Many people are concerned about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in several ways:
- rationally use natural lighting and insulate the house;
- purchase of new household appliances and modern technical devices;
- give up some appliances and do the job manually.
Why save energy?
If saving on your electricity bill isn't a strong incentive for you, look at the problem differently.Electricity is produced by thermoelectric power plants, which daily emit many harmful substances into the atmosphere by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and, consequently, natural disasters.The efficient use of electricity will help preserve nature.If every person consciously addressed environmental issues, we could save the planet for our children.We bring to your attention the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Lighting in the home: ways to save energy
Lighting costs when using incandescent lamps account for about a third of all electricity costs.
How to reduce energy consumption using natural lighting
Try to make the most of natural light during the day: open the curtains, raise the shutters.Lightweight and transparent curtains will make your home brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not damage your eyesight and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it enter your home.Make the most of daylight hours.Move some activities from late evening to morning to avoid artificial lighting.
Place the sofa and desk near the window.This way you can read without an additional light source.It is possible to equip a relaxation area on the glazed balcony.Try to keep windows from being obscured by tall houseplants.There should also be no tree branches outside the window.
If you are renovating or building a house, plan the location of large windows, light guides and glass roofs in advance.Choose the right doors for your premises.For example, glass inserts in doors can let light into a dark hallway.
How to effectively save energy by zoning rooms
Divide the space into zones with different lighting brightness.Use various light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, night lights.Arrange them according to your light needs.For example, the room can accommodate:
- a large chandelier with multiple bulbs, whose light is regulated by a two-key switch;
- floor lamp near reading chair;
- table lamp with daylight source on the desk.
It is more effective to add light to the desired area than to turn on bright general lighting.Just 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 negative effects on health: causing migraines and depression.Let's take a look at how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right light bulbs.
Which bulbs to use for lighting to reduce energy costs
If you use ordinary incandescent lamps, see 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 consume many times less electricity than their predecessors.They are more expensive, but have a long life.The investment will be repaid within one year.
Types of energy saving bulbs:
- Mercury bulbs.They consume 4 times less energy than incandescent bulbs.The only disadvantage is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED bulbs.They appeared on the market recently, but have already proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They also last longer than mercury ones and do not contain 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 simplest 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 fact that the light bulb is on even when a person leaves for work.You can combat this problem with reminders taped to your front doors.The writing could be: “Before leaving, turn off the lights!”, “Check the lights, water, iron, gas!”It is very convenient if there is a switch near the door that can be used to turn off all the light bulbs in the house.
How to save on home lighting using new technologies
- 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 timer switch that turns on the light bulb for a certain time;
- Programs that activate electricity in areas, depending on the level of lighting and time of day.
- Remote controls allow you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- Switches that can be rotated to adjust the brightness of the lighting.
- Light bulbs that store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heat in the house.How to reduce energy consumption?
As the cold weather arrives, people increasingly turn on electric heaters.Insulating your home will help you keep it at a comfortable temperature before turning on the central heating, without using electrical appliances.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures equipped with double-glazed windows.If this is not possible, use mounting tape to insulate window and door openings.Covering your windows for the winter will eliminate heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses should take care of good thermal insulation of external walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, this will help keep the room warm during the cold season.In the hot summer season, such a house will be cool, so you will not have to turn on the air conditioning.Therefore, insulating your home helps save energy in both winter and summer.
Maintain the optimal temperature in the room.It should not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heater unless the temperature drops below this mark.This way you will not dry out the air in the room and, as a result, you will suffer less from ARVI.It's best to dress a little warmer if you don't feel comfortable in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your apartment by using household appliances
First, let's find out which appliances consume the most energy.These data are very approximate, but they allow us to discover which equipment has the greatest impact on the amount of electricity spent monthly.
| Device | Operating time, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| television | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave | 1 | 1 |
| multicooker, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| fan heater | 2 | 5 |
| hairdryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| 60-70 liter water heater | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| refrigerator | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| incandescent lamp, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Unplug equipment you're not using
Leaving appliance plugs plugged into sockets wastes electricity.The equipment in standby mode continues to use it.When you leave home, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee maker;
- TV;
- computer;
- speakers;
- phone chargers;
- hairdryer;
- food processors and other household appliances.
This way you will not only save energy, but you will also protect your equipment from voltage surges and short circuits, which can cause a fire.Your efforts will pay off at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old equipment with new high-energy saving class models
Previously, manufacturers did not set themselves the goal of producing energy-saving household appliances.Today the situation has radically changed;the energy consumption of household appliances continues to decrease.Devices that consume a minimal amount of electricity are among the best in their class.They are also not cheap, but the money invested in them pays off in a couple of years.Therefore, it makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is advisable to change the refrigerator and washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a Class A appliance whenever possible.
Use appliances wisely
- Some simple rules will help you reduce electricity costs.
- Load the dishwasher full 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 the electric oven, do not open the oven door too often as this will reduce the heat inside the oven.Additional electricity will be needed to restore the previous temperature.
- Dedicate a day to laundry.This way you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not having to do daily laundry.
- Don't heat a full electric kettle if you only need a cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical appliances unless strictly necessary
Nowadays advertising forces people to buy many household appliances.Some of them really make tasks easier, while others we don't need at all.You can prepare dinner for two every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when making preparations for the winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also does a good job of keeping the milk at a consistent temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener it is useful to use aromatic oil or simply air the room more often.
Instead of using the electric dryer, you can hang your laundry on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, it is better to replace the electric kettle with a regular one.If you are afraid of forgetting to turn it off, buy a kettle with a whistle.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents performed household chores without the aid of sophisticated equipment.Think about what devices you can do without.
How to save electricity when heating water
The boiler not only heats the water, but also keeps its temperature at the same level throughout the day.If you don't control your hot water consumption, you will have to pay a significant amount to heat it at the end of the month.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the boiler temperature too high, this way you can reduce energy consumption for heating water during the day.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler will help keep water hot for a long time without additional heating.
- If you take a shower instead of a bath, you can reduce your water consumption by three times.This is provided that you spend no more than 20 minutes in the shower.
- It is cheaper to wash dishes once a day.But if you don't like mess, wash the dishes with hot water in a bowl and then rinse them with cold running water.
Search for alternative energy sources
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative energy source.When installing them, you need to take into account the climate of the area 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 your 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.An efficient use of electricity will not limit your freedom, because you will be able to take care of 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 bills at the end of the month.