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Solutions to reduce electricity consumption and bills

Solutions to reduce electricity consumption and bills

Solutions to reduce electricity consumption and bills

Solutions to reduce electricity consumption

There are many solutions to reduce electricity consumption and bills. Each household has an average of one hundred electrical and electronic devices. Waste, over-equipment, lack of maintenance… increase the bill. A few gestures can make the difference.

1. Turn off all standby appliances (unplug idle electronics)

Significant progress has been made to limit the consumption of standbys: a European regulation limits their power to 0.5 W for a certain number of devices. However, it remains 2 W for devices connected to the Internet or data networks.

Switching off the standbys can save up to 10% of the electricity bill (excluding heating), but also preserve the equipment.

Keeping audiovisual and computer equipment, cooking appliances and small household appliances (coffee maker, bread machine, etc.) on standby is not very useful. For washing machines and dishwashers, the watches are often used to detect water leaks and it is not wise to disconnect them.

The good move: use power strips with switches that allow you to plug in several devices and turn them all off at the same time.

2. LEDs, yes but not for decoration

LED lamps consume little electricity and last a long time (up to 40,000 hours), enough to compensate for their purchase price. They are the best home lighting solution, provided they last more than 20,000 hours and are rated well on the energy label.

LED lamps allow you to play on the color of the light to create atmospheres adapted to different rooms (kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc.). Prefer warm whites of 2700 to 3500 Kelvin for the living room and bedrooms and opt for a more dynamic light in the kitchen or bathroom (3500 to 4500 Kelvin).

Beware of the “deco LED” effect which is increasingly appearing on furniture. These LEDs are of no use for lighting but nevertheless consume electricity.

3. Don’t leave unnecessary lights on

Turn off the lights when leaving a room.

Prefer light colors to decorate your interior (walls, floors, lampshades, etc.) because they reflect light better while dark colors absorb it.

Place sofas, desks near windows and enjoy natural light as long as possible.

4. Favor the “Eco” program of the washing machine and the dishwasher

The “Eco” program saves water and energy even if the cycle time is longer. The soaking and washing time is longer but the water is heated less. However, it is the heating of water that consumes the most electricity.

Be careful not to confuse the “Eco” program with the fast program.

4. Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full

Half-loading the washing machine consumes less water but just as much electricity! Instead, wait until the drum is full to operate your device.

We use our dishwasher on average 3 to 5 times a week and 18% of households even use it every day. Might as well make it work only if it is full.

5. Do not systematically use the dryer to dry your clothes

If you can, let your laundry air dry. Despite the progress made by manufacturers in recent years, the dryer remains an energy-intensive household appliance (about 200 kWh per year).

Tip: to make your dryer run for less time, spin the laundry well in the drum of the washing machine. Mechanical moisture extraction is 100 times more economical than thermal extraction in the dryer.

6. Cover pots when cooking

When you cover pots and pans, cooking is faster. To boil water or cook your dish, putting on a lid consumes 25% less energy and it’s faster!

7. Limit TV size

Ever larger televisions are entering living rooms, but they consume more electricity: a 160 cm (diagonal) television consumes as much as 3 or 4 80 cm televisions.

Do not leave computers and game consoles plugged in when you are not using them
Often left on standby or paused, these devices consume electricity unnecessarily. It is better to turn them off completely when you are no longer using them.

8. Turn off the internet box when you don’t need it

A box often remains on 24 hours a day and can consume more than 200 kWh per year, which is as much as the washing machine.

9. For any new purchase, check the energy label (if available)

The energy savings achievable with the best rated appliances are far from anecdotal. Each difference of one class represents around 15 to 20% energy savings. Over the life of a device, this is important.

10. Saving hot water also means saving electricity!

Do not leave the mixer in the intermediate position. Warm water is used each time, whereas for washing vegetables, washing hands, rinsing sponges… cold water is fine.
Install aerators or flow reducers on the taps. A water-saving hand shower can save you up to 75% water.
Do not let the hot water tank operate during periods of prolonged absence.
Set the temperature of the electric hot water tank
Programming the temperature between 55 ℃ and 60 ℃ is enough to limit the development of pathogenic bacteria and it limits the consumption of electricity needed to heat the water.

11. Insulate the pipes and the hot water tank

By surrounding the hot water tank and the pipes with insulation, you avoid heat loss. Insulation is all the more necessary when the hot water tank is installed in an unheated place (garage, basement, etc.) and the water points are far from the hot water tank.

12. Control the heating temperature of rooms

There is no need to heat all rooms to the same temperature. Some rooms are occupied all day, but others, such as bedrooms or bathrooms, do not need a constant high temperature. Around 20℃ in the living rooms, 17℃ in the bedrooms, you will reduce your heating consumption.

And for more efficiency, install heating regulation and programming.

For your air conditioning: opt for natural air conditioning as soon as possible, by closing your shutters, your curtains, your blinds on the sunny side or everywhere in the house if you are away during the day; plant trees to shade and cool your home

13. Block cold air inlets

Close the fireplace inserts, the doors leading to unheated rooms (basement, cellar, pantry…). If necessary, caulk doors leading to the outside or to unheated rooms with draft excluders. On the other hand, never block the ventilation grilles, they are essential to maintain good air quality in your home.

14. Lower the heating when you are away

No need to heat the rooms to the same temperature as if you were there. When you are away for the day, lower the temperature of your home by a few degrees. If you are away for a few days, remember to put your heating system in the frost-free position.

Thanks to programming and regulation, you can adapt and anticipate your heating needs. Some connected systems even allow you to act remotely.

Read also: Electrocuted | Cause, How to react to electric shock?

15. Keep the heat inside

Always close your shutters as soon as night falls and the temperatures cool down. Pull the curtains. This will prevent the cold from radiating into the home and the atmosphere in the room will be more comfortable without having to turn up the heating.

During very cold periods, keep the shutters closed even during the day if you are not at home. This will reduce heat loss through the windows.

16. Install an efficient back-up system: wood heating

There is a wide choice of stoves that work with logs or pellets which can help you reduce your electricity bill by heating part of your home.

Wood is a renewable and inexpensive energy.

17. Plan to insulate your home efficiently

To live in a comfortable home and limit your heating bills, the #1 solution is to insulate the roof, walls, low floors and windows. If you are in a country with hot summers, insulating roofs, walls, low floors, and windows is also very important!

Our solutions to reduce electricity consumption it’s not complicated while simplifying your life.


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Sources: PinterPandai, Energy Saver, Harvard University, Bonkers Money Ltd., Energy Sage

Photo credit: Qimono / Pixabay

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