Having a large number of lighting fixtures and many appliances that consume electricity is a common occurrence in a city apartment. It is quite understandable that modern man wants to live comfortably, interestingly and comfortably. But all these benefits of civilization are becoming more and more "greedy", and at the same time the resource itself is becoming more expensive. Monthly electricity bills are increasing. After receiving the next receipt, many have to think about how to save electricity in the apartment, so as not to give a significant part of their budgets to the state. If you approach this issue responsibly, it is quite possible to do so.
If you want to save energy, pay attention to lighting
Start by converting old lighting fixtures and the interior of your apartment to save electricity. As a rule, most people use the central surface light of large and voluminous chandeliers, equipped with several lamps. At the same time, outdated models with an incandescent spiral are used. In winter, the weather gets dark early, which means you have to turn on the lights for a long time. As a result, monthly electricity bills are increasing.
And this is one reason to save light and replace conventional lamps with energy-saving fluorescent or LED lamps. They are more expensive, but have the advantage that they do not consume much electricity for work and at the same time are designed for a long service life. Thus, one-time purchase costs become a sustainable savings in the future.
In addition, to reduce the total kilowatt hours:
- keep lamps, glass shades and windows clean;
- make maximum use of natural light;
- paste the walls with light wallpaper;
- turn off the light in the room when no one is around for a long time.
Use local lighting and low-power lighting fixtures. If necessary, install motion sensors that will turn off the light in an empty room. This will save a lot of energy in your home.
Save energy for the most powerful consumers
The refrigerator is the most wasteful household appliance in terms of energy consumption, because it has to work day and night to save food. Use one of the modern models with low energy consumption to save electricity in the apartment (referred to by manufacturers as Class A). However, you should not buy the largest device. Choose the right amount of equipment based on your family's needs.
If replacing an old refrigerator is not yet possible, you can pay less for it. Because of this:
- Defrost the freezer regularly (except for models with "No Frost" system).
- Check the tightness and tightness of the door seals periodically.
- Only put dishes and utensils cooled to room temperature inside.
- If the temperature rises above 30 degrees, ventilate the kitchen.
- Keep the refrigerator away from heating appliances.
- Provide adequate and constant ventilation to the rear of the appliance.
An electric stove is another powerful consumer of electricity, but there are a few tricks that can help reduce costs in this situation. Save money:
- Preheat the oven thoroughly at the time indicated in the recipe, not beforehand.
- Turn off the oven a few minutes before the food is ready, use the heat of the hot plates to cook.
- Use pans that fit the size of a flat-bottomed heating element.
- Do not use excess water to prepare instant meals, cover the dishes with lids.
- Use electric tea to boil water for tea.
By following these simple rules, savings can be significant.
Bathroom appliances can consume less electricity
The washing machine is an indispensable electrical device in everyday life, but it accounts for 20% of the current consumed. This is due to the fact that all the possibilities of the technique are not used properly. 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 the stains. Load the cutter to the maximum allowed, but do not overload. Select the wash mode according to the fabric:
- cotton;
- synthetic;
- wool.
Prefer fast and economical washing mode. If the laundry is not very dirty, set the temperature control to 30-40 degrees. This will help reduce energy consumption and, consequently, the amount of payment.
Another device is an electric boiler. It always allows you to keep hot water on hand, but to make hot water really economical, you need to place and install it properly. To do this, place the pot as close to the bath as possible to prevent the liquid from cooling when passing through a long water supply. Optimize the operation of the boiler by adjusting the start-up and shut-off times of the heating element. Periodically clean the heating element from the scales, increase the heat output.
Don't pay for something you don't use
Today you can provide yourself with rest and fun without even leaving your apartment. There are color TVs, personal computers, laptops, stereos and DVD players.
To save energy, turn them on only when necessary and turn them off when you are away from the room for a long time. Unnecessarily work for several hours - and in a month, depending on the model of the device, can "run" a few dozen additional kW.
Therefore, turn off the TVs with the remote control and put them in standby mode:
- all night;
- when going to work.
If not for a long time, it is better to disconnect the cord completely.
Computers are a technique that can be found in almost every home. There are energy saving rules for this category of electrical appliances. Powerful components such as a processor, graphics card, and widescreen monitor typically require a significant amount of power in a stationary device. In this regard, laptops are more economical.
Set the desired value in the PC power consumption settings to save a lot of money and save energy. If you don't want to turn off programs, put your computer to sleep. Turn on all peripherals connected to it via the voltage protector:
- printers;
- scanners;
- modems.
Turn them off after the session. If you will not be using your laptop or computer for a long time, unplug it completely. Saving electricity and money will soon be visible.
Do not heat, but keep warm
Central heating in apartments has a feature. It is burned according to the schedule and the refrigerator does not always meet the required temperature. For this reason, many people use electric heaters, convectors, etc. accustomed to using. Early onset of cold weather, old radiators, non-adhesive frames for the winter can also force them to turn on additional heat sources.
All this helps to keep the apartment cool and uncomfortable. Heaters are convenient in that their small size allows you to quickly heat the air in the room to the required temperature, while the devices use very expensive electricity to operate them. The power of a device is measured in several kilowatts, so it is not difficult to calculate how many rubles a month can heat such an apartment.
Therefore, it is more profitable to take measures to increase the energy efficiency of the house to save energy: replace old frames and doors, insulate the walls, wash or install new heating radiators. Of course, this requires a serious investment at the initial stage, but in the long run it is profitable, because you will have to pay less for electricity.
Install new meters to save energy
Energy savings in a metered apartment are also possible thanks to measuring devices. The old meters, familiar to everyone, are designed for one tariff, regardless of what time of day the resource is consumed. It doesn't matter if you have a small number of connected consumers at home and don't use them often. Owners of large apartments and a large number of equipment can benefit from the installation of modern dual-tariff metering devices.
Due to the low price of 1 kilowatt per night, the use of powerful equipment is cheaper. This includes, first of all, appliances with heating elements - washing machines and dishwashers, toasters, water heaters. Such devices can be easily programmed to work at a convenient time, and you will have to pay less. Energy savings can be about 25% of the previous payment, which is certainly beneficial.
