Today, hardly anyone imagines their life without a refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, TV, computer, hair dryer, electric kettle, mixer, and other appliances. All these objects surround us in everyday life and in many ways make life easier for us.
However, the fact that electricity rates are constantly increasing should not be discounted. Along with them, increase the graph of expenses in the family budget to pay for electricity. What to do? The answer to this question is one, and it is on the surface: start saving.
Electricity used in excess of the established standard is paid at higher rates. At the same time, the standard does not depend on the number of people living in the apartment or on its area.
Energy Saving Techniques
The electrical consumption of household appliances depends on their operating time and technical specifications, which are usually indicated in the instructions or on the manufacturers' websites. Many modern devices have special "Eco" or "Economy" operating modes, which consume the least amount of power. Therefore, when operating devices, it is worth establishing inexpensive modes of operation. Experts also advise buying home appliances of high energy efficiency classes (A, A + and higher).
We save on apartment lighting
Incandescent lamps are the cheapest and most common for lighting an apartment. They are easy to operate, but have very low efficiency. Up to 95% of energy is spent on heating and only 5% on lighting. Another disadvantage of these lamps is that they often burn out.
The lifespan of halogen lamps is two or even four times that of incandescent lamps. But they do not save energy and have a big drawback: the bulb, even when the lamp is off and cold, cannot be touched with your hands. Fingerprints make it burn.
Fluorescent lamps have higher efficiency. This 20 W lamp provides the same illumination as a 100 W incandescent lamp. The lifespan of fluorescent lamps can reach 20 thousand hours, while incandescent lamps last no more than 1000 hours. However, fluorescent lamps contain mercury. Phosphorus degrades over time. This reduces the light output and impairs the transmission of light.
LED bulbs are among the most environmentally friendly and versatile. They are superior to incandescent and fluorescent lamps in terms of energy efficiency, durability, safety and lighting. The service life of LED lamps ranges from 50 thousand to 100 thousand hours. Its main drawback is its high price.
We save on refrigerators and electrical appliances
Refrigerators should be installed in the darkest and coolest places in the kitchen. This saves energy to cool your rear grill.
Avoid placing the refrigerator near a window, radiator or stove. If it is with two compressors and a chamber is not used, it is better to turn it off.
If the kitchen is equipped with a gas stove, then it is preferable to heat the water on the stove and not in the electric kettle. This will help save energy consumption.
If you use an electric kettle, fill it with as much water as you use at one time. Your loved ones will reheat the water and you will have additional energy consumption.
When using an electric stove, turn off the heating plate 1-2 minutes before the end of cooking. Choose pots that match the size of the stove, otherwise you will lose up to 5-10% of their energy. Crockery with a curved bottom consumes up to 40-60% excess energy.
When using the microwave to reheat or defrost food, choose the correct setting. It is indicated in the instructions.
Prefer a hand grinder over a food processor. This will help not only to save energy, but also to grind food better.
Save money on the washing machine
Study the "washing machine" instructions carefully. As a general rule of thumb, the more water the machine draws, the higher its temperature, the more energy is used to wash. When underloaded, the machine consumes about 15% more of the energy. If the program is installed incorrectly, the power consumption is approximately 30%.
We save on iron work
Try ironing wet clothes. If you dry it, you will need to heat the ironing iron more and therefore use more electricity.
We save on cleaning the premises
When vacuuming, empty the dust collection bags frequently or replace them when using disposable bags. The accumulation of large amounts of garbage in the bag causes the vacuum cleaner to overheat and consumes significant energy.
We save in the standby mode of the devices
The turned off appliances left on the grid do not consume much electricity. But you can also save on this. If you decide to save energy, be sure to turn off your network TV, stereo, or video player. Also, there are many cases where electronic devices left on the electrical grid burn out during a storm or accident.
Save money on computers and the Internet
Try to use your computer for a longer time. When leaving home, turn it off. This will prolong the operation of expensive equipment and save electricity.
Remember that an LCD monitor or laptop consumes less power than an older monitor and desktop computer.
"Chargers" for mobile phones, which remain on the network for a long time, do not consume much electricity. However, these are switch mode power supplies. In the network, they can overheat and deteriorate. God forbid there is a fire in the apartment. Unfortunately, there are such cases.
We save in common areas
In addition to household appliances in your apartment, pay attention to the consumption of household appliances in the common areas of an apartment building: lamps, elevators, video surveillance, fire alarms, forced ventilation, etc. Energy efficiency and economical modes of use can help you save your home maintenance costs.