Many people are concerned with the question: How can you save energy at home?You can do this in different ways:
- rational use of natural light and insulation of the house;
- Purchase of new electrical appliances and modern technical devices;
- Avoid some household appliances and do the work manually.
Why save energy?
If saving on electricity costs is not a strong incentive for you, then look at the problem differently.Electricity is generated by thermal power plants, which emit many pollutants into the atmosphere every day by burning natural fuels such as coal, oil and gas.Pollution leads to global warming and, as a result, natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity contributes to the preservation of nature.If every person consciously addresses environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We bring to your attention the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Lighting in the house – ways to save energy
The lighting costs when using incandescent lamps are about a third of all electricity costs.
How to reduce energy consumption by using natural light
Try to make the most of natural light during the day: open curtains, raise blinds.Bright, transparent curtains make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not harm your eyesight and helps you deal with a bad mood.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 means you can read without an additional light source.You can set up a relaxation area on the glazed balcony.Try to prevent windows from being obscured by tall houseplants.There should also be no branches outside the window.
If you are renovating or building a house, plan the location of large windows, light pipes and glass roofs in advance.Choose the right doors for your premises.For example, glass inserts in doors can bring light into a dark hallway.
This is how you effectively save energy by zoning rooms
Divide the room into zones with different lighting brightness.Use different sources of light in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, wall lamps, night lights.Arrange them depending on your lighting needs.For example, the hall offers space for:
- a large multi-bulb chandelier with light controlled by a two-button switch;
- floor lamp next to the reading chair;
- Table lamp with daylight source on the desk.
It is more effective to add light in the desired area than to turn on bright general lighting.However, do not replace the main lighting with additional light sources, as this can damage your eyesight.There should be no darkness in the room;Dim light can have a negative impact on your health, leading to migraines and depression.Let's look at how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right light bulbs.
Which light bulbs should be used for lighting to reduce energy costs?
If you use regular light bulbs, check 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 use many times less electricity than their predecessors.They are more expensive but have a long lifespan.The investment will pay for itself within a year.
Types of energy saving lamps:
- Mercury bulbs.They use four times less energy than incandescent bulbs.The only downside is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED light bulbs.They have only recently appeared on the market, but have already proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last even longer than mercury and do not contain any 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 you go to work.You can counteract this by sticking reminder notes on the front doors.The inscription could read: “Before you leave, 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 new technologies can help you save on lighting in your home
- motion sensors that turn on the 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 lights the bulb for a certain time;
- Programs that turn on the power in zones depending on the level of lighting and time of day.
- Remote controls allow you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- Rotatable switches to regulate the brightness of the lighting.
- Light bulbs that store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heat in the house.How can energy consumption be reduced?
With the onset of cold weather, people are increasingly turning to electric heaters.Insulating your home allows you to keep it at a comfortable temperature without using electrical appliances before turning on the central heating.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double glazing.If this is not possible, insulate window and door openings with mounting tape.Covering the windows in winter prevents heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses should ensure good thermal insulation of the external walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, this will help keep the room warm during the cold season.In hot summer weather, such a house stays cool, so you don't have to turn on the air conditioning.Thus, insulating the house helps to save energy in both winter and summer.
Maintain the optimal temperature in the room.The temperature should not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heater until the temperature drops below this mark.In this way, you do not dry out the air in the room and therefore suffer less from ARVI.It's better to dress a little warmer if you don't feel comfortable in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your home by using electrical appliances
First, let's figure out which electrical appliances consume the most energy.These data are very approximate, but they allow you to find out which devices have the greatest impact on the amount of electricity used per month.
| Device | Operating time, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| TV | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave | 1 | 1 |
| Multicooker, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| Oil heating | 12 | 6 |
| Fan heater | 2 | 5 |
| Hairdryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| Electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| Water heater 60-70 liters | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| Refrigerator | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| Kettle | 1 | 1 |
| Incandescent lamp, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Unplug devices you are not using
Leaving device plugs plugged into electrical outlets wastes electricity.Devices in standby mode continue to use it.When you leave the house, unplug the power cord:
- Kettle;
- coffee machine;
- TV;
- Computer;
- sound speakers;
- phone chargers;
- hairdryer;
- food processor and other appliances.
In this way, you not only save energy, but also protect your devices from surges and short circuits that can lead to a fire.Your efforts will pay off with significant savings at the end of the month.
Replace old devices with new models with a high energy saving class
Until now, manufacturers had not set themselves the goal of producing energy-saving household appliances.Today the situation has changed dramatically;The energy consumption of devices continues to fall.Devices with minimal power consumption are among the best in their class.They are not cheap either, but the money invested pays off in a few years.Therefore, it makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is recommended to replace the refrigerator and washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a Class A device whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances carefully
- A few simple rules will help you reduce your electricity costs.
- Load the dishwasher fully instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure the refrigerator door closes tightly and do not leave it open for long periods of time.
- When cooking in an electric oven, do not open the oven door too often to avoid reducing the heat in the oven.To restore the previous temperature, additional power is required.
- Take a day to do laundry.This way you can load your washing machine to capacity and save money by not doing laundry every day.
- Don't heat a full kettle if you only need a cup of boiling water.
Only use electrical appliances when absolutely necessary
Nowadays, advertising forces people to buy many household appliances.Some really make homework easier, others we don't actually need.You can make dinner for two every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when preparing for winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can also use a thermos.It also ensures that the milk remains at a constant temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener, it makes sense to use aromatic oil or simply ventilate the room more often.
Instead of using an electric dryer, you can also hang your laundry on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, it is better to replace the kettle with a regular one.If you're worried about forgetting to turn it off, buy a kettle with a whistle.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents used to do housework without the help of sophisticated technology.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 hot water consumption, you will have to pay a significant amount for hot water heating at the end of the month.
How to save hot water:
- If you do not set the temperature on the boiler too high, you can reduce the energy consumption for hot water production during the day.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler helps the water stay hot for a long time without additional heating.
- By showering instead of bathing, you can reduce your water consumption by three times.The prerequisite is that 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.
Search for alternative energy sources
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative source of energy.When installing, you need to take into account the climate of the region and the number of sunny days per 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 home and heat water.
Conclusion
Energy saving methods don't have to be a hassle.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid wasting electricity.Efficient use of electricity does not restrict your freedom, because you can protect 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 electricity bill at the end of the month.