HOW TO SAVE ELECTRICITY

With the rising costs of electricity, it pays to minimize usage. Not only will it be easier on the pocket, you also do your share in saving the environment by minimizing the use of fossil fuels to generate power. Of course, along with saving electricity comes sacrifice. You may not be able to use your air-conditioning 24 hours a day, despite the heat… or you may opt to actually go outside to amuse yourself– instead of sitting all day long in front of the television or computer. Whatever your own personal sacrifice is , always think that each person’s small contribution amount to a significant collective change for the world.

So what are some of the ways can you save?

LIGHTING

You can save a lot of electricity by simply changing your incandescent lamps/bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps. By doing this, your consumption is reduced by a whopping 80%!!! So, opt to use the beautiful chandeliers only during special occasions.

Whenever you leave a room, turn off the lights – well, unless you don’t want your dust mites to stumble in the dark. It does not make sense to leave the lights on when no one is using it. If you can’t be this vigilant, purchase a motion-sensor switch – this device will automatically turn off the lights when it senses that no one is in a room.

Install light switches at points where they are most needed – like the ends of a corridor, or on top and at the bottom of the stairs. This minimizes the possibility that you absentmindedly leave the lights on even when you are not using these places. Don’t worry about your pets – they can still manage even if the lights are off.

COOLING

In the warm weather, people are forced to use their electric fans, coolers and air conditioners for the majority of the day. There are some other ways to keep the interiors of the house cooler. One great way is by pulling thick curtains or shades over windows during the day. Use light-colored curtains, to let in some brightness (so you don’t need to turn on any lights). At times when event he sun is shining brightly, but there is significant wind blowing, do the opposite – open you windows and draw the curtains. Let the soft wind serve as you natural electric fan!

Set the air-conditioning units to 22 degrees Celsius, instead of the cooler 18 degrees. By turning down the temperature of your aircon, you also reduce electrical consumption.

Paint the roof and the whole exterior white, or some bright or light color. You will attract less heat into your house by doing so.

REFRIGERATORS/FREEZERs

Put your refrigeration in a place where the sun can shine on it directly. Keep it far from the oven or stove, or any other cooking device. A hot ref exterior forces its mechanism to turn up the cooling system in order to make up for the hot surroundings.

Make sure there is at least 10 centimeters from the wall and the back of your ref, to allow the warmth to flow away easily.

Keep the ref door opening to a minimum. Don’t open the door too wide, or keep it open for too long, or open it every 3 minutes. The coolness will escape, thus forcing the motor to compensate for the changes in temperature.

In case you don’t have a no-frost freezer, defrost every 2 months. When the layer of ice builds up, the efficiency of the cooling system is compromised.

COOKING

There are some misconceptions about the use of gas-powered stoves, as opposed to electric stoves. The cost of gas/fuel rises faster than electricity, so it may actually be easier on the wallet if you use an electric stove. The electric stove still continues cooking, even after it is turned off – one good advantage. Gas powered stoves immediately stop cooking after being turned off.

Always used the correct pan size, and if you can, cover the pot/pan while cooking. The food will cook easier and more quickly.

If you can, use the microwave. It only takes a minute of electricity to re-heat food in a microwave, while it takes much longer to reheat on a stove/oven.

When boiling water, use a water heater rather than a pot over a stove.

OTHER APPLIANCES/ELECTRONICS

Turn off the computer and its peripherals when not in use. If you need to keep it on/online all the time, consider using either a power-saving screensaver or keep the computer in “sleep mode.” If you can, purchase a laptop instead of a desktop computer – aside from the fact that there are more devices needed to power a desktop (monitor, CPU, modem, speakers, webcam, etc.), a laptop can run for a few hours on its rechargeable battery. Also, a laptop is most often an all-in-one device, meaning, the monitor, CPU, webcam, optical drive and speakers require only one source of power.

Unplug your phone charger when not in use. It continues to consume electricity even if there is no mobile phone connected, plus some chargers explode due to overheating.

When washing clothes, fill up the tub instead of washing several cycles in small batches. The mechanism is built to wash a load of clothes – not just a few pieces.

When ironing, refrain from turning the iron off and on several times, as this consumes just as much electricity as an electric stove being turned off and on several times. Try to iron everything in one sitting.

Regarding TVs, the general rule is, the bigger the screen, the more electricity consumed, although the latest flat LCDs and plasmas use less power because of the new technology it utilizes. If you can see well using a 14-inch (especially in a small room), then don’t use the 50 inch plasma in your living room. A little sacrifice goes a long long way.