature (where washing at high temperatures is not necessary)
Cook
- If you have gas in your home, you're in luck. It is many times more economical than electricity.
- Boil with the lid closed.
- Always boil water only as much as necessary.
- Pre-poured water for boiling in the pan itself warms up to room temperature, and the stove requires less energy to continue heating and boiling it.
- residual heat. Turn off the stove 10-20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. The cooked dish itself reaches the desired state.
- Heat the dish in the microwave all at once in a large plate - then you can divide it into portions for everyone.
iron
- Over- and under-dried laundry is an increased energy consumption. We use the golden mean.
- Switch off the iron 5-10 minutes before the end of ironing. We iron on the residual heat.
- Use an iron with an automatic switch-off function.
warm up
Up to 50% of the heat loss in an apartment is caused by 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 gaskets). If the house is cool (not cold), do not rush to turn on the heating immediately - sometimes it is enough to wear something warmer from clothes.
As you can see, it's not that difficult to start saving electricity. You can easily save 30-50%, if you are a little confused, 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 the payments go down. Good luck with all your savings.