Many people are concerned about the question: how to save energy at home.You can do this in different ways:
- rational use of natural lighting and insulation of the house;
- purchase of new electrical appliances and modern technical means;
- giving up some household appliances and doing the work manually.
Why save energy?
If saving money on electricity bills is not a strong incentive for you, then look at the problem 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 as a result natural disasters.Efficient use of electricity will help protect nature.If every person consciously deals with environmental issues, we can save the planet for our children.We bring to your attention the best ways to effectively save energy at home.
Lighting in the home - ways to save energy
Lighting costs using incandescent lamps are approximately one-third of all electricity costs.
How to reduce energy consumption by using natural lighting
Try to make the most of the natural light during the day: open the curtains, raise the blinds.Light transparent curtains will make the house brighter and more comfortable.Natural light does not harm your eyesight and helps you cope with bad moods, so let it into your home.Make the most of the daylight hours.Move some tasks from late evening to morning to avoid artificial lighting.
Place the sofa and desk near the window.This way you can read without an additional light source.On the glazed balcony you can equip a recreation area.Try to protect windows from tall houseplants.There should also be no 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 doors for your room.For example, glass inserts in doors can let light into a dark hallway.
How to effectively save energy by zoning rooms
Divide the space into zones with different brightness of the lighting.Use different light sources in the apartment: chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, night lights.Arrange them according to your light needs.For example, the hall can accommodate:
- a large chandelier with several bulbs, the light in which is regulated by a two-key switch;
- a floor lamp near the reading chair;
- desk lamp with a source of daylight on the desktop.
It is more effective to add light to the desired area than to turn on bright general lighting.Just do not replace the main lighting with additional light sources, as this can damage your vision.There should be no darkness in the room;low light can negatively affect your health: lead to migraines and depression.Let's take a look at how you can save energy 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 ordinary incandescent lamps, see where in the apartment you can replace them with less powerful ones.Even better, 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 bulbs.They consume 4 times less energy than incandescent bulbs.The only drawback is that used lamps must be disposed of properly.
- LED bulbs.They appeared on the market recently, but have already proven themselves to be reliable and economical.They last even longer than mercury and do not contain harmful substances.The disadvantages of these lamps include their high cost.
How to get rid of the bad habit of leaving 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 the fact that the light bulb is on even when a person leaves for work.You can combat this with reminder notes taped to front doors.The inscription can be: "Before you go, turn off the lights!", "Check the lights, water, iron, gas!"It is very convenient if there is a switch near the door with which you can turn off the power to all the light bulbs in the house.
How you can save on home lighting with the help of new technologies
- Motion sensors that turn on lights when a person appears;
- Light sensors that prevent the inclusion of artificial lighting during the day;
- A timer switch that lights the bulb for a certain time;
- Programs that include electricity in zones, depending on the level of illumination and the time of day.
- Remote controls allow you to turn off the lights from anywhere in the room.
- Switches that can be rotated to adjust the brightness of the lights.
- Light bulbs that store electricity during the day.
Electricity and heating 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 you maintain a comfortable temperature before turning on the central heating without using electrical appliances.
Start insulating your rooms by replacing old windows with modern plastic structures with double glazing.If this is not possible, use duct tape to insulate window and door openings.Covering windows for the winter will eliminate heat loss and drafts.
Owners of private houses must take care of good thermal insulation of external walls and roofs.If the house is well insulated, it will help keep the heat in the room during the cold season.In hot summer weather, such a house will be cool, so you won't have to turn on the air conditioner.In this way, the insulation of the house helps to save energy both in winter and in summer.
Maintain an optimal temperature in the room.It should not exceed 21 degrees.Do not turn on the heater unless the temperature drops below this mark.In this way, you will not dry out the air in the room and, as a result, you will suffer less from 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 using electrical appliances
First, let's find out which electrical appliances consume the most energy.These data are very approximate, but allow you to understand which equipment has the greatest impact on the amount of electricity consumed per month.
| device | Working hours, hours/day | kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| television | 3 | 0.5 |
| computer | 12 | 4 |
| iron | 2 | 1 |
| microwave oven | 1 | 1 |
| multicooker, steamer | 6 | 1 |
| hood | 8 | 1 |
| oil heater | 12 | 6 |
| fan stove | 2 | 5 |
| hairdryer | 1 | 0.5 |
| electric stove | 4 | 3 |
| boiler 60-70 l | 1 | 1 |
| dishwasher | 1 | 2 |
| washing machine | 2 | 2 |
| refrigerator | 24 | 1 |
| freezer | 24 | 1.2 |
| electric kettle | 1 | 1 |
| 100W incandescent lamp | 8 | 0.8 |
Turn off equipment you are not using
Leaving appliance plugs plugged into outlets results in loss of electricity.Standby equipment continues to use it.When you leave home, turn off:
- kettle;
- coffee machine;
- television set;
- computer;
- sound speakers;
- phone chargers;
- hair dryer;
- food processor and other appliances.
In this way, you will not only save energy, but also protect your equipment from overvoltages and short circuits that can lead to fire.Your efforts will pay off at the end of the month with significant savings.
Replace old equipment with new models with a high energy-saving class
Previously, manufacturers did not set themselves the goal of producing energy-saving household appliances.Today, the situation has changed dramatically;appliance energy consumption continues to decrease.Devices that consume 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.That's why it makes sense to replace large household appliances with new models.First of all, it is recommended to replace the refrigerator and the washing machine.For maximum energy savings, choose a Class A appliance whenever possible.
Use electrical appliances wisely
- Some simple rules will help you reduce your electricity costs.
- Load the dishwasher completely instead of washing dishes in small batches.
- Make sure the refrigerator door closes tightly and don't 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 will be 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 a daily load of laundry.
- Don't heat a full kettle if you only need one cup of boiling water.
Do not use electrical appliances 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 make dinner for two every day without the help of a food processor.But it will come in handy when you are preparing for winter.
Instead of a yogurt maker, you can use a thermos.It also does a good job of keeping the milk temperature constant.Instead of an electric air freshener, it is useful to use an aromatic oil or simply ventilate the room more often.
Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, you can hang your laundry on the balcony.
If the house has a gas stove, then it is better to replace the electric kettle with an ordinary 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 did 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 consumption of hot water, then you will have to pay a significant amount to heat it at the end of the month.
How to save hot water:
- Do not set the temperature of 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 you keep the water hot for a long time without additional heating.
- If you take a shower instead of a bath, you can reduce your water consumption 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 your dishes with hot water in a bowl and then rinse them under cold running water.
Search for alternative sources of energy
In a private home, solar panels can be used as an alternative source of energy.When installing them, you should 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.
Conclusion
Energy saving methods don't have to be a hassle.As you can see, there are many ways to avoid losing 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'll get a significant reduction in your utility bills at the end of the month.