To understand how to save energy in an apartment, you need to prepare for an integrated approach. Simply pressing a button to get the minimum bills will not work. And living without light is somehow not at all comfortable.
The importance of energy saving
While energy sources were worth only a penny, no one thought about the need to save electricity. But since then, as payment amounts have risen sharply, there has been considerable interest among the population in methods of saving electricity and other resources. Villagers are worried about how to save electricity in a private home, while city dwellers are looking for information on how to save electricity in an apartment.
The increase in tariffs is fully justified, because the planet is rapidly shrinking its stocks of inexhaustible energy resources, and the cost of producing them - on the contrary, is rising. Unfortunately, the salary of ordinary citizens of our country does not show such a frantic increase, so there is no other way out but to look for effective ways to save electricity.
There is another reason for saving - colossal loads on transformer substations. More and more electrical appliances show up in people’s homes every year. Of course, power lines and substations may not resist, they need to be repaired or replaced with more powerful ones.
Also, due to energy savings, emissions of processed products into the atmosphere and water sources are reduced. People who save resources make their humble contribution to the preservation of rivers, lakes and forests and help preserve the health of the nation.
Effective and legal way to save
Need reduction
How can you save energy at home without any additional equipment and investment? Summer very simple. You just have to think about how much light we really need and use the following tips from experienced innovators:
- Try to use less electric light. This does not mean going back to primitive times, when life activity took place only in daylight. You can simply try to do all the things that require bright lighting during the day, and in the evening limit yourself to one lamp to illuminate the rest of the work.
- When studying the question of how to save light in an apartment, you should know that the degree of lighting depends on the cleanliness of the lighting equipment. If the lampshade in the kitchen is covered with a layer of grease and "centuries-old" dust, then you should not expect bright light from it. And if the ceiling is clean, then light penetrates through it perfectly, which means you can use a smaller lamp.
- The windows also need to be washed more often because this way the daylight hours for you will last a little longer and you can turn on the electricity later.
- In chandeliers with several bulbs, you can light them not all at once, but one or two. For desk work, use a table lamp in combination with low overhead lighting.
- A very useful invention is a dimmer. Allows you to adjust the brightness of each luminaire.
- Replace standard incandescent bulbs for energy efficient models. Recently, many began to worry about the question: do LED lamps save energy? Experts are convinced that the future belongs to LED lamps, as they consume a small amount of energy, emitting a good amount of light.
- Turn off the lights when you leave the room. This, of course, is quite difficult if there are children in the home who are very difficult to learn with such a simple way of saving.
Use of multi-tariff meters
Electricity can cost differently at different times of the day. This is due to the fact that during the day it is consumed in large quantities, and at night the power plants operate almost without work. How to save energy with a meter that calculates the energy consumed during the day at the usual price, and for the night - allows you to pay 30% less? If the house has appliances that are used all the time (refrigerator, electric heating, etc. ), then the multi-tariff meter will help reduce the electricity bill. Washing can start at night and at the same time the power of the heating appliances to turn them off completely during the day can be increased.
Rational use of technology
In every home there are appliances that never go off the sockets. But not everyone knows that even in the "sleeping" mode, they draw electricity. Each individual device has a very small amount of such support power, but an impressive amount is obtained within a month. To prevent unnecessary loss, just pull the plugs of all the devices from the sockets during their "idle time".
Note: The use of old, low quality wires and a large number of extension cords and various pipes also increases electricity consumption in the home.
Technical innovations
People who dream of learning how to properly save electricity in an apartment should evaluate each of their home appliances. After all, older models of refrigerators and TVs consume a lot of energy, 2 times more than modern models. Gradually try to replace all obsolete equipment with low-energy models. Labels usually indicate the degree of economy, class A is more profitable.
Recently, more economical energy consumption classes have emerged, such as A +, A ++.
Smart devices are now starting to appear on sale, they are able to independently calculate the amount of detergent or laundry detergent based on the weight of dishes or linen and control water consumption. Refrigerators can enter super economy mode during owners vacation.
freezer
Probably, a million articles have already been written about the correct installation of the refrigerator and thousands of videos have been filmed, but our people, all the same, continue to stubbornly place this unit next to the heating coil, stove and on the sunny side. But in this case, the refrigerator heats up quickly from nearby heat sources and consumes much more electricity. It is also recommended to leave a small free space between the refrigerator and the wall in order to ensure the necessary air circulation.
It is also desirable that the room where the refrigerator is located be cool. Remember to defrost the cooling unit as needed and release it from the accumulated ice, making the appliance easier to operate and reducing its "energy appetite". Make sure the door is not damaged.
If you are thinking about how to reduce energy bills, then when buying a new refrigerator, do not "shake" the larger and larger model if there are 2-3 people living permanently in the house. After all, such a "colossus" consumes a lot of energy.
A vacuum cleaner
To prevent the vacuum cleaner from starting to receive more power from the mains than it should, it should be cleaned regularly and in time from the accumulated layers of dust, because, being full, it consumes 15-20% more. And also do not turn on / off the vacuum cleaner too often - it consumes more energy for these actions.
Electric stove
An electric stove is a very energy consuming device. You can reduce energy costs by following these recommendations:
- If the recipe for the dish does not indicate that the oven should heat up the moment the pan is placed in it, then you should not turn it on in advance.
- Turn off the hot plate 5-10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. There will be enough heat left to cook it.
- Frying pans should always be covered with a lid.
- When boiling eggs and vegetables, add enough water to cover the food.
- It is important to use a good pan with a flat bottom. Ideal for an electric stove - pot and pan with a thick bottom.
- To boil water for tea or coffee, do not use a stove, but an electric kettle, because it will consume much less electricity for this process.
- For quick meals, use a microwave or a lot of cooking, not an oven.
washer
Summer very hard to imagine modern life without a washing machine, but also "eats" a lot of electricity - about 15% of total consumption. To save money, use these tricks:
- Wash with Quick and Economy mode
- Do not wash 2-3 items at once, but spoil the clothes until they are fully loaded. But you can not overload the car either.
- Use low temperature settings for normal washing.
Air Condition
To prevent the air conditioner from consuming too much electricity, work properly:
- Set the temperature to an optimum temperature enough to cool, not freeze, the room.
- Do not use the air conditioner with windows or doors open.
- When buying an air conditioner, be sure to calculate the area of the room to be cooled. Do not get too powerful for a small room because it is a waste of electricity.
- Be sure to clean the fans, filters and air conditioner grilles so that they do not have to run at high speeds.
Thermo
In the fall, winter and early spring, we often have to get different heat from the house baskets. After all, the heat often turns on and off for a very long time. So we use heaters that consume energy, even though such heat is very expensive.
To reduce the need for heating, even in relatively warm weather, take care to insulate everything you can: windows, walls, floors, etc. Older windows are better replaced with plastic ones. And if that's not possible, then at least try to close all the cracks and crevices in the frames and near the glass. Up to 50% of the heat is removed through them. Do the same manipulations with the front doors.
If the heater is already on, and the batteries are still cold, then you should call a master who will check if there is water in them.
Use of solar energy
Solar energy has long been actively used in many countries with warm climates. Some even managed to completely abandon all other sources. Technology is very attractive, but without government support, it often turns out to be an overwhelming task for individual households, as solar panels and other structural elements are very expensive and pay off over many years.
To know how to save electricity with the help of the sun, it is advisable to read special literature and determine the necessary characteristics of a solar station at the project stage. Many people try to do the whole structure on their own, but they do not take into account all the nuances and difficulties, so they often fail.
Wind energy
Home wind generators in regions with high air mass activity can significantly reduce electricity costs, and if there is a separate meter, they can also make money on the electricity produced. But such devices, as well as solar stations, cost a lot of money and require installation by specialists.
It happens that the owners of such power plants incorrectly calculate the power of wind currents, and this leads to forced downtime of expensive equipment.
Smart Home Systems
To automate the operation of all appliances in the house, special equipment and a software program are used, which also controls the level of power consumption. Sensors are placed throughout the house that take readings and determine the amount of electricity used in each room. The computer analyzes and proposes solutions to optimize energy use.
The system will not work on its own, it must be programmed for a specific house or apartment. But when all the occupants of the house are dispersed in the morning for their business, the system will turn off the air conditioner or lighting in the kitchen, lock the door or start washing.
Installation of motion sensors
Instead of buying a rather expensive "Smart Home" system, you can switch to "a little blood" and install motion sensors indoors. After all, we often simply forget to turn off the light when we leave the house or fall asleep with the light. But if the rooms are equipped with motion sensors, then they themselves will turn off the lighting. They can be adjusted so that the light goes out only 5-10 minutes after the person leaves the room. After all, children are constantly running back and forth, and adults can move around the house very quickly.
Such a sensor is very useful in the hallway, where light is needed only for the passage to another room. In order not to constantly roll the key or keep the light on in the hallway constantly, you can place the sensor and live quietly. Now on sale are energy saving lamps with integrated motion sensors.
Saving electricity is not very difficult, you just have to tune in and agree on it with all the members of the house. The main obstacle is ourselves and our beliefs. As soon as we realize the need to save money, it immediately turns out that the bills for light are small.