How to save light at home
In our day to day we use a multitude of devices that work thanks to electricity. We do it almost unconsciously, turning on the television, heating a glass in the microwave or keeping our food fresh in the refrigerator. The use of technology is so frequent that we forget the electricity consumption that this entails, electricity being an increasingly demanded resource and whose consumption causes greater emissions of CO₂ into the atmosphere. That is why it is necessary to try to reduce our household spending as much as possible, since on many occasions we waste it without realizing it.
Avoid silent consumption
Silent consumption is that made by all those devices that, although they are turned off or you are not using them, remain connected to the electrical network. Most of them keep lights on , the television, the microwave or computer equipment such as the computer screen. Although at first glance this consumption seems insignificant, it is proven that unplugging all the appliances that are not needed daily reduces annual consumption by approximately 10% , that is, about 3,500 kWh / year.
Tips to save on lighting
In addition to turning off the lights when we are not using them and turning on only those that are necessary, we must know what type of bulbs we use . There are halogen, fluorescent and dimmable LED bulbs, each with specific conditions and characteristics, so that, depending on our needs, we can choose the one that is most efficient for us.
In the same way, not only is it enough to choose the right bulb but also, placing the light points in a strategic and correct way in our homes. Also making use of natural light whenever possible, we can also reduce our electricity consumption.
Each degree in heating implies an economic increase of 7% in our bill, therefore, the first advice to save in our homes is to know what the appropriate temperature is , varying this between 19 ° C and 21 ° C , although in the bedrooms it is advisable to maintain a lower temperature.
We must also take into account the layout of the radiators or air conditioning devices in the rooms, avoiding covering them with furniture and allowing the correct diffusion of the air. In addition to worrying about its maintenance, purging the radiators at least once a year to eliminate the air inside, or paying attention to the maintenance of the boiler.
On the other hand, we can take advantage of the energy sources that nature provides us, that is, sunlight, it is enough to keep the blinds up when the sun’s rays affect our home to allow their entry, and we can even use curtains of dark color that absorb light. If, on the contrary, what we want is to avoid the sun’s rays and reduce the temperature of our homes, we can use solar protection systems such as awnings and pergolas.
Tricks to save on the use of appliances
When cooking , first of all, we must choose the container that best suits the volume of food we want to prepare, making use of the container lids at the same time to prevent the heat from expanding.
It should be noted that the use of a pressure cooker speeds up the cooking time allowing significant energy savings. Regarding the use of the microwave and oven, we must know that when heating food, the microwave is more effective than the oven, because, although the energy consumption is high, the time involved is much less.
Taking advantage of the residual heat from glass-ceramics and ovens is also a very useful practice, since both give off heat after being switched off.
The household appliances used for cleaning such as the washing machine or the dishwasher are the ones that consume the most, so the first measure that we can apply is a good choice when buying one appliance or another. Regarding its use, to save electricity it is preferable to use short washes and at a lower temperature, avoiding prewash programs.
The refrigerator is another appliance that supposes a high cost since it remains on for most of its useful life, so that, as in the case of the washing machine and the dishwasher, choose a good model, energy efficient and of a size proper is very important. When it comes to using and saving electricity, we must select a suitable temperature (3 – 5 ° C) and take care of its maintenance and cleaning, since the device works better if you keep the tubes at the rear clean.
