Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Saving Energy While Cooling Your Home
• Method 2 of 4: Saving Energy When Heating Your Home
• Method 3 of 4: Saving Energy with Home Appliances
• Method 4 of 4: Service Organizations

Learning how to use electricity wisely can save you large sums of money and help protect the environment. Some methods of saving energy will require sacrifice, but others will not take long and will not involve a significant investment. The tips in this article are more suitable for people who live in private homes, but many of the recommendations apply to apartments as well.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Saving Energy While Cooling Your Home

1. 1 Paint the house a light color. Dark colors keep you warm. White paint on the facade and not the roof will reduce the amount of heat entering the house, so you don't have to use the air conditioner all the time.
   • Research has shown that in countries with warm climates, white roofs help to spend 40% less energy on cooling the premises compared to houses with black roofs.
2. 2 Use appliances that generate heat in the evening or at night. Some appliances (oven, dishwasher or washing machine) generate heat that remains in the home. To reduce your air conditioning costs, try to turn them on when it's not so hot outside.
   • You can use a microwave - it doesn't generate as much heat as an oven.
   • To prevent excess heat from accumulating in the house, you can grill food in the yard.
3. 3 Check if the air conditioner is working properly. If it's not working properly, it could be wasting your money. Call a specialist or check the air conditioner yourself.
   • The air conditioner will consume too much energy if the size does not match the area of ​​the room. Small air conditioners, for example, can only cool one medium-sized room.
   • Consider buying a new air conditioner. New high-efficiency air conditioners will use half the energy of air conditioners released 15 years ago.
   • You can check for yourself if anything is blocking the air conditioner pipe outside. This will help you start saving money.
4. 4 Replace the filter in the air conditioner regularly. A dirty filter will make it difficult for the air conditioner to pump air, which will increase energy consumption. Try to replace the filter once a month if you use the air conditioner regularly.
   • Consider buying a reusable filter. These filters can be washed. They are not very expensive - their cost pays off within about a year.
5. 5 Distribute the cooled air correctly. If your home has poor air circulation, the air conditioner will constantly run out of steam to cool down areas that are difficult to reach. Start using a fan.
   • The fan will not cool the room, but it will distribute hot or cold air more evenly.
   • Check if all vents are open. If any of them are accidentally closed, the air conditioner will be wasted.
   • Keep interior doors open. If this is not done, the air will not circulate.
6. 6 Insulate your home from heat. To keep the house cooler, the room must be protected from incoming heat. You may need to tackle minor repairs, but the more likely you will just need to change some habits.
   • Look for cracks around doors and windows, holes around pipes, and holes in your garage. Seal all holes with sealant.
   • It will be very hot at home if the sun's rays are shining inside. Keep curtains drawn during the day.
   • Insulation on the attic floor should be at least 30 centimeters thick. Do not place boxes on the floor and try not to walk around there again so that the insulation does not sag.
7. 7 Love the heat. Raising the temperature in your home by just 2 degrees will save you 5% less energy costs. To adjust to high temperatures, wear light clothing (or go without them). Turn off the air conditioner when leaving home.
   • Buy an automatic thermostat that will turn off the air conditioner when it reaches a certain temperature. These thermostats are inexpensive and can save you substantial sums per year.
   • Keep appliances that generate heat away from the thermostat. They can prevent him from working properly.
   • Do not wash the floor, dishes, or wash clothes in the heat. The water will evaporate, making your home humid and uncomfortable.

Method 2 of 4: Saving Energy When Heating Your Home

1. 1 Check the condition of the boiler. Call a specialist to assess the condition of the boiler and pipe. Change filters every month and make sure nothing is blocking the pipe.
   • Check if the boiler is operating normally. If it generates more heat than you need, your costs will go up.
2. 2 Close the fireplace door. Stove heating can provide heat to the house, but cold air can enter the house when the fireplace is open. Close the door. In very cold weather, it is not worth making a fire in the fireplace, as frosty air will penetrate into the house.
3. 3 Check the integrity of the house insulation. Get a professional to inspect your home. Look for cracks in insulation around doors, windows, pipes, and in the garage floor. Seal all holes with sealant.
   • On sunny days, open the curtains to bring warmth into your home.
   • Check if the radiators are covered with something. Move furniture away from radiators, remove curtains. Make sure the ventilation is working properly.
   • Know not to touch. Insulated garage, porch and attic are usually not heated. If you have heating there, turn it off.
4. 4 Love the cold. For every degree you lower the temperature, your expenses will decrease by 3%. Dress warmly. When leaving home, set the thermostat to 5-10 degrees.

Method 3 of 4: Saving Energy with Home Appliances

1. 1 Turn off appliances and lights when not in use. Turn off lights and fan when not needed. Since electrical appliances consume energy even when they are not working, but are simply plugged in, try to remove the plugs from the sockets more often.
   • Walk around the house before going to bed. Check if you have left any of the appliances turned on.
   • If you turn off the lights when you don't need them, you can save a lot of money every year.
   • Set timers in places you rarely visit (such as a garage). The timer will automatically turn off the light after a while.
   • In order not to spend a lot of time turning off all the devices in turn, buy a surge protector with a large number of outlets. This way you can turn off appliances with one switch.
2. 2 Buy high energy efficiency home appliances. Such household appliances will allow you to save money on electricity. A wide variety of appliances can be highly energy efficient, from lamps to refrigerators and washing machines, but some will be more energy efficient than others.
   • Replace all bulbs as soon as possible. Replacing one ordinary energy-saving light bulb will save several thousand rubles a year. Energy saving light bulbs last longer and need to be replaced less frequently.
3. 3 Wash your clothes in cold water. It will also save you a couple of thousand rubles a year. Lukewarm water does not make garments brighter, whiter, or cleaner.
4. 4 Dry your clothes naturally. Dryers consume a lot of energy. Just hang things on your balcony or bathroom. If you don't have a conventional dryer, buy one at any hardware store. This will allow you to dry a large amount of clothing in a small area.
5. 5 Set the boiler temperature to 120 ° C. Higher temperatures will cause skin burns. If you set a higher temperature, your electricity bill will start to rise as well. If you lower the temperature a little, you will immediately notice the difference.

Method 4 of 4: Service Organizations

1. 1 Sign a contract with a service provider. In some countries it is possible to choose a service provider. If you have the opportunity, explore all options. If you have a meter, but have not yet concluded a contract, do so as soon as possible.
   • When concluding a contract, you will need to transfer the current counter values ​​to the service organization. You may also need to call a specialist to reconcile the data.
   • Review all rates carefully to be aware of any multipliers.
   • Read the terms of the contract to understand what will be invoiced and what the service provider is responsible for.
2. 2 Check the meter data. Sometimes errors occur when billing for electricity, so it is important to independently monitor the correctness of the invoices. Call your service provider if you notice an error.
   • When taking readings from the meter, you will need to wait for the consumption data in kilowatt-hours (kWh or kWh) to appear on the screen. If the pointer is between two digits, round to the lower value.
   • Even if your bills seem correct to you, you should still double-check the calculations from time to time.
3. 3 If you have the opportunity to use the night rate, do not miss this opportunity. Sometimes the cost of electricity is lower in the evening than during the day. If your service provider offers an overnight rate, use that. Try to reschedule those household chores that require a lot of energy to the evening and night.