The price of power carriers is rising regularly, so the question of how to save electricity at home is becoming more and more important. It should be noted that if about ten or fifteen years ago an average family of three did not think particularly about this, as the cost of utilities did not eat up the lion’s share of the budget, now the situation has changed dramatically.
At the same time, using all the modern possibilities for energy saving, it is not at all necessary to use dim light, refuse to turn on the necessary equipment and "turn on" the meter readings, which threatens violators with impressive fines. . It is important to simply recognize and take for granted the need to save money and adhere 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 on electricity. We all sometimes ask ourselves the question - "Am I paying too much for electricity (or electricity)? Is it possible to somehow reduce these payments? " But as a rule, the issue goes no further than conversations. But in fact, not everything is so scary and difficult. Try to follow the rules outlined below (or at least some of them) and you will immediately notice the difference.
There are two ways to reduce your electricity bills:
- we change our behavior a little
- we use modern energy saving technologies
In the first case, everything will depend only on us, d. m. th. Adherence to certain rules will reduce energy costs. The second method involves investing in the purchase of equipment and devices that can significantly reduce electricity consumption. But . . . . . once you have invested once, you can relax, the technique will do everything for you. And in most cases, the costs are paid within a year.
If we turn to statistics, then the approximate costs in an average apartment of electricity are distributed as follows:
- 25% - electric stove, kettle, microwave and other kitchen appliances
- 21% - refrigerator
- 20% - lighting
- 9% - washing machine, dishwasher
- 11% TV, computer
- 14% - other
Using this data, you can calculate approximately how much and in what you can start saving. Before you start, I advise you to write down how much energy you consume per month. For what? This will allow you to realize how much you are actually saving by applying certain methods. The result will be visible immediately and this will give you an extra boost.
Let's start saving energy:
Turn off the light when you leave
Everyone knows the expression, alone. . . . . for some reason we do not use it at home. In vain, this is the easiest and most affordable way to save energy. Make sure the lights go out when you leave the room. The court can also be attributed the same as a functioning TV. Such "excesses" cost us about 30% of all lighting costs.
Energy saving lamps
Old incandescent bulbs consumed 100 watts, energy saving - 20 watts. Save energy consumption by 5 times. Now popular LED lamps with a power of 5 watts. Sure, they are more expensive than both, but with the same lighting fixtures, they consume MUCH less energy and last longer. Do not be stingy and buy. The main thing is to choose the ones that have a great warranty - about 2 years. Within a year, LED lamps are rewarded with a vengeance.
More natural light
Rooms with white or light-colored wallpaper are lighter (sorry for the word) as they reflect 90% of the light. For example, dark tones (closer to black) absorb up to 90% of the light that strikes them. Keep windows and lamps clean. Not very clean, dusty, they are able to hold up to 30% of light. Do not confuse the window sill with flowers and other nonsense. Place your workspace next to a window. If you do not have enough light, use a low-power table lamp.
Multi-tariff meter (day-night)
The benefit is that many appliances are always on (refrigerator) or in sleep mode (computers, TVs, etc. ). Therefore, in the evening-night time, the cost of energy consumption will decrease. If you spend some energy-intensive operations in the evening (washing, cooking, ironing), the savings will become even more apparent.
Turn off all appliances
First of all, this is the device that works in standby mode: a computer, a TV, a microwave oven. air conditioner, water heater and many more. Count how many hours (or even minutes) a day you use this or that device. In the 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 during all this time they are slowly "stealing" our energy, and therefore our money. Each individual, of course, does not consume much, but they get in quantity. For a year, the standby mode costs us about 3000 rubles.
Few people know, but many appliances still consume power even if they are turned off but not unplugged: hair dryer, charger.
smart technology
Use appliances with energy class A (therefore, the most energy consuming is class G). The difference in power consumption, even between modern models, can vary significantly. What can we say about obsolete equipment (originally from the 90s and older). The difference in energy consumption can change, no, not sometimes. Dozens of times!
Many models have an automatic saving mode. For example, in washing machines and dishwashers, depending on the workload, the system uses the optimal amount of water and energy, thus reducing consumption by 30-40 percent. If you do not plan to change equipment yet, we will save on what we have.
Equipment
freezer
Proper installation away from direct sunlight, central heating and stoves will save 20-30%. Extra measures: leave a gap between the refrigerator and the wall for free air circulation. Defrost more often - the more frost, the higher the energy consumption. No hot meal in the fridge. Always cover all liquid dishes (soups, compotes). Remember, higher humidity equals higher energy consumption.
Washing machine and dishwasher
- Only work at full load.
- In fast and economical washing mode.
- Washing (washing) at low temperature (where washing at high temperatures is not needed)
cooking
- If you have gas in your apartment, you are in luck. It is several times more economical than electricity.
- Boil with the lid closed.
- Always boil water only as much as needed.
- The pre-poured water for cooking in the pan heats up to room temperature and the stove needs less energy to heat it up and boil it further.
- Residual heat. Turn off the stove 10-20 minutes before the end of cooking. The cooked dish itself will reach the desired state.
- Heat the dish in the microwave on a large plate - then you can divide it into portions for everyone.
ironing
- Excess and less dried laundry is an increased energy consumption. We use the golden mean.
- Turn off the iron 5-10 minutes before ironing is completed. Iron on the remaining heat.
- Use an iron with an automatic closing function.
Warm up
Up to 50% of heat loss in an apartment occurs through windows and doors. Our actions are either plastic windows (they reduce heat consumption by 80% immediately), or a more economical option - we close all cracks in windows and doors (we use seals). If the house is cool (not cold), do not rush to turn on the heater right away - sometimes it is enough to wear something warmer than clothes.
As you can see, it's not that hard to start saving on electricity. You can easily save 30-50%, if you get a little confused, then you can generally reduce payments by 2-2, 5 times. The main thing is to activate the "energy saving" mode in your head. You will immediately notice that payments will decrease. Good luck with all your savings.