The presence of a large number of lighting fixtures and many electricity-consuming appliance units is a common thing 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 and more "gluttonous", while the resource itself is becoming more and more expensive. The monthly electricity bills are huge. Having received the following 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 the solution of this problem responsibly, then it is quite possible to do it.
Pay attention to lighting if you want to save energy.
To save electricity, start by converting old light fixtures and the interior of your apartment. Out of habit, most people use the central ceiling light from large, bulky chandeliers that are powered by multiple bulbs. At the same time, outdated models with an incandescent spiral are used. In winter, it gets dark early, which means that you have to turn on the lighting for a long time. As a result, monthly electricity bills increase in size.
And this is one reason to save light and replace ordinary bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent or LED bulbs. They cost much more, but differ advantageously in that they do not consume much electricity for their work and at the same time are designed for a long service life. In this way, one-time acquisition costs translate into sustainable savings in the future.
Also, to reduce your total kilowatt hours:
- keep lamps, glass curtains, and windows clean;
- make the most of natural light;
- paste on the walls with light wallpaper;
- turn off the room light when no one is around for a long time.
Use localized area lighting and low wattage 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 your home.
Save energy for the most powerful consumers
The refrigerator is the most wasteful appliance in terms of energy consumption, as it must run 24 hours to save food. To save electricity in the apartment, use one of the modern low-energy models (marked by manufacturers as class A). That being said, you shouldn't be buying the biggest device. Choose the appropriate amount of equipment based on the needs of the family.
You can pay less with an old refrigerator if it is still not possible to replace it. For this:
- Defrost the freezer regularly (except on models with "No Frost" system).
- Periodically check the tightness and tightness of the door seals.
- Only place dishes and pots that have cooled to room temperature inside.
- Ventilate the kitchen if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees.
- Place the refrigerator away from heating appliances.
- Provide adequate and constant ventilation to the back of the device.
The electric stove is another powerful consumer of electricity, but in this case there are several tricks that can help reduce costs. To 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 from the hot plates to cook.
- Use flat bottom pans exactly the size of the heating element.
- Do not use excess water to cook instant meals; cover the pots with lids.
- Use an electric kettle to boil the water to make tea.
By following these simple rules, the savings can be significant.
Bathroom appliances can consume less electricity
A washing machine is an essential electrical appliance in daily life, but it represents up to 20% of the current consumed. This provided 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, first wash off the stains. Load the clipper to the maximum allowed, but do not overload it. Choose the washing mode that suits the fabric:
- cotton;
- synthetics
- wool.
Give preference to the quick and economical wash mode. Adjust the temperature regulator to 30-40 degrees if the clothes are not very dirty. This will help reduce energy consumption and therefore the payment amount.
Another device is an electric boiler. It allows you to always have hot water on hand, but for heating water to be really economical, you need to place and set it correctly. To do this, install the boiler as close to the bath as possible so that the liquid does not cool down when passing through a long water supply. Optimize the boiler operating mode by adjusting the on and off times of the heating element. Clean the scale heating element from time to time, increasing its heat output.
Don't pay for what you don't use
Today you can enjoy leisure and entertainment without even leaving your own 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 out of the room for a long time. A couple of unnecessary hours of work, and in a month, depending on the model of the device, several tens of additional kW can "accumulate".
Therefore, turn off the TVs with the remote control and also put them in standby mode:
- all night;
- when going to work.
For a long absence, it is best to disconnect the cable completely.
Computers are a technique that can be found in almost every home. There are electricity saving rules for this category of electrical appliances. Powerful components, such as a processor, graphics card, and widescreen monitor, generally require a significant amount of power in a stationary device. In this sense, laptops are much cheaper.
In order not to pay too much and to save energy, set the desired value in the PC power consumption settings. If you don't want to close the programs, put your computer to sleep. Turn on all peripheral devices connected to it through the surge protector:
- printers;
- scanners
- modems.
Turn them off after the session is over. Unplug your laptop or computer completely if you are not going to use it for a long time. Savings in electricity and money will be visible soon.
Not heating, but heating
The central heating in the apartments has a feature. They turn it on according to the program and the coolant does not always reach the required temperature. For this reason, many are used to using electric heaters, convectors, etc. The early onset of cold weather, old radiators, and frames that aren't glued together for winter can also force them to turn on additional heat sources.
All this contributes to the fact that the apartment becomes cool and not comfortable. Heaters are convenient because, with their small dimensions, 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 the heating of an apartment can cost.
Therefore, to save energy, it is more profitable to take measures to increase the energy efficiency of the house: change old frames and doors, insulate walls, wash or install new heating radiators. Of course, this requires a serious investment in the initial stage, but in the long term it is profitable, since you will have to pay less for the light.
Install new meters to save energy
It is also possible to save electricity in a metered apartment thanks to metering devices. The old meters that everyone knows are designed for a fee, regardless of what time of day the resource is consumed. For those who have few connected consumers in the house and are not used frequently, this does not matter. Owners of large apartments and numerous 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 more economical. It mainly includes installations with heating elements: washing machines and dishwashers, bakeries, water heaters. These devices can be easily programmed to work at a convenient time and you will have to pay less. The energy savings can amount to about 25% of the amount of the previous payment, which is certainly beneficial.
