Trends are such that in receipts for consumed light, gas and water, higher and higher rates are indicated more and more often. In light of this, the words “electricity consumption” are no longer empty words. Now even a schoolboy knows that you need to strive to save.
Today we’ll talk about the essentials: ways to reduce energy consumption in an average apartment or house. First of all, it is necessary to determine the main consumers whose electric power exceeds 1.5 kW. These include: air conditioning, electric stove and oven, hot water boiler, electric kettle, automatic washing machine and iron. In addition to them, there may be less common devices, so if in doubt, study the appropriate passport data. To begin to reduce energy consumption should be with them.
One of the most voracious consumers is an electric kettle. What could be more convenient than pouring water and pressing a button! He himself will boil it and turn it off, it is a pity that he will not pour it into a cup. Often you can hear the statement that only a few minutes pass from the moment of switching on to turning off, and the power that needs to be saved is measured in “kilowatt * hours”, so that the total operating time is one hour, you need to turn on the kettle many times. All this is indeed so. However, the bill for light claims the opposite - the monthly electricity consumption increases significantly. People simply stop noticing all those hours during which the kettle boils water. Conclusion: if possible, use a gas stove.
The washing machine, which made life easier, can be safely ranked as the second candidate for economic sanctions. With the advent of each new model, manufacturers happily report reduced consumption, even classes come up. The trouble is that the lion's share of wasted electricity falls not on the engine and control circuit, but on the heating element. For example, if according to the passport the machine consumes 2.4 kW, then of them 2 kW is the heater. That is why when washing, it is recommended to use fast modes with a little water heating. And arrange a serious wash in boiling water only if necessary.
The electric stove and oven, as well as all kinds of microwave ovens, without any problems in 80% of cases can be replaced by cooking “the old way” - with gas. Although, there may be exceptions.
The hot water boiler is very simple: a tank, a heater and a thermal relay. The device is simple, however, its operation has its own characteristics. It will not work to save electricity by keeping the boiler disconnected from the network, and turning it on before use will only increase consumption. At first glance, it might seem more rational to set the maximum heating temperature so that there is enough hot water for the whole family. In general, this is so. It is only with increasing temperature that the precipitation of dissolved magnesium and calcium salts in the precipitate covering the heating element accelerates. As a result, the heating rate drops, and the operating time increases. Recommendation: we are looking for a "golden" middle ground.
Electricity consumption by the refrigerator is relatively small, but due to the heavy start-up, the current when turned on exceeds the nominal one by tens of times. Accordingly, the power increases briefly. This can be influenced only indirectly: by the regulator to reduce the amount of cooling; less frequently open the door; avoid freezing on the sensor (for models requiring periodic defrosting).
Electricity consumption by a TV, computer, and lighting lamps usually accounts for a small portion of the monthly costs. However, replacing the old CRT TV with a modern LCD TV, changing the computer to a laptop, and instead of using incandescent lamps by installing LED solutions, you can save additional expensive kilowatts.