Electricity prices continue to soar at a time when we are spending more time at home as the weather for shorter days returns as the weather is not conducive to spending more hours away from home self, which is usual on summer days.
Many people continue to telecommute, in addition to cooking and using more and more, more appliances and devices that require their daily charge. With rising energy prices, we are forced to look for ways to contain costs.
According to the Spanish Electric Network (REE), the average monthly consumption of a household in Europe reaches 270 kWh, which implies an average annual consumption of 3,272 kWh. However, you will wonder, what consumes the most light in our homes?
The Institute for Energy Diversification and Savings (IDAE) figures the average annual expenditure of households at 3,487 kWh. This is reflected in the report of Consumption in the residential sector in Europe.
If we analyze the consumption of each of the appliances, the report tells us that the refrigerator is the appliance that consumes the most with 30.6% of the total, followed by the washing machine with 11.8%, the oven with 8.3 % and dishwasher with 6.1.
To a lesser extent, there are other electronic devices such as television, which despite the many hours of use, the percentage of consumption remains at 12.2%, followed by the computer with 7.4%, or appliances in Be ready with 10.7%.
If you do not have a system to track the energy consumption of your home, you can consult our article on the best electricity consumption meters For the House.
In any case, here we leave you our main tips to save on your electricity bill.
1.- Find out the current consumption
The first thing you need to do is figure out where you stand in terms of power consumption. Check your meter (or meters, if you have both gas and electricity). Use all the means you can have around you.
The mobile applications of each energy supplier or supplier are very useful and can help you see what is consumed monthly or daily. If you have a regulated tariff (PVPC) you must pay attention to the time zones of Punta, Llano or Valle to reduce consumption.
- Valley Hours: It covers from 00:00 to 08:00 on weekdays and all day on weekends. Here, the hours of electricity consumption are the cheapest.
- Fixed hours: It is spread over 3 tranches or periods throughout the day and from Monday to Friday. Mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and evenings from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Peak hour: It consists of two time slots and is only applied from Monday to Friday, as is the case with the Llanas timetables. The peak hours of the electricity tariff are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
2.- Send your actual readings to the energy supplier
If your meter readings aren’t coming automatically, it’s time to get to work because you’ve probably used more energy than usual.
It is preferable to inform the supplier so that he can adapt to what is consumed and not make approximate statements of consumption or rounding off.
3.- Control consumption with an energy monitor
It is difficult to save on the electricity bill if it turns out that you cannot check what you are consuming on a daily basis. the said power monitors they cost just over $50 and allow you to quantify the expenses of your teams.
With them connected to the electrical outlet, you will be able to monitor the kWh consumed in each case and when it is best to use the device in question, provided that it is a washing machine, a washing machine -dish or similar that you can use at once. time or another.
Schedulers are also a good choice, especially if you have a regulated tariff where kWh consumption is based on time of use. A scheduler allows you to put the washing machine at a specific time and you can find them in Amazon for only $19.99.
4.- Renew old appliances
Another good idea is to try refurbishing older devices, if the budget allows. If you have one that is more than ten or fifteen years old, its energy efficiency may not be a good option for saving energy.
In the case of the dishwasher and the washing machine, we also tell you how the shortest programs are not always the ones that save water and energybecause these are usually programs that manage hot water and the device consumes much more energy.
5.- Change your domestic habits
Any device that has a transformer or a mode of use of Be ready, as is the case with the TV, will consume power even when plugged in. If you leave your TV on standby for a year, you could spend up to $10 more per year.
That doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you add up the consumption of all the devices that stay that way, router, speakers, various screens, consoles, etc., the figure will surely increase unnecessarily, in addition to consuming stupidly.
Leaving mobile phone chargers plugged in all the time also consumes energy. If you mind going plugging and unplugging every day, a good trick is to use any type of power strip wherever you have them plugged in, like the PM6-GR from APC by Schneider Electric.
6.- Efficient heating
Investing in a smart heating system will also help you control the amount of electricity you use to heat your home as winter approaches. You can program the heating, adjust the temperature easily and heat by zones or rooms.
Discover our ranking of best smart thermostats which we have tested and rated for ease of use and effectiveness. There are advanced functions that allow you to turn on the heating by geolocation, only when you get closer to your house, as well as to define hours of use.
7.- Finally, try these wise tips
- Turn off lights when leaving a room. It’s obvious, but we all forget that.
- Change your light bulbs for energy-saving bulbs.
- Do not leave devices to charge overnight. Plug them in when you’re around and set a timer to remind you to unplug them when charged.
- Make the most of your washing machine’s loading drum. Wash at 30 degrees or cold instead of high temperatures. It will also extend the life of your clothes.
- Defrost your refrigerator and freezer from time to time. Make the most of your space and avoid leaving the door open too long while you replenish the food, so that it loses its operating temperature.
- Take advantage of the sunlight. Raise the blinds and change the curtains that block the passage of light. You will be surprised how during the day it is possible to use less light.
- In the winter, try to set your heating to warm, but not extreme temperatures, such as below 22 degrees. Raising the house temperature by 2 degrees more can mean a much higher energy consumption.
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