A modern apartment is packed with all kinds of electrical appliances, without which people can no longer imagine their lives. That is why residents of an ordinary two- or two-bedroom apartment often receive electricity bills for 200-300 kW. However, saving energy in an apartment is possible and we will consider options on how to save electricity in an apartment with an electricity meter.
General guidelines for saving
First of all, residents need to determine which devices consume the most energy. A household wattmeter can help with this. With its help you can find out how much electricity a certain device consumes (refrigerator, TV, hairdryer, iron) when it is turned on or in standby mode.
By performing such an analysis of energy consumption, it is possible to develop savings measures.
When performing the next apartment renovation, you must:
- Replace old electrical wiring that was installed decades ago and is not designed for so many electrical appliances. Using a larger cable, rational placement and increasing the number of safe contacts will avoid connecting extension cords and tees. This is the path to economics and fire safety.
- Wallpaper or paint walls and ceilings in bright colors that will prolong the use of sunlight in the room. Remove all bulky items from window sills and hang transparent light curtains.
- Consider the zoning of the apartment and accordingly install lighting devices with the required power (general lighting, floor lamps, table lamps, sconces). If possible, replace chandeliers and lampshades with more transparent ones that absorb less light, after which lower-power lamps can be used.
- Insulate the walls, replace the windows, seal the doors. All this will make it possible to turn on additional heating systems less often.
- Install a two-phase meter and use energy-intensive appliances after 11 pm, when the tariff is much lower.
- Replace old incandescent bulbs with more modern energy-saving or LED ones. This will save 70-80% of the cost of lighting the home.
Proper use of electrical appliances
If possible, you should say goodbye to old energy-intensive electrical appliances. Modern devices are much more attractive, practical and economical. Energy efficiency class A, A +, A ++ means that this device is the most economical today. However, even when using old appliances, you can save energy in the apartment.
- Electric oven. Boil the food at partial power after boiling water, closing the pan with a lid. Use only carbon-free, flat-bottomed, properly sized (preferably stainless steel) cooking utensils, use a pressure cooker in which the cooking temperature is higher due to its tightness. Replace burnt spirals in burners in time. By following all these tips you will save up to 60%.
- Place the refrigerator in a cool, well-ventilated place. The door must be well sealed and opened as infrequently as possible and for a short period of time. The refrigerator should not be full of dishes and food, because the air inside should circulate freely. Put the food pots in the refrigerator only after they have cooled to room temperature.
- Audio and video equipment must be constantly cooled by air flow. Do not leave it in standby mode. It is better to place the TV and computer monitor in an evenly lit place to reduce the brightness and contrast of the screen.
- Computer. When you stop working on it, after a while the monitor goes into standby mode, and then the whole computer. The user can adjust the time after which the monitor will "sleep".
- The vacuum cleaner should be regularly cleaned of accumulated dust, this will increase its adhesion and reduce energy consumption.
- The washing machine must be loaded according to the standard specified in the passport. Undercharging is just as unprofitable as overloading.
- The kettle must be regularly cleaned of scale, which impairs the thermal conductivity of the heating element.
- Only switch on the air conditioner when the windows and doors are closed.
- Electronic gadget chargers, which are not turned off, consume electricity that is used to heat them.
How to save electricity in an apartment with folk remedies
More often than not, such wording hides not entirely legal methods of saving money, but simply theft from an energy company. There are many ads on the Internet such as "saving electricity in an apartment with a magnet. "
- Powerful neodymium magnets (NdFeB) are most often used to delay the counter. These magnets can stop or decelerate electromechanical (induction) meters, both single-phase and three-phase. Electronic measuring instruments do not react to magnets, except for devices in which the measuring part is not electronic. However, it should be noted that up to 30-40% of meters fail due to such an impact, and if they are replaced in the power supply, they can perform a magnetization test and bring the fraudster to justice.
- Various economists are also actively offered. The manufacturers claim that with its help the electrician is used more rationally, the service life of electrical appliances is extended. In this case, the device has no effect on the counter. Upon closer inspection, it was found that these devices have the simplest device: several LEDs and a 5-microfarad film capacitor. This device may have the least effect on the reactive energy of a low power device, such as a fluorescent lamp. However, the apartment meter only counts active energy and does not react to reactive energy. Therefore, such economists are pure fraud.
It can be concluded that there are many ways you can save electricity in an apartment, but it is better to use legal methods than illegal and fraught with problems of both technical and legal nature.