Many people are concerned about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in different ways:
- rationally use natural lighting and home insulation;
- buy new electrical equipment and modern technical devices;
- Provide some household equipment and do manual work.
Why save energy?
If saving money on your electric bill isn't a strong incentive for you, then look at a different problem.Electricity is produced by thermal power plants, which every day emit many harmful substances into the atmosphere by burning natural fuels: coal, oil and gas.Environmental pollution leads to global warming and, as a result, natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity will help preserve nature.If everyone consciously addresses environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We bring to your attention the best ways to save energy effectively at home.
Lighting at home - how to save energy
The cost of lighting when using incandescent lamps is about one third of all electricity costs.
How to reduce energy consumption by using natural lighting
Try to take advantage of the natural light during the day: Open the curtains, raise the curtains.Light transparent curtains will make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not damage your vision and helps you overcome bad feelings, so let it into your home.Make the most of daylight hours.Move some tasks from late afternoon to early morning to avoid artificial lighting.
Place the sofa and table near the window.This way you can read without an additional light source.You can complete the relaxation area on the glass balcony.Try to keep windows from being obscured by tall indoor plants.There are also tree branches outside the window.
If you are renovating or building a house, then plan in advance the location of large windows, light guides, and glass roofs.Choose the right door for your premises.For example, a glass insert in a door can let light into a dark hallway.
How to save energy effectively with a zoned room
Divide the space into zones with different lighting brightness.Use various light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, night lights.Arrange them depending on your light needs.For example, the hall can accommodate:
- a large chandelier with several bulbs, the light of which is controlled by a two-key switch;
- a floor lamp near a reading chair;
- desk lamp with a daylight source on the desktop.
It is more effective to add light in the desired area than to turn on bright general lighting.Just don't replace the main lighting with an additional light source, as this can damage your vision.There was no darkness in the room;Light that can't affect your health: leads to migraines and depression.Let's see how you can save electricity and keep your home bright by choosing the right light bulbs.
What light bulbs to use for lighting to reduce energy costs
If you use regular incandescent lights, 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 several times less electricity than their predecessors.They are more expensive, but have a long service life.The investment will pay off within a year.
Types of energy-saving light bulbs:
- Mercury bulb.They consume 4 times less energy than incandescent light bulbs.The only drawback is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED light bulb.They have appeared on the market recently, but have proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last longer than mercury and do not contain harmful substances.Disadvantages of this lamp include high cost.
How to get rid of the bad habit of leaving the light on
The easiest way to avoid wasting electricity is to not leave the light on when leaving the room.The habit of not turning off the electricity often leads to the fact that the light bulb is on even when someone leaves work.You can combat this with a reminder note stuck on the front door.The inscription can 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 the power to all the light bulbs in the house.
How you can save lighting at home using new technology
- A motion sensor that turns on the lights when someone appears;
- A light sensor that does not allow artificial lighting to be turned on during the day;
- A switch with a timer that turns on a light bulb for a certain time;
- A program that turns on the electricity in the zone, depending on the level of lighting and the time of day.
- The remote control allows you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- A switch that can be turned on to adjust the brightness of the lighting.
- A light bulb that stores electricity during the day.
Electricity and heat in the house.How to reduce energy consumption?
With the onset of cold weather, people are increasingly turning on electric heaters.Insulating your home will help keep it at a comfortable temperature before turning on the central heating, without using electrical appliances.
Start insulating your room by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double-glazed windows.If this is not possible, use masking tape to protect windows and door openings.Covering 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 winter.In hot summer weather, such a house will be cool, so you don't need to turn on the air conditioner.Therefore, home insulation helps save energy in 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 falls below this mark.In this way, you will not dry out the air in the room and, as a result, you will experience less Arvi.It is better to dress a little warmer if you are not comfortable in the room at this temperature.
How to save energy in your apartment by using electrical appliances
First, let's figure out which electrical appliances use the most energy.These data are very approximate, but they allow you to know which appliances have the biggest impact on the amount of electricity spent each month.
| Device | Operating hours, hours/days | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| TV | 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 |
| hair dryer | 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 appliances you don't use
Leave the appliance plugged into the electrical outlet.Equipment in standby mode continues to use it.When leaving home, unplug:
- kettle;
- coffee maker;
- television;
- computer;
- speakers;
- Phone chargers;
- hair dryer;
- food processors and other equipment.
In this way, you will not only save energy, but also protect your equipment from power surges and short circuits, which can cause fire.Your efforts will pay off at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old appliances with new models with a high energy saving class
Previously, manufacturers did not set a goal to produce household appliances that would save energy.Today things have changed dramatically;Energy consumption by equipment continues to decrease.Devices that use minimal electricity are among the best in their class.They are also not cheap, but the money invested in them pays off in a few 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 Class A appliances whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- A few simple rules will help reduce your electricity costs.
- Load the dishwasher full instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure the refrigerator door is tightly closed and do not leave it open for long periods of time.
- When cooking in an electric oven, do not open the oven door too often so as not to reduce the heat in the oven.Additional electricity is required to restore the previous temperature.
- Set aside a day for laundry.This way, you can fully load your washing machine and save money by not doing daily laundry.
- Do not heat the electric kettle full 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 don't really need at all.You can prepare dinner for two days without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when you prepare for winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also works well to keep milk at a constant temperature.Instead of an electric air freshener, it is useful to use aromatic oils or simply move the room more often.
Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, you can hang your clothes on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, then it is better to replace the electric kettle with a regular one.If you are afraid that you will forget to turn it off, then buy a kettle with a whistle.
There are many such examples.After all, our parents used to do housework without the help 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 maintains its temperature at the same level throughout the day.If you do not control the use of hot water, then you will have to pay a large amount to heat it at the end of the month.
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.
- Good thermal insulation of the boiler will help keep hot water 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 more than 20 minutes in the bathroom.
- It is more economical to wash the dishes once a day.But if you don't like the mess, wash your plates with hot water in a bowl and then rinse with cold water.
Find alternative energy sources
In private homes, solar panels can be used as an alternative energy source.When installing it, you need to take into account the climate of the area and the number of sunny days a year.In the southern part of the country, solar panels are successfully used in large houses.Electricity stored in batteries connected to solar panels can be used to power the house and hot water.
Conclusion
Energy saving methods don't have to be a problem.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 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 utility bill at the end of the month.