The presence of a large number of lighting devices and many units of household appliances that consume electricity is a common occurrence in a city apartment. It is quite understandable that a modern person wants to live comfortably, interestingly and conveniently. But all these benefits of civilization are becoming more "greedy", while the resource itself is becoming more expensive. Monthly electricity bills are getting huge. Having received the next receipt, many have to think about how to save electricity in the apartment, so as not to give a significant part of their budget to the state. If you approach solving this problem responsibly, it is possible to do so.
Pay attention to lighting if you want to save energy
To save electricity, start by converting old lighting fixtures and the interior of your apartment. Out of habit, most people use the central ceiling light of large, bulky chandeliers powered by several bulbs. At the same time, outdated models with a glowing spiral are used. In winter, it gets dark early, which means you have to turn on the lighting for a long time. As a result, monthly electricity bills increase in size.
And this is a reason to save light and replace ordinary light bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent or LED bulbs. They cost a lot more, but they differ advantageously in that they don't consume much electricity for their work and, at the same time, are designed for a long service life. In this way, the one-off acquisition costs translate into sustainable savings in the future.
Also, to reduce the total kilowatt hours:
- keep lamps, lampshades and windows clean;
- make the most of natural light;
- paste on the walls with light wallpaper;
- turn off the light in the room when no one is there for a long time.
Use localized area lighting and low power lighting fixtures. If necessary, install motion sensors that turn off the light in an empty room. This will help you save a lot of energy in the house.
Save energy for the most powerful consumers
The refrigerator is the most expensive appliance in terms of energy consumption, as it has to work around the clock to save food. To save on electricity in the apartment, use one of the modern low-energy models (marked by manufacturers as class A). That said, you shouldn't buy the larger device. Choose the right amount of equipment based on the needs of the family.
You can pay less with an old refrigerator if its replacement is not yet possible. Because of this:
- Defrost the freezer regularly (except for models with "No Frost" system).
- Periodically check the tightness and tightness of the door gaskets.
- Only place dishes and pans inside that have cooled to room temperature.
- Air the kitchen if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees.
- Place the refrigerator away from heating appliances.
- Provide adequate and constant ventilation to the rear of the device.
The electric stove is another powerful consumer of electricity, but in this case there are several measures that can help reduce costs. Save money:
- Preheat the oven strictly at the time indicated in the recipe, not in advance.
- Turn off the stove a few minutes before the food is ready, using the heat of the hot plates for cooking.
- Use flat-bottomed cookware exactly the size of the heating element.
- Don't use excess water to cook instant meals; cover the pots with lids.
- Use an electric kettle to boil water for tea.
By following these simple rules, the savings can be substantial.
Bathroom appliances can consume less electricity
The washing machine is an indispensable appliance in everyday life, but it absorbs up to 20% of the current consumed. This is on the condition that all the possibilities of the technique are used incorrectly. At the same time, it is quite possible to save electricity in the apartment, but it is quite possible to wash it not by hand. To do this, wash off the stains first. Load the clipper to the maximum allowed, but do not overload it. Choose the washing mode that best suits the fabric:
- cotton;
- synthetics;
- wool.
Give preference to the quick and economical washing mode. If the laundry is not very dirty, set the temperature regulator to 30-40 degrees. This will help reduce energy consumption and thus the payment amount.
Another device is an electric boiler. It allows you to always have hot water at hand, but to make heating water really economical, it needs to be positioned and configured correctly. To do this, install the boiler as close as possible to the bathroom so that the liquid does not cool when passing through a long water supply. Optimize the boiler operating mode by adjusting the ignition and shutdown times of the resistance. Clean the heating element from the balance from time to time, increasing its heat output.
Don't pay for what you don't use
Today you can indulge in fun and entertainment without even leaving your apartment. For this, there are color televisions, personal computers, laptops, stereos and DVD players.
To save energy, turn them on only when needed and turn them off when you are away from the room for a long time. A couple of hours of work in vain - and in a month, depending on the model of the device, several tens of kW more can "run".
Therefore, turn off the TVs with the remote control, and also put them in standby mode:
- all night long;
- when you leave for work.
For a long absence, it is best to disconnect the cable completely.
Computers are a technique that can be found in almost any home. There are rules for saving electricity for this category of electrical appliances. Powerful components like a processor, graphics card, and widescreen monitor usually require a significant amount of power in a stationary device. In this regard, notebooks are much cheaper.
In order not to pay too much and save energy, set the desired value in the PC power consumption settings. If you don't want to close programs, put your computer to sleep. Turn on all peripheral devices connected to it via the surge arrester:
- printers;
- scanner;
- modem.
Turn them off at the end of the session. Completely unplug your laptop or computer if you don't use it for a long time. The savings in electricity and money will soon be visible.
Do not heat, but heat
Central heating in the apartments has one feature. They turn it on according to the schedule, and the coolant does not always meet the required temperature. For this reason, many are used to using electric heaters, convectors, etc. The early onset of cold weather, old radiators and non-glued frames for the winter can also force them to turn on additional heat sources.
All this contributes to the fact that the apartment becomes cool and uncomfortable. Heaters are convenient in that, with their small size, they allow you to quickly heat the air in the room to the required temperature, but at the same time the devices consume a lot of expensive electricity for their operation. The power of an installation is measured in several kilowatts, so it is not difficult to calculate how many rubles per month such an apartment heating can cost.
Therefore, in order to save energy, it is more beneficial to take measures to increase the energy efficiency of the house: change old window frames and doors, insulate the walls, wash or install new heating radiators. Of course, this requires a serious investment early on, but in the long run it is profitable, as you will have to pay less for the light.
Install new meters to save energy
Saving electricity in an apartment with a meter is also possible thanks to metering devices. The old meters familiar to everyone are designed for a tariff, regardless of the time of day when the resource is consumed. For those who have few utilities connected in the house and are not used often, this does not matter. Owners of large apartments and a lot of equipment can benefit from the installation of modern two-tariff metering devices.
Due to the lower cost of 1 kilowatt per night, the use of powerful equipment is much cheaper. It mainly includes installations with heating elements: washing machines and dishwashers, bread machines, water heaters. Such devices can easily be programmed to work at a convenient time and you will have to pay less. Energy savings can amount to around 25% of the previous payment amount, which is undoubtedly beneficial.
