Now we can no longer imagine your life without electricity and heating. Our entire daily life involves the use of many electrical appliances that provide us with the necessary level of comfort. Today we will talk about how you can save electricity at home.

The diagram on the left shows the energy consumption structure for a family of 3 people.

Every year, electricity and heating costs increase due to higher tariffs and an increase in the number of electrical appliances used. Since energy reserves are very limited, the cost of electricity increases annually by about 15% and, accordingly, our payments for electricity also increase.

Therefore, more and more people are starting to think about how to save electricity at home.

In addition, saving electricity will reduce the consumption of natural resources and reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, and therefore make a feasible contribution to the preservation of our rivers, lakes and forests.
By saving 100 W of electricity, we can save 48 kg of coal, or 33 liters of oil, or 35 m3 of natural gas.

On average, a family of three living in an apartment of 50 m2 pays about 59% of the total amount of utility bills for energy resources, of which: 32% is heating and hot water supply, 15% is electricity, 12% is gas.

These tips are relevant for those who have heat meters or electric heaters.

1.Insulate door and window openings with special insulation.
After all, the main heat leaks occur through windows and doors.


2. Install new energy-efficient windows, preferably double-glazed ones.
If you have a balcony or loggia, then glaze them too. This is the most effective way to save heat in the house.


3. It is necessary to properly ventilate the room.


Ventilate with the heating off!
Full ventilation for 2 minutes every 3-4 hours retains much more heat than constant partial ventilation. In winter, 2-3 minutes of complete ventilation is enough. In spring and autumn - up to 15 minutes.

4. Do not cover batteries with curtains or decorative slabs and panels.

1. Check the integrity of the wiring in the house.


This will prevent electricity leakage (losses can be up to 30%) and reduce the risk of damage to household appliances and short circuits.

2. Turn off electrical appliances that are in standby mode(standby mode) - TV, stereo, DVD player.


Most devices work actively for several hours a day, and the rest of the time they are in standby mode, which wastes a significant amount of energy.

3. Organize proper lighting.


A. Make the most of natural light (use light curtains, light colors on walls and ceilings, wash windows more often, do not clutter window sills.) This will make the room brighter.
b. Use the principle of zonal lighting - it is necessary to rationally use general and local lighting. General lighting is intended for general lighting of the room (chandelier). Local lighting (lamps, sconces) allows you to illuminate dark corners of the room.

The combination of local and general lighting (combined lighting) allows you to use light more rationally - to illuminate only the area of ​​the room that we need. As a result of the installation of combined lighting for a room of 18-20 m2, up to 200 kW/h is saved.

4. Replace traditional incandescent lamps with energy-saving ones.


They consume several times less electricity and last several times longer.

5. Turn off lighting and other electrical appliances that you do not need at the moment.


When leaving, turn off the lights.

6. Wash lamps and shades more often.

How to save energy in the kitchen and when preparing food

An electric stove is the most energy-intensive household appliance, accounting for more than half of all electricity consumed. By following simple rules and techniques when cooking, you can save a significant amount of energy.

1. When cooking in a saucepan, you need to turn on the burner at full power only until the water boils. As soon as the water boils, immediately switch the heating of the burner to the minimum position, in this case the energy consumption will sharply decrease and the cooking time will not increase.

2. Be sure to tightly cover the pan with a lid. When cooking in an open container, energy consumption increases by 2.5 times. Even if the lid is slightly open, this is equivalent to the fact that there is no lid at all, because... heat is lost with the escaping steam.

3. Use cookware with a bottom diameter that matches the size of the burner. The diameters of the bottoms of the pans must be greater than or equal to the diameters of the burners of the electric stoves on which they are placed.

4. Do not allow water to boil violently on a burner turned on at full power, because boiling on a heated stove is sufficient at much lower power.

5. If you turn off the electric stove burner a little earlier before the end of cooking, you will save electricity due to residual heat.

6. When cooking vegetables, use a minimal amount of water in pans.

7. Choose pots that are the right size for the amount of food you need. If you need to cook a small amount of food, it is better to do it in a small one. saucepan on the smallest burner.

8. The bottoms of pots and pans must be smooth and clean so that there is close contact with the burners. Dishes with a crooked bottom or with carbon deposits require 60% more electricity.

9. When purchasing cookware, choose frying pans and saucepans with thick bottoms and glass lids.

10. Use pressure cookers. They save a lot of energy and time. The cooking time in them is reduced by three times, and energy consumption is halved. This is achieved thanks to the tightness of pressure cookers and a special cooking mode - the temperature inside the cookware reaches 120 degrees due to excess steam pressure.

11. Stainless steel cookware with a thick polished bottom ensures good contact with the stove and saves energy. Aluminum, enameled, and Teflon-coated cookware is not economical.

12. The condition of the electric stove burners is of great importance. If one or two spirals burn out in a burner or the burner swells due to overheating, electricity consumption increases up to 50%. It needs to be changed urgently.

13. Use special electric heating devices (frying pans, pots, grills, coffee makers, etc.), in which the dishes turn out more tasty and of higher quality, and much less electricity is spent. Use an electric kettle, which itself saves energy by automatically turning off when water boils in it. Boil only as much water as required at a time.

14. Timely removal of scale inside electric kettles can significantly reduce energy consumption.

15. Use thermoses or potters to keep water and food warm for long periods of time.

16. Do not use the switched-on electric stove burners to heat the room; this is uneconomical, ineffective and dangerous.

17. Use microwave ovens to heat and cook food; they will save you time and energy.

What we usually do uneconomically:
■ choosing the wrong dishes - energy loss 10% -15%
■ Do not close containers tightly when preparing food. - losses 2% - 6%
■ We use too much water - losses 5% - 9%
■ We use dishes that do not fit the size of the burner - losses 5% -10%
■ We do not use residual heat - losses are 10% -15%

And to reinforce the material, here is a wonderful infographic from the United Energy Company. The picture is clickable.


By using these simple tips you can significantly reduce your energy costs and save money.

Let's repeat the basic rules:










To save energy in your apartment, you need to learn how to use it rationally. At the same time, in addition to significant savings in energy bills, you are making a very important contribution to solving global environmental problems.

The article uses materials from the Information and Consulting Center for Energy Saving (ICC).

How to economically equip your country house and ensure that it is provided with all amenities? Let's try to help the summer resident solve this problem.

Double-glazed windows, LED lamps, saving water when taking a shower - all this for city apartments. But what about the dacha? Fans and air conditioners consume a lot of electricity in the hot summer. There is a very simple solution: hide the house from the sun by planting a tree on the south side. Of course, there are some disadvantages here, since on a cloudy day there will be less light. An alternative would be climbing plants, such as ivy or vines, which will provide protection from the sun without blocking the windows.

To make it brighter not only in the house, but also in basements, sheds and attics, lighten the walls and ceilings, illuminate the darkness of these rooms, unfairly painted in dark colors. Among the light walls, your mood improves, you can breathe easier, and it’s more pleasant to keep clean. By the way, about the light, which you need to remember to turn off when leaving, in order to save electricity.

So that you are not tormented by the thought of whether you turned off all the lights and electrical appliances after moving some distance from the dacha, there is one simple way. Place a single switch for the entire electrical network closer to the output, and you will only need one click to de-energize the entire system. In addition to these amenities, additional fire safety for your dacha will be provided. You will only need to provide a separate power supply for the refrigerator.

An interesting solution is solar collectors, which are widely used in southern countries for heating water. Thanks to them, you don't have to use electricity or gas to heat water for a shower or simply wash dishes. If your dacha serves as your home during the winter months, you will have to take care of its heating. Do not under any circumstances spend money on electric heaters; this pleasure will cost you too much.

It is much more economical to install an electric or gas boiler to evenly distribute the generated heat.

Heat-reflecting shields behind the batteries are, of course, advisable, but this is not the optimal option. Warm floors are a completely different matter. Everyone knows that warm air rises. From the radiator it goes along the walls to the ceiling, and even if the radiators are hot, the air below will be cold and you will still have to wear warm shoes. In the case of heated floors, a thermal air cushion is created throughout the room, and being in the room will be very cozy and comfortable.

And if you also purchase a heat pump for such floors, the budget savings will be more noticeable. True, in Russia such equipment is still exotic, but in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and other countries with cold winters it is used in 90 percent of homes. Energy consumption, compared to an electric boiler, is as much as 80 percent less, while producing the same amount of heat. The heat pump literally collects energy that is lying completely free under our feet. This is a refrigerator in reverse. The pump coil is placed at a depth that does not freeze in the given region; in the central part of Russia this is approximately 1 meter.

You can even bury the system in the garden, while the pump’s performance is noted at temperatures down to minus forty degrees, but at the output it will produce +60 ºС. Interestingly, in the summer the system is able to cool the air, drawing coolness from underground. Solar panels and wind generators are also a good way to save electricity. It is clear that there are not always sunny and windy days, therefore, if you have both sources of energy, you are guaranteed to receive it uninterruptedly. The only caveat is the slight noise of wind turbines, so choose a low-noise model where the wing blades can be adjusted, and place it a little further from the house.

If you decide to acquire such autonomous, economical energy sources, then there will definitely be a battery station that stores energy on windless or cloudy days. The programmable controller with which you equip it will make your home “smart,” as such a system is now commonly called, since the necessary switchings will be carried out automatically. And you are guaranteed significant savings.

Mikhail Vorontsov

Reasonable savings

There are little tricks with which it is quite possible to reduce the cost of paying for electricity in the country.

Counter.

Install a multi-tariff meter. Unlike conventional ones, these devices take into account electricity consumption depending on the time of day. At night the price is lower. This method of saving electricity in the country is especially effective if electrical appliances - bread machines, chargers, washing machines - are running at night. A multi-tariff meter is convenient if electric heating systems are used. In any case, it will save electricity - the refrigerator works around the clock, and we watch TV in the late evenings.

Video: Tin Why do people pay for light + how to save electricity

Light bulbs.

Replace conventional incandescent lamps with energy-saving or LED lamps - savings of up to 75%. They cost more, but will also last longer. Replace electric decorative lights on your property with solar-powered lights. Hang lights with motion sensors near the gate and outbuildings.

Video: Free light in your home or cottage, homemade device

Appliances

Buy appliances that use less energy. Ideally - class A.

Place the refrigerator in the coolest place, 15 cm from the wall, and switch it to economy mode. For an electric stove, use dishes that are the same diameter as the burners. Never preheat a full electric kettle if you only need one mug of boiling water. Descale it regularly.

Load the washing machine fully, including minimal water heating. Insulate your windows and doors, then the energy consumption for heating your dacha will be significantly reduced.

Unplug appliances. In standby mode they consume electricity.

New and old technologies

Today, new economical solutions for heating a home have appeared - biogas and heat pump units. Installation of solar panels at the dacha is an additional source of energy. We should not forget the good old stove heating - a fireplace or Russian stove will allow you to avoid heating your dacha with electricity.

When planning your home, you should try to make the most of natural light and heating. The correct location of the house and the use of thermal insulation materials will help save electricity.

Video: Free electricity (exposure).

Lead a country life

When going out of town, try to lead a country life. Watch less TV, set up a summer kitchen or barbecue. Build a sauna with a wood firebox. On summer evenings, use retro-style lamps with burning candles - they are an effective alternative to electric lighting.

Video: How to save fuel? Generator for summer cottage P-Gen. Generates electricity 24 hours a day!

It is possible to save on electricity at your dacha. Pay attention to our advice and do not forget that when leaving, you need to turn off the lights.

Attention, TODAY only!

How to save energy if there are many appliances in the house? This question faces many residents of apartments, high-rise buildings, and the private sector.

Whatever the room where you live, even at the dacha, and due to the ever-increasing prices for utilities, the question of saving becomes more relevant.

Saving electricity with energy-saving lamps

In fact, the issue of saving is not difficult to implement on a daily basis. It’s all about awareness of the nuances of using devices, as well as the stability of applying the necessary set of measures, and this very quickly becomes a person’s habit.

It’s worth thinking about what type of lamps you use and what others there may be.

So, light in rooms is almost the main category in terms of energy consumption, therefore, if you can provide all rooms with economical lamps, you will spend less energy.

In order to save money, it is worth purchasing energy-saving lamps. They will last longer and use less electricity, however, when using this type of lighting, keep in mind that:

• When buying an energy-saving lamp to save electricity, you should not touch it with your hands, because this shortens the life of the lamps;
• If you do pick up the lamp by hand, gently wipe the surface of the lamp with a cotton pad. The cotton pad must first be moistened with a small amount of alcohol;
• As a rule, energy-saving lamps are more expensive, but they have a warranty period.

Another interesting option for saving electricity is to purchase one with halogen lamps. There are also a number of features here:

• halogen lamps are economical, but do not last long;
• Halogen lamps must be replaced immediately after one of the entire set of lamps has burned out.

Saving electricity when using household appliances

Few people know, but we save energy even when the appliances are placed correctly in the kitchen. If the refrigerator is located near the stove, be it gas or electric, more energy will be wasted.

Also, the refrigerator is incomparable with the heating system and boilers. That is why it would be appropriate to place the refrigerator in a separate corner or even outside the kitchen, which is especially important even for aesthetic purposes of improving the appearance of the interior.

Why a refrigerator? How is this even possible? In fact, there is no magic here.

Imagine how much heat a stove, oven or boiler generates, but it is designed to cool the inside of its device, and the higher the outside temperature, the more work it has to do.

The temperature changes automatically, so it is in your interests to move the refrigerator to a place where it is already cool.

It is also important to understand that a refrigerator consumes about 20% more energy if ice has accumulated on the walls of its freezer, because now the device needs to work in enhanced mode.

The same applies to cases where many people do not pay attention to what temperature the food is sent to the refrigerator.

Hot foods will generate heat, and the refrigerator will have to deal with it, at your expense.

Requires the necessary care indicated in the instruction manual.

So, if your air conditioner has not been cleaned for a long time, it is likely that it is already dirty, and freon may leak. This means that the device not only consumes a lot of energy, but also risks failure.

By following these simple tips that will quickly become habits, you can save about 50% on energy:

• When you leave, be sure to turn off the lights. However, this rule should not be abused either; it all depends on the lamps that are installed in your home. In the case of halogen lamps, on the contrary, the light cannot be constantly flicked on, because the lamp will quickly burn out, and instead of saving energy, you will incur additional costs;
• Wipe lamps and shades with a regular cloth soaked in water. This will help avoid the illusion when it seems that the lamp is shining poorly and you need additional lighting, which will save electricity;
• when we do, we need to take into account the lighting features of the premises. Light walls and a light ceiling will reflect light better, so your room will initially be lighter, which means less energy will be spent on artificial lighting;
• If your room is cold, do not rush to turn on the portable battery. It is possible that the radiators are taking heat from the stationary heating system. In this case, foil placed behind the batteries will help;
• purchase class “A” household appliances. In fact, few people pay attention to this, but in vain;
• think, perhaps your wiring is outdated and can no longer withstand the load. This may also affect your bills from the energy company;
• Last but most importantly, never leave your devices in standby mode. Thus, the TV, microwave, kettle and many other appliances should be unplugged immediately after their use.

If you just turn off the button on your TV remote, you know the screen is black, but all the processes on the TV are still running. This not only increases your bills but also damages your device. Let's save electricity together!

How to provide your country residence with all the amenities and not go broke? Here's a problem for a summer resident. We won’t talk about LED lamps and window insulation. All this is known and there are no dacha specifics here. Let's also not relish the advice of Estonians, who calculated that by reducing shower time by two minutes, a family of three can save 130 euros per year. Our man is broad and will not wash himself with a stopwatch. Let's dwell on those things that make country life cheaper, not scarcer.

1. Plant a tree

The method is simple but effective. During hot summers, air conditioners and fans consume a lot of energy. But if you hide the house from direct sunlight, the cost of cooling the air in the room will decrease. To do this, it is recommended to plant and grow a tree on the south side of the house. There are, however, some disadvantages to this solution. The leafy canopy will shade the windows, which is why on rainy days, which in our country, alas, are more common than hot sunny days, the lights in the house will sometimes have to be turned on even during the day. However, there is a way out of this situation that has been proven for centuries - to use climbing plants. Grapes or ivy will protect the wall and roof from the sun, but will not shade the windows.

2. Make life brighter

Another simple trick: illumination of utility rooms, basements, garages, attics, as well as living rooms with problematic layouts significantly improves the light tone of the ceiling and walls. For some reason, it is believed that the walls of a barn must be dark. Like, it gets dirty less. But to illuminate this darkness, lamps are needed twice as strong. After all, a light wall reflects 80% of the light, and a black one – only 9. When choosing the color of paint, decorative panels or wallpaper before the next renovation, take this factor into account. The savings may not be great, but in bright rooms life is more fun and you can breathe easier. As for dirt, if it is not visible, this does not mean that it is not there. The easier it will be to keep clean.

3. One click

When leaving, turn off the lights! This slogan from Soviet times is especially relevant in the countryside. It's not just about saving energy. Remember the most painful reflection of a modern intellectual: “Did I turn off the iron?” This thought turns into a real nightmare if you asked yourself a similar Hamlet-like question 100 kilometers from the dacha, and the opportunity to be convinced of the ephemeral nature of your fears will appear only next weekend. And it’s not just about the iron. There are so many consumers of electricity in modern households that bypassing each switch can turn into a rather troublesome procedure. But many electrical appliances are “energy vampires”, that is, they continue to consume electricity even when turned off in the so-called standby mode. But there is a simple solution: the main switch for the internal network, which can be placed near the exit, next to the security alarm panel. Of course, it is necessary to provide separate power for the refrigerator and other standby systems. But a summer resident who is always late for the train can deal with all the irons and tiles with one click. In addition to convenience and savings, a network de-energized in the absence of residents significantly increases the fire safety of a country house.

4. Warm your hands in the sun

If you have vacationed in Mediterranean countries, then, of course, you have noticed that the roofs of all houses, large and small, public and private, in this region are decorated with solar collectors for heating water. Of course, our northern summer is a caricature of southern winters, but, for example, southern summer residents will confirm that even a simple iron tank over the shower stall allows you to get water that is completely comfortable for the body. If you use special collectors, then in the middle zone it is not at all necessary to heat water with electricity or gas in order to enjoy a warm shower or wash the dishes on a sunny day.

5. The truth is in your feet

If you live in a country house even in winter, then heating costs become dominant. They account for up to 70% of all costs. Here is the main advice: a categorical no to electric heaters. Install a gas or electric boiler. And in this case, it is important to take care of the most effective way to distribute heat throughout the house. It is known that it is advisable to install heat-reflecting screens behind the batteries, but still their traditional location is not optimal: they heat the walls. Warm floors are a different matter. Heated air, as you know, rises. From a conventional battery it runs along the walls to the ceiling. At the same time, the battery itself can burn, but your legs still feel cold and you have to walk around the house in felt boots. Heated floors create an air cushion of heat throughout the room, and not under the ceiling. In addition, it is known that a person feels warm when his feet are warm. The most comfortable temperature in the house is 21 degrees. But thanks to the warm floor, it will be cozy even at 19. But, as Estonians have calculated, decreasing the room temperature by every degree reduces heating costs by 5%. And one more thing: heated floors are most effective when used with equipment, which will be discussed further.

6. Get it out of the ground

A heat pump is still exotic for Russia. Meanwhile, in Sweden, 90% of new homes are heated with this device. There are already about half a million of them in this country. These systems are no less popular in Finland, Norway, in the mountainous regions of Switzerland, in short, everywhere where severe winters force them to spend money on heating. A heat pump requires 80% less electricity than an electric boiler to produce the same amount of heat. And all because this device does not pump hot water, but directly heat. Moreover, this heat is sucked out of the ground.

Free heat is “lying” right under our feet, because the ground never freezes even at a depth of half a meter. You just need to collect this heat. This task is performed by a heat pump. It works like a refrigerator in reverse. The refrigerator freezes inside and releases heat through the coil outside. In the case of a heat pump, this “coil” is several tens of meters long, and it must be placed in any environment with a temperature of more than 1 degree Celsius. For example, bury it in the garden below the freezing level - in central Russia this is about a meter deep. As a result, a device the size of a refrigerator produces water at the outlet with a temperature of about 60 °C. The system is operational in temperatures down to minus 40. Interestingly, in the summer it can work for cooling. In this case, the pump will draw coolness from underground, which can be distributed throughout the house using “air ceilings”.

7. Money from the wind

A good way to save on electricity is to use renewable energy sources: solar and wind. There are already affordable household wind generators and solar panels on the market (from 30,000 rubles for a 1.5 x 0.5 m photovoltaic panel capable of powering a TV or computer). Of course, the sun does not always shine, just as the wind does not blow 24 hours a day. But these two sources together are quite capable of uninterruptedly supplying free electricity to a country house. However, it is necessary to take into account that the blades of a windmill can make quite a noticeable sound, so it is advisable to choose a low-noise model (with adjustable wing blades, rather than a ratchet fan) and place it higher or further from the house.

8. "Smart home"

An indispensable attribute of a system with autonomous light sources, be it a solar battery, a wind turbine or a diesel generator, should be a battery station that stores energy in case of windless nights and peak loads. When this station is equipped with a programmable controller, timer and multi-tariff meter, it can become the core of an intelligent system, which has recently become commonly called a “smart home”. Such a house will switch “to batteries” during peak hours, when electricity is expensive, and switch to external power, if “home-grown” electricity is not enough, at night. In the Moscow region, 1 kWh from 7:00 to 10:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00 costs 5.67 rubles for a summer resident, and from 23:00 to 7:00 – 1.56 rubles. The difference is significant.