Many people are interested in the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in different ways:
- Reasonable use of natural lighting and insulation for the house;
- Purchase new electrical equipment and modern technical equipment;
- give up some household appliances and do manual work.
Why save energy?
If saving money on electricity isn't a strong motivator for you, look at it another way.Electricity is produced by thermal power plants, which daily release many harmful substances into the atmosphere by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and consequent natural disasters.Using electricity effectively will help preserve nature.If each person is conscious of solving environmental problems, we can save this planet for our children and grandchildren.We bring to your attention the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Indoor lighting - how to save energy
Lighting costs when using incandescent lamps account for about 1/3 of total electricity costs.
How to reduce energy consumption by using natural light
Try to make the most of natural light during the day: open curtains, raise curtains.Light transparent curtains will make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not spoil your eyesight and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it enter your home.Make the most of daylight hours.Move some work from late evening to early morning to avoid artificial light.
Place the sofa and desk near the window.This way you can read without the need for an additional light source.You can equip a relaxation area on the glazed balcony.Try to keep windows from being obscured by tall indoor plants.There should also be no tree branches outside the window.
If you're renovating or building a house, plan ahead for the placement of large windows, light guides, and a glass roof.Choose the right door for your facility.For example, glass inserted into doors can let light into a dark hallway.
Effective way to save energy by zoning the room
Divide the space into areas of different brightness.Use many different light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, wall lamps, bedside lamps.Arrange them according to your lighting needs.For example, a hall may contain:
- a large chandelier with many light bulbs, the light is adjusted with a two-key switch;
- floor lamp near reading chair;
- desk lamp with daylight source on desktop.
It is more effective to add light to the desired area than to turn on general lighting.Just don't replace your main light source with additional light sources as this can ruin your vision.There should be no darkness in the room;Dim lighting can negatively affect your health: leading to migraines and depression.See how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right light bulbs.
Which light bulbs to use for lighting to reduce energy costs
If you use regular incandescent lights, find a place in your apartment where you can replace them with less powerful bulbs.Better yet, replace this type of light bulb with a more modern one.
Energy-saving lamps consume many times less electricity than previous lamps.They are more expensive, but have a long lifespan.The investment will pay off within a year.
Types of energy saving light bulbs:
- Mercury bulb.They consume 4 times less energy than incandescent bulbs.The only downside is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED bulbs.They have only recently appeared on the market but have proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last longer than mercury and do not contain harmful substances.The disadvantages of these lamps include high cost.
The way to break bad habits is to leave the lights on
The easiest 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 a situation where the light bulb stays on even when a person goes to work.You can combat this with reminder notes posted on your front door.The text could be: “Before you go, turn off the lights!”, “Check the lights, water, iron, gas!”It would be convenient if there was a switch near the door that could be used to turn off the power to all the lights in the house.
How you can save on home lighting costs with new technology
- Motion sensor turns on the light when someone appears;
- The light sensor does not allow artificial light to be turned on during the day;
- A switch with a timer lights the bulb for a certain time;
- Power-on programs by zone, depending on lighting level and time of day.
- The remote control allows you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- The switch can be rotated to adjust the brightness of the light.
- Light bulbs store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heat in the home.How to reduce energy consumption?
With the onset of cold weather, people increasingly turn on electric heaters.Insulating your home will help keep the temperature comfortable before turning on the central heating without the use of electrical appliances.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double-glazed windows.If this is not possible, use tape to insulate windows and doors.Covering windows for the winter will eliminate heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses should take care of good 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, such a house will be cool, there is no need to turn on the air conditioner.Thus, insulating the house helps save energy both in winter and summer.
Maintains optimal temperature in the room.It should not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heater unless the temperature drops below this level.This way you will not dry the air in the room and, therefore, you will be less susceptible to ARVI.It's better to dress a little warmer if you don't feel comfortable staying in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your apartment using electrical appliances
First, let's find out which electrical device consumes the most energy.These data are very approximate but they allow you to find out which devices have the biggest impact on the amount of electricity consumed each month.
| Device | Operating time, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| television | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave oven | 1 | 1 |
| multi-function pot, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| heating fan | 2 | 5 |
| hair dryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| 60-70 liter water heater | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| fridge | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| Incandescent lamp, 100W | 8 | 0.8 |
Unplug devices you are not using
Leaving the appliance plugged into an outlet will waste electricity.Devices in standby mode continue to use it.When leaving home, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee maker;
- TV;
- computer;
- audio speakers;
- phone charger;
- hair dryer;
- food processing machines and other equipment.
This way, you not only save energy but also protect your devices from power surges and short circuits that can lead to fires.Your efforts will pay off at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old equipment with new models that are highly energy efficient
Previously, manufacturers did not set themselves the goal of producing energy-saving household appliances.Today the situation has changed significantly;Energy consumption of devices continues to decrease.The devices' minimal power consumption is one of the best in its class.They aren't cheap either, but the money invested in them will pay off after a few years.Therefore, it is reasonable to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, the refrigerator and washing machine should be replaced.For maximum energy savings, choose Class A equipment whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- Some simple rules will help reduce your electricity costs.
- Fill the dishwasher instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure the refrigerator door is tightly closed and not left open for long periods of time.
- When cooking with an electric oven, do not open the oven door too often to avoid reducing the heat inside the oven.Additional electricity will be needed to restore the previous temperature.
- Take a day to do laundry.This way, you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not having to do laundry every day.
- Do not heat a full electric kettle if you only need one cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical equipment unless necessary
Nowadays advertising forces people to buy many household appliances.Some of them really make homework easier, while others we really don't need at all.You can prepare dinner for two people every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy as you prepare for winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also has a good effect in keeping milk at a constant temperature.Instead of using an electric air freshener, it is helpful to use aromatic oils or simply ventilate the room more often.
Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, you can dry your clothes on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, it is better to replace the electric kettle with a regular stove.If you're afraid of forgetting to turn it off, buy a kettle with a buzzer.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents used to do housework without the help of modern devices.Think about what equipment you can do without.
How to save electricity when heating water
The boiler not only heats the water but also maintains the temperature at the same level all day long.If you do not control your hot water consumption, then at the end of the month you will have to pay a significant amount for heating.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the temperature on the boiler too high, this way you can reduce the energy consumption for heating water during the day.
- The boiler's good insulation will help keep water hot for a long time without having to heat it further.
- If you shower instead of bathing, 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 more economical to wash dishes once a day.But if you don't like the mess, wash the plate with hot water, put it in a bowl and then rinse with cold water.
Search for alternative energy sources
In a private house, solar panels can be used as an alternative source of energy.When installing them, you need to take into account the climate of the area and the number of sunny days a 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 the house and heat water.
Conclude
Energy saving methods don't have to be a hassle.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid wasting electricity.Efficient use of electricity will not limit your freedom, because you can take care of nature and its resources, and benefit from the achievements of progress.As a reward for reducing energy consumption, you will receive a significant reduction in your utility bills at the end of the month.