The twenty-first century has given man many inventions and possibilities, state-of-the-art gadgets and devices that operate primarily from the electrical grid. The home of any inhabitant of planet Earth today is literally filled with a wide variety of devices that give light and heat, help cook food, wash clothes, store perishable foods longer, and even learn something new and have fun. . However, many have already noticed that paying for electricity can create a big "hole" in the household budget. It makes sense to understand how to save electricity in an apartment or private house to significantly reduce your monthly expenses, freeing up funds that can be spent for other purposes.
The main ways to save energy
The question of how to save electricity, especially in homes where electric stoves and water heaters are installed, constantly arise in front of consumers, especially in the current crisis situation of the national and world economy. Payment for the energy supply of a private house or even an ordinary average apartment occupies one of the first places in the expenses of the family budget for utility bills. Regardless of stability or real financial situation, saving is always relevant, as no one wants to throw money away and this is an absolutely correct decision. Let's see how experts and experts in their field offer themselves to save energy.
Interesting
Properly saving electricity at home will significantly, almost triple, reduce the cost of paying for utilities, so it's worth taking this issue seriously. If it seems to you that turning off the lights in the room on time doesn't really affect your overall score, it makes sense to just conduct an experiment and find out how much money you've lost each month before you start paying attention.
There are three main methods of saving on electricity, around which everything else revolves, which are their derivatives.
- The use of new technologies (purchase of household appliances, gadgets and other household appliances with a higher level of economy), which can require significant financial investments.
- Competent use of mains powered equipment.
- Theft of electricity from the state.
We will discuss the first two ways of saving in our article in more detail, but it is recommended to immediately abandon the third, as jokes with the state can end badly, and instead of saving, you will receive additional costs for fines and sometimes litigation.
Simple ways to save energy at home
Most people do not even imagine how much electricity this or that device, used regularly, "eats" in a month, hence the lack of understanding of how it can be saved. First of all, when buying new devices and equipment, you should always find out what energy consumption it has, it is this indicator that will indicate what kind of electricity consumption it takes.
Approximate data for comparison
According to statistics, the main items of expenditure are formed through the use of some basic household appliances, available in almost all households.
- Electric stoves can absorb 20% to 30% of monthly consumption.
- The refrigerator is considered the most serious household appliance, as it never turns off, as a result of which it consumes about 30% of electricity.
- Light bulbs and other lighting bodies "shake" about 16-19% of the total.
- A modern washing machine costs around 15%.
- The rest of the household appliances and office equipment, including vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, computers, chargers, etc. , absorb about 20% of the total electricity bill.
Therefore, it is thanks to the competent and deliberate use of these devices that it is possible to significantly reduce the expenses of the family budget for this article. Let's take a closer look at how you can honestly and legally save on electricity and save your hard-earned cash.
Let there be light!
It is noteworthy that many consumers do not think at all that a colossal amount of budget funds can be spent on lighting an apartment. It is optimal to purchase cleaning bulbs, which only the lazy have not heard of today. The government has even banned the production of conventional incandescent lamps for sale to ordinary citizens, with a capacity of 100 watts or more. There is talk of the fact that soon even the fifty-watt lamps will become outlawed, giving way to "maids". But not only LEDs and energy-saving light bulbs will help save electricity. There are some tips you should always follow.
- Turn off the lights when you move from room to room. If this is difficult for you or there are many small children in the house who have difficulty explaining the essence, you can install special heat sensors. They won't cost much, but they will turn off the light as soon as the person leaves the room.
- Take care to have multiple light sources in the room, depending on your needs, so as not to constantly turn on the ceiling light there, which consumes more.
- You can feel from the nose that cleaning is not only a guarantee of health, but also of energy saving. Wash the windows and blinds of the chandeliers more often so that the light can enter your apartment freely and unobstructed. According to the research of scientists, the level of lighting with dirty windows is reduced to 28-36%, which is a lot.
- When planning to make repairs, make sure that the furniture and walls reflect more light flux. Light tones will help reflect up to 85%, and dark tones only 10-13%.
People who have already taken advantage of just these tips already say that this way you can save at least 10-15% of your bill without straining, and this is already a pretty serious achievement.
Energy saving technology and its correct application
Another very effective way to save electricity in a private house or apartment is to buy a new one, equipped with energy-saving systems, appliances and other appliances in regular use. Modern energy-saving appliances are even specially labeled, with letters from G to A +++. The former will consume a lot of energy, but in the case of the latter the savings will be the most significant.
It is worth choosing for yourself the cheapest devices that will save you money. Also, don't be afraid to buy the latest in science and technology, such as induction hobs, super cheap washing machines or micothermic heaters. But that's not all, as all of these devices still need to be used properly to minimize costs.
- Always unplug all electrical appliances when they are not needed. It would appear that they are not working, but the small light on the panel is still on, which means that the kilowatts are slowly spinning. If in a month such a waste is insignificant, in a year it will become already more impressive, and if calculated in ten years, you will want to take your head.
- If you have purchased a refrigerator that does not have a No Frost system, you will need to defrost it regularly. A good housewife knows that the more ice there is in the freezer, the more the device "pulls".
- Buy special cookware for electric stoves and select them so that the size of the bottom matches the burner as closely as possible. When cooking, always cover the pans with a lid and use a medium-low heat. This avoids heat loss and saves over 10%.
- Do not overload the washing machine with too many things, it is better to divide the wash in half, this will be cheaper and the appliance will remain in better condition.
- Do not install the refrigerator near stoves or heating devices, otherwise its energy consumption will increase significantly.
- Do not forget to regularly remove the limescale that has formed on the walls of the kettle, as it will significantly lengthen the heating time of the water, which will increase consumption and increase the cost of electricity.
The most advanced users install in their homes or apartments not only infrared sensors, solar panels for heating, but also electrical sockets with timers, where they can "plug in" a TV or computer. Even if you fall asleep, such a "smart" socket will simply turn off the gadget and you will have to pay less for the light.
Two-tariff meter and urban heating
Experts recommend that those who can use energy-efficient appliances install dual-tariff electricity meters in their households. They allow you to pay at the same rate during the day, and from 11pm to 7am at a completely different, significantly reduced rate. It won't be difficult to wash or turn on the heating and dishwasher overnight and the savings will be substantial. The cost of such a device is considerable, and you will have to shell out yourself by submitting an application to the power grid department, but in just one year it will pay off and save you money.
- You cannot "heat the street", that is, take care of the proper thermal insulation of a private house or apartment, change windows, insulate the walls, all this will pay off and you will have to spend less money on heating.
- Infrared heaters that heat only that part of the living space where there is a living creature show themselves excellently.
- The boiler should not be kept on all the time, even if it all depends on the daily water consumption, that is, on the number of people living in the house. By leaving or going away for a long time, as well as at night, you can turn it off and on again in the morning.
- Set the optimum water temperature in the heater, do not keep it at maximum. Three or four times a year, the boiler must be cleaned of scale accumulated there, which also significantly increases the consumption of electricity.
- Regularly wash batteries and other heating devices if they are mains powered, as dirt, dust and debris will significantly increase consumption and reduce efficiency.
Smart home system
The West has long promoted an innovative invention: the "Smart House" system, which significantly advances humanity towards the future. A great system will help you easily save electricity in a private house, as well as in an apartment, since you can install it anywhere and anytime. This invention provides for the installation of a variety of sensors and modern remote systems that themselves regulate the level of lighting or heating, the temperature of the water supply, the switching on and off of the stove, computer, TV, dishwasher or air conditioner.
True, you'll have to fork out, but it's definitely worth it. Already a year later, you will fully recover the funds spent and begin to notice how significant the confidence in the benefits of using new technologies and scientific advances in everyday life can become.