Energy conservation is an increasingly pressing issue. First of all, utility bills, which are growing every year, testify to the need to solve it. Payment for electricity is gradually becoming not the smallest item in the family budget. Turning off the boiler, sitting without light in the dark and reducing the incandescence of the furnace spiral are half measures that will not bring the expected effect. The benefits of civilization need to be used, but to do it right. Solving the problem of saving electricity in an apartment and a house must be globally and comprehensively. Initial investments will pay off over time, which will bring tangible financial relief.
Reasons to save electricity
The decision to save energy by any means will help not only reduce the financial burden of paying monthly receipts. It should be remembered: the greater the power absorbed by consumers, the greater the burden placed on the city and the country as a whole.
Competent and legal saving of electricity in the apartment gives the following effects:
- Reduced toxic emissions. Improving the environment, clean air, soil and water.
- Reducing the risks of accidents at power plants associated with working to the limit.
- Saving of natural resources, which are spent in huge quantities at thermal power plants that provide energy to settlements.
- Creating a comfortable environment in the premises. This applies to illumination and the absence of a harmful electromagnetic field, which is created by some low-quality household appliances.
- The development of new technologies, reducing the energy intensity of production, and therefore - the price of products, their competitiveness in the world market. All this leads to an increase in the welfare of the population.
- Extension of the service life of transformer substations, power lines and internal communications. Increased load leads to accelerated wear of equipment.
Energy saving eliminates the possibility of being left without light due to line breakdown on the scale of an apartment, a house and a settlement.
Proper use of electrical appliances
Often housing is crowded with a huge number of energy consumers. You can save on electricity not only by reducing the intensity of their operation, but also by a competent choice of operating modes.
- Washer. For washing bedding and lightly soiled clothes, 20-30 minutes are enough. The use of modes for 1-3 hours is accompanied by unreasonable cost overruns.
- Heating. To normally warm a room in the cold season, heaters with a power of 1-2 kW are used. Per day consumption will be up to 48 kW. Dress warm enough and reduce power by half.
- Plate. If there is poor contact between the inverter and the dishes, it takes much longer to cook, which leads to increased energy consumption.
- Dishwasher. You should set the economy mode, in which only 1 kW is consumed per cycle.
- Kettle. It makes no sense to warm 2 liters if the water cools by the next tea party. You need to pour at a minimum.
We should not forget about small consumers: chargers and electronic devices that work in standby mode.For a day they can wind up to 2 kW on the meter.
Pros of energy-efficient household appliances
The real way to save energy is to use economy class appliances. Initial investments over time will give a long-term positive effect.
Examples of such equipment:
- A computer. Power supplies together with video cards and a monitor can absorb up to 1 kW / h. Either disable some features or purchase products with a saving mode. The best choice is modern laptops. With great potential, they consume no more than 100 W / h.
- Televisions with satellite consoles. Turning on the power saving mode reduces current consumption by 3 times.
- Printing devices. They are used periodically, but are not removed from the network. If you buy a device with the function of energy conservation, the effect will be up to 500 kW per year.
- Washer. The main consumer is the heating element. Ultrasonic bath products consume 80% less current.
- A vacuum cleaner. Modern devices are equipped with a pollution sensor, due to which the efficiency decreases and its duration increases.
- Air conditioning. Energy conservation is achieved by installing advanced compressors in modern models that reduce consumption by 40-50%.
It is worth paying attention to the kitchen equipment. On sale you can find efficient stoves, hoods and water heaters.
Equipping electrical appliances without auto-off function with external timers
Even if the device has such a function, it is activated very rarely. If the devices cannot turn off automatically, they can be equipped with external timers. Such modifications should be made to air conditioning, a room heater, a heated towel rail, a stove and an outdoor fireplace. If necessary, the timer is placed on the system unit of the computer.
Such devices provide the following advantages:
- turning on and off exactly in the exposed time corridor;
- device operation only when required;
- preventing burnout due to overheating;
- creating comfortable psychological conditions, since a person does not need to worry about his household appliances;
- significant reduction in electric current consumption.
One such device will provide significant assistance in the fight for lowering utility bills.
Advantages of a two-tariff meter
An individual single-phase two-tariff meter takes into account current consumption at different prices depending on the time of day. In the period 23.00-07.00 the cost of services is reduced by 50%. At this time, powerful consumers are launched: water heaters, ovens, dishwashers and washing machines. Some people who normally tolerate night wakefulness work on a computer and clean the apartment with a vacuum cleaner.
The advantages of using such a device are obvious:
- reduction of financial burden on payments;
- reduction of load on house and city communications;
- energy intake at a time when power plants are in urgent need of its return.
The cost of a two-tariff meter and its installation is quite tangible. But taking into account the existing tariffs, it pays off within a year, then brings a significant profit.
Energy Saving on Heat Saving
This direction is relevant for facilities with central and autonomous heating, since the power of heating devices directly depends on the quality of insulation of real estate. The less heat loss, the lower the intensity of the heaters.
You can insulate the room in the following ways:
- sealing gaps in walls, windows and doors;
- installation of modern doors with foam or basalt filling;
- installation of double-glazed windows with energy-saving glasses;
- facade decoration with foam, mineral wool or polyurethane foam;
- gluing behind radiators of a reflective screen.
If the issue of combating heat loss is approached comprehensively, the current consumption for heating homes can be reduced by 30-50%.
Lighting energy savings
The easiest way to save energy is to install LED lamps. These products are characterized by low power at high brightness, soft glow and a long service life. Mass production of such lamps led to a significant reduction in retail prices, which made them available for purchase in large quantities.
The next saving measure is to turn off the lighting when it is no longer needed. Even one lamp left turned on in the bathroom will use up to 100 W or more per night. A habit should be introduced as a rule to check the light before going to bed and leaving the room.
Another condition affecting the quality and operating time of lighting is the cleanliness of the lamps and shades. The vapor and dust deposited on them reduce the efficiency of the devices by 20-25%. Pollution must be removed in a timely manner, it will not take much time and effort.
Sockets, extension cords with socket block and surge protectors with switches
Old wiring, switches and sockets cause increased current consumption and represent a fire hazard. Due to poor contacts and insufficient cross-section of cable conductors, the network overheats, current parameters are violated, which leads to incorrect operation of the devices and devices connected to it. This causes increased energy consumption and is one of the prerequisites for costly equipment failure.
To protect yourself from such troubles, you should do the following:
- change wiring;
- install new sockets with built-in stabilizers and relays;
- purchase surge protectors with switches.
The use of extension cords with pads on several sockets allows you to reduce the number of cables in the room. The presence of a switch makes it possible to de-energize in one motion, and then activate several devices operating in standby mode at once. This is one of the conditions for saving energy in an apartment.
The presence of pulse and line fuses prevents burnout of household appliances during power surges. Built-in stabilizers convert the current within the specified parameters, which ensures stable operation of the devices in normal mode. It also helps to reduce energy consumption.
Energy Saving Devices
The legal device for saving energy is a portable device that plugs into any empty outlet. Models from well-known manufacturers can save up to 50% of electricity consumed. In this case, the efficiency of the device increases with increasing load. The task of the device is to compensate for reactive energy, which overloads the line and creates an electromagnetic field that is harmful to human health.
Product Features:
- line noise filtering;
- phase alignment;
- lightning protection;
- stabilization of current parameters;
- extension of the service life of household appliances;
- saving electricity.
The device is designed for a total power of consumers up to 20 kW, therefore it can be installed in a private house and multi-room apartment with a large number of electrical appliances. Payback occurs after 3-4 months of operation. The products of Smartbox, Pover Saver, Energy Saver, Powersave, Berbox and Saving-box companies have proven themselves best.
A self-made device for saving is not considered illegal, since the line is not laid bypassing the meter, and there is no influence on the meter. Any connection to the outlet is the legal right of the property owner.
The product diagram consists of the following parts:
- The case is made of plastic.
- Standard plug.
- The board on which the diode bridge and the smoothing capacitor with a power of 5.2 microfarads are placed.
- LED indicating device operability.
When connected to a power outlet, the device reduces the amplitude of the current and the magnitude of the pulses in the network.
