Rational use of electricity is a way to reduce the consumption of the family budget and the load on the electrical network. In addition, energy prices are steadily rising. It is good that they do not reach sky-high limits yet. The economical use of electrical appliances allows you to avoid premature failure of them and unnecessary costs for paying for electricity. Turning off the lights and pulling out the plugs is not enough, you need a savings plan. Let's look at a few ways to help reduce your energy bills.
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Proper organization and economical use of light in the apartment
Approximately 25% of the electricity bill is for lighting. Moreover, a third of this energy is spent irrationally. Leaving from one room to another, many leave the light bulbs on, thereby wasting electricity. During the daytime, natural light should be used. It is necessary to instill in yourself a useful habit - to monitor your own actions.
Long daylight hours should be used for productive activities. Nights are made for sleep, and therefore it is better to be less awake during these hours.
Another effective and economical way is to bring natural light into the premises. Tall houseplants are undesirable to put on the windowsill, as they prevent the passage of light. It is also worth washing windows regularly and it is better to do this with each planned wet cleaning of the apartment. It makes sense to regularly wipe the ceiling lamps.
The choice of wallpaper also plays a significant role. Dark surfaces absorb light. Rooms with dark wallpaper require brighter lighting. Therefore, to save on electricity, it is worth choosing light colors. A reflective effect is created, due to which you can choose light bulbs of less power.
Energy saving and LED light bulbs
The choice of lighting sources should not be discounted either! Energy-saving lamps are divided into three main types:
- halogen – contribute to energy savings up to 50%;
- fluorescent - savings up to 80%
- LED - the most effective savings - 80-90%.
Gradually, Ilyich's light bulbs are becoming a thing of the past, although they are still used somewhere. However, they are being replaced on the market by energy-saving analogues.The best solution is to replace all the lamps used for lighting in the apartment with energy efficient options. The costs will be large, because energy-saving lighting sources are much more expensive than incandescent lamps. But for such a price, they work 6 or even 8 times longer, and electricity consumption is 3 times less. For comparison, an ordinary Ilyich light bulb consumes 60 watts, while an LED light bulb consumes 7-8 watts per hour of operation.
But who to give preference to - energy-saving or LED lamps? In terms of energy efficiency, Led technology wins because it consumes less electricity. Those who have already switched to LED lamps can confirm that they save up to 2,000 rubles per year.
Spot light output
According to experts, this approach is considered economical. That is, it is better to replace bright chandeliers with spotlights. There will be no excessive lighting, but it is enough for business and work. In addition, less energy is wasted. Even if you use several lamps. It remains to arrange them in significant areas - a budget option for personal comfort.
But the usual chandelier should not be abandoned. Just turn it on as needed. In extreme cases, if it consists of 3, 5 or more light bulbs, use not all of them and with less power. For the bathroom and corridor, you should also not buy powerful lamps.
Wireless sensors for lighting control
No less effective way is the installation of special devices operating in automatic mode, based on various kinds of external factors. This is about motion sensors and photorelay. In the first case, the light will turn on only after interacting with the sensor in the coverage area. That is, the lighting is turned on when there is a need for it, and at other times of the day the lamps remain off.
Here it is worth checking one point. Some installers leave the sensors as the only electrical circuit disconnectors. That is, the control of light is carried out in the daytime. In this electrical lighting circuit, in addition to a motion sensor, it is desirable to have key switchso that the power in the circuit is broken in two ways:
- The switch is manually operated.
- Motion sensor - they function automatically.
That is, the lamps will turn on when necessary - that is, only in the evening. However, this is not yet fully automated. To improve the performance of the lighting system, it is worth installing photorelay. It reacts to the brightness of sunlight. During the day, the resistance of the device is large, which is enough to break the circuit. With a decrease in the intensity of the solar light flux, the resistance of the photoresistor decreases. When the minimum value is reached, the circuit will close and the lights will turn on. In other words, full automation of lighting is provided and only in the evening.
However, the use of a photorelay is more suitable for open areas - gazebos, the entrance to a dwelling and other places where it is possible to synchronize with sunlight. Using both types of sensors looks more efficient. The main thing is to choose the right wiring diagram - and sensor, and the photorelay must be closed at the same time.
The sensors themselves can be wired - that is, integrated into the electrical network, as well as wireless.The latest sensors are modern and useful devices, but at the same time they are quite expensive and therefore they will pay for themselves for a long time. Maximum efficiency is achieved after they are connected to the "smart home" system. It includes a special controller and many other electronic elements.
Whether all this is necessary in the apartment is a moot point. Due to the high cost of the entire system, there can be no talk of saving.
When you leave, turn off the light
Statistics show that approximately 30% of electrical energy is spent on lighting empty rooms. What kind of rationality are we talking about here? Do not leave lights on when leaving a room. If there is no one in the room, then there is no need to burn the lamps - this is a waste of energy, which should be avoided. It may not hit your wallet hard, but turning off the lights when you leave the room will reduce the load on the power grid. In addition, the lamps will last longer.
Proper operation and selection of household appliances and electrical appliances
The refrigerator after the formation of frost should be defrosted, so it subsequently loses efficiency in operation. Buying modern models avoids this problem thanks to the "No Frost" function. Air masses are evenly distributed inside the chambers, which prevents the formation of a dense layer of frost. Too hot food should not be placed in the refrigerator, and the equipment itself should be located away from heating appliances. This avoids stress on the compressor.
It is better to use the washing machine after the accumulation of dirty things, but you should not load the drum to the eyeballs either.Carry out washing when it is really necessary - once a week will be enough and choose the right mode and temperature.
Who has a gas stove, it costs less to use a slow cooker, microwave oven, electric kettle, coffee maker and other analogues. Or stop using them altogether to save energy. For an electric stove, the dishes must be selected in accordance with the dimensions of the burners. And in order for food to cook faster, it is worth closing the pans with lids.
Electricity consumption for a dishwasher depends on the installed functions. If the appliance does not have a hot dryer, then the energy consumption will be less. The delay start feature is preferred as it delays washing dishes overnight when the electricity bill is lowest.
The vacuum cleaner should not overflow the dust container, otherwise the equipment will start to consume more electricity. You should also clean the air conditioner filter at least 1 or 2 times a month.
In water heaters, adjusting the heating temperature helps to reduce energy costs. Also, every year it is necessary to remove solid deposits from the inner walls of the boiler. A large amount of scale will disable the equipment.
Energy efficiency classes of household appliances
Not all electrical appliances consume a lot of energy. Most modern models, to the delight of consumers, are less voracious, unlike old technology. Therefore, it is worth knowing about classes, of which 7 are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The first two are energy efficient, and the rest are characterized by a low degree of energy saving. The latter is completely too energy-consuming.Today, it is no longer possible to meet equipment with classes E, F and G, and subspecies have appeared in category A - A +, A ++ and A +++, which implies the maximum possible energy saving.
Ways to save electricity at home
For the sake of saving electricity, it is worth adhering to a number of rules for using household appliances:
- Get into the habit of unplugging appliances that are not currently in use.
- If it becomes necessary to leave the apartment for a long time, it is worth turning off all appliances from sockets, with the exception of the refrigerator.
- Every time you leave the room, do not forget to turn off the lights.
- It makes sense to use local lighting sources - sconces, floor lamps, etc. They give a luminous flux only to the working area, do not use the main chandelier.
- Illumination in the room using LEDs will not only reduce energy costs, but also create a special atmosphere of comfort.
- When heating water with an electric kettle, fill it with the amount of water you need at the moment. It should also be cleaned regularly.
- It is advisable to turn on the air conditioner with the windows and doors closed, which helps to increase the efficiency of work.
As a result, the burden on the family budget and the electrical appliances themselves is reduced.
Installation of a multi-tariff meter
This is a great opportunity to save energy. In many regions of Russia, there is a multi-tariff system for accounting for electric energy. At the same time, 24 hours are divided into certain periods of time - day and night. The cost of electricity in these periods of time is calculated according to different tariffs. At the same time, the price for 1 kWh at night can be 3 times lower than during the day.
Replacing old electrical wiring
Replacing aluminum wiring with a copper counterpart can reduce electricity consumption. This is achieved due to less energy loss. But there are a number of nuances. Firstly, you can save up to 1,000 rubles per year. Secondly, replacing all the wiring will require too much cost - within 100,000 rubles, and is unlikely to ever pay off. Therefore, only for reasons of saving on electricity bills, you should not change the type of wiring.
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