How to save energy at home 33 tips and tricks

Tips to save energy and reduce energy consumption at home

We all want save energy at home With the electric bills getting higher and higher, but, if you look around you, every year we have more electronic devices in the house.

They promise us that they are efficient, they consume almost no light, that we will have less energy expenditureetc lots of labels! And few results.

For reduce energy consumption we have mainly two tracks; the first, to change some things in the house and the other, to change our habits or see how we act inside the house. To simplify …

Analyzing the price of electricity plays an important role here. In most countries, throughout the day energy has a different price and that's where we can do the most reduce energy consumption. For example, for Spain the following relationship by hours has been established:

You should always check if where you live there is "hourly discrimination" in electricity consumption (Variation in electricity price throughout the day).

Since more or less we are clear how we can act. Attentive! it's time to see the Tips for saving energy at home Y reduce household spending in a forceful way we started!

We are going to see more than 30 tricks on how to save light and energy to reduce the bill radically

How I save energy

In this section we give a quick review of the key points of how we save energy (More fully explained later)

Analyze a little habits at home. As a general rule, heating, heating hot water along with appliances, are the main source of electricity consumption.
Look at your electricity bills, in which months you spend the most. Those months are the ones we should be most attentive to.
Take advantage of natural light. Although it seems obvious, there is a bad habit of opening lights when we still have enough illumination from the Sun.
Uses less thick curtains and more transparent, it shows a lot! And avoid putting intermediate shelves in the living room. We do not take advantage of the light in the background.
Avoid dark colors on the wall, they absorb too much the clarity of natural light, avoid them!
In rooms with little natural light, use clear paint or white, it is perfect. "Satin" paint is low gloss and perfect for reflecting more daylight.
Ceilings should always be matte white. There are many reasons why, but they also bring more light to rooms
Although it is a cliché. The artificial lighting must be LEDs They are significant savings! And buy good bulbs, in addition to lasting longer they have a better light quality, that is, we see things better.
Is better not to use lighting "flush with the ceiling", that is, we are lighting areas of the house that we do not need. Uses pendant and floor lamps (They are proven to be more effective with fewer watts - lumens of light)
If you buy a floor or pendant lamp. Make sure it has a light intensity regulator (almost all LED lamps already have it incorporated) and there are even bulbs that you can regulate now, you save on electricity!
There are many light switches that with motion sensor Perfect for hallways or entrances! And when we have little ones at home, the better.
Use weather stripping on windows and doors (It is that "foam" that is put in the frame). Avoid very well the passage of cold or heat. Put them all over the house, not just outside doors.
Film to insulate window glass. It is a kind of "transparent plastic" that is added to the glass of exterior windows (It prevents heat dispersion through the glass by 28% in single-pane windows and up to 13% in double-pane windows).
Use blinds, have multiple benefits of energy efficiency in summer and winter, with significant savings on the electricity bill.
On that façade where the Sun falls, we must be careful to raise the blinds to take advantage of the rays and that heat that it will bring us. And vice versa in summer, lower the blind in areas where the Sun falls.
Unplug the gadgets you don't need. The so-called silent consumption "stand-by" represents 10% of everything you consume.
Ventilate the house for only 10 minutes, not all day. Avoid wasting heat or entering the summer.
Awnings are other elements that, especially in summer, will avoid the incidence of the Sun in the window, and, therefore, more heat.
For each degree more that increases the heating supposes an economic increase of 7% in consumption.
Boiler maintenance is one of the main issues that we forget and that can save us up to 15% per year.
That the furniture do not cover the radiators and these must be clean. We are making it difficult for the heat to diffuse.
In the fall, radiators must be purged so that they do not have air inside that will hinder the transmission of heat from the water to the outside air.
Only use radiators in the rooms you use, the others, turn them off.
Program heating (thermostats)It shows a lot on the electricity bill. If you are not at home, do not turn them on.
In outdoor water heaters or electric water heaters. It's advisable cover the pipes with some insulation so that the heat does not escape.
In the water heaters or electric water heaters must have thermostats (device that controls the temperature, as well as its on and off by programming). In modern appliances, it is already incorporated as standard, but it can also be purchased separately.
Ceiling fans are a good alternative that consume very little. Remember that they serve both summer and winter, it depends on the movement of the blades.
With the air conditioning between 22 and 25 degrees is sufficient (Here you will have important savings). At night, a little higher, that nothing happens and you will sleep the same.
Must clean the filters of the air conditioners, both to avoid bad smells and dirt, and to make the device work better and require less electricity. If you see that the appliance expels little cold, you have to change the «gas» (It will be through a technician)
Search efficient labeled appliances (The lyrics, the higher the better) or you can change them, it shows a lot.
Use, especially the washing machine, in hours with low rates.
There are mobile applications to reduce energy consumption very useful! For example «Save on electricity. Price light hour »shows the price per kilowatt hour (See at the end of the article).
Have a system home automation to control all appliances (energy consumption meters). It is very efficient, you will know where you spend and save, but remember that it is an important economic investment.

See where we spend more energy and light

The following diagram indicates the electrical consumption in the home according to the services we use as well as which appliances consume the most at home to know where to act:

On average, the heating, heating hot water along with appliances, are the largest source of electricity consumption, at least in Spain.

Heating, hot water heating and electrical appliances are the main source of electricity consumption

Although it seems that the air conditioning is a significant energy expenditure, in reality, in most cases, it is plugged in for a short time; Sometimes because we work in the office, sometimes because we are on vacation or for a short summer, and sometimes because it is not hot enough.

Disconnect for devices that you do not use at home

It is what is called the silent consumption. Those electronic devices that we have in our house and that are not working but, in reality, are working.

So that we understand each other, we can see that typical small red light (LED) on computers, TV, computer equipment, air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave … etc. Are standby equipment costs that we do not perceive, but they are there.

Unplugging everything that remains on stand-by directly from the electrical network, on average, means saving approximately 10% of everything you consume. It is stipulated that with an average consumption of 3,500 kWh / year, we save about 52 euros.

Turning off appliances well means reducing electricity consumption by 10%

How much do electrical appliances consume in standby?

Well actually we have an excellent calculator to calculate how much the devices consume in standby and the home appliances that we have at home from the OCU … HERE. What if we have them all turned on with himphantom consumption of the stand by, we would have average expenses of:

How to reduce energy consumption in lighting

I think by now we all know that save energy in lighting It is no longer just about changing habits and turning the lights on or off when it plays, I think I understand that we already practice it!

In addition, we must be aware of what lights we buy and use at home to know how much we are saving on lighting.

In the following graph we can see an example ofhow much we save if we change the lights at home by other more efficient and how much does a light bulb spend on all day:

Changing lights for modern led bulbs is the fastest way to reduce energy consumption

We already know how to save light and without high expense. From the article on how to buy and choose an LED bulb or the article on questions about LED lamps, we give extensive information and all the necessary advice and infographics so that we are literally not taken for a ride when we go to an establishment in search of the perfect lamp. and some tricks to save light.

How to save on heating costs

First you must bear in mind that a comfort temperature ranges between 19ºC and 21ºC. Being that in the sleeping area, in the bedrooms, it is recommended a little lower, about 15ºC and 17ºC (This advice also applies to the air conditioning that we have at home).

How to save energy in heating it is not easy, but first, what would be the ideal heating we leave the following image:

Although in the graph we can see how radiant heating has the ideal comfort (Graph two), in this article we will delve into tricks to save on heating by radiators. By the way, we have an article on the advantages and types of underfloor heating where you can see the suitability of this system.

Tips to save on heating:

For each degree more that increases the heating supposes an economic increase of 7% in the consumption.
Boiler maintenance is one of the main issues that we forget and that can save us up to 15% per year.
It is important that the furniture does not cover the radiators and they must be clean. We are making it difficult for hot air to spread over the dining room, living room, hallways, bedrooms … etc.
At the beginning of the season, in the fall, the radiators must be purged so that they do not have air inside that will hinder the transmission of heat from the water to the outside air.
The optimization of heating installations are important as well as their renovation or their insulation: (From the article on tips to save on heating we expand this section much more)

The use of weatherstripping on windows and doors is a simple trick that directly blocks the air inlet and constantly helps to maintain the interior temperature of the home.

Another useful tip is to see that facade that the Sun falls on and be careful to raise the blinds to take advantage of the rays and that heat that it will bring us.
In some cases there are people who use dark colored curtains or carpets that absorb solar radiation helping to raise the temperature of the rooms.

These are little tips that together will save us a few euros at the end of the month remembering that biomass boilers and stoves with pellets or aerothermal installations are a good alternative option to the traditional radiator that saves money.

Placing sun protection

Within the different tricks to save light, using some kind of sun protection on exterior carpentry of the facade of our house or even on the terrace where we have access to the house - especially in summer - we provide an energy benefit by spending less electricity.

We have to be clear that we must use the one that best suits our needs and our budget. Starting from this, we mainly have three sun protection systems:

The awnings. Which can be of the conventional type, extendable awnings, hoods or some type of curtain. (You can learn more from the article on the advantages of awnings and their types)
The Blinds. Which can be Venetian, folding, rolling, adjustable … etc. It must be taken into account that there are different systems that make up the slat itself, among which the horizontal and vertical slats, the fixed or mobile ones, should be highlighted. (You can learn more from the article on the advantages of blinds and their types)
And the pergolas. Although they are more oriented to terraces, it does have its function and importance as we can see in the article on the types of pergolas for the garden.

To understand it better, we add the following scheme:

These solar protection measures prevent our home from overheating and reduce the cost of cooling, which according to statistics we would find between 5 and 30%. As we have seen in the graph, there are four key points for its effectiveness; layout, orientation, color and ventilation.

Now we know a little more about strategies for how to save electricity at home, but… there is still more!…

Save energy in the kitchen with ceramic hobs and ovens

If we practice a few simple habits applied regularly in our kitchens and ovens, they allow significant energy savings:

Ovens and ceramic hobs consume a lot, change habits now

It is essential to choose the right container for cooking, the smaller the better and the more it adapts to the amount of food to be cooked.
Covering the cookware saves energy.
Take advantage of the residual heat from kitchens and ovens to finish cooking. This tip is especially useful for glass-ceramic hobs that stay hot for a while after being turned off.
Choose the container that best suits the stove or stove on which we are going to cook. The gas flame or the glass ceramic plate must not exceed the diameter of the container as this is a waste of energy.
Use quality cookware. Those with a thick bottom are more efficient as they diffuse heat better and make better use of the energy transmitted by electric and glass-ceramic hobs.
Use pressure cookers as they speed up the cooking time and allow energy savings of up to 75%.
Do not open the oven door until the food has finished cooking to avoid wasting energy.

Remember to use the microwave to reheat food instead of the traditional oven. Although their energy consumption is high, the short operating time they require makes them more efficient.

Save energy with the washing machine, dishwasher and dryer

If we look at these appliances, they are in the Top Ten of those that consume the most energy in kitchens. Therefore, it is essential to make a good choice of model.

In Europe, consumers have a very effective tool that provides them with information when choosing an appliance: the energy label of appliances, which indicates the energy consumption, noise level and water consumption of the appliance. Seven efficiency categories are established, named from the letter A to G, with A being the most energy efficient.

Based on this information, some tips are proposed to save energy from these appliances:

Always choose efficient appliances, preferably category A. Normally, the savings in the electricity bill will offset a possible higher cost.
Choose as far as possible the wash programs at a lower temperature or the cold wash.
Choose washing machines and dishwashers that consume the least amount of water possible, and better if they have different outlets for hot and cold water.
Avoid prewash programs and use shorter wash programs.
Start the appliance when it is fully charged.
Use the right amount of detergent.

Dryers are not energy efficient appliances, so it is always better to air dry clothes than in this appliance. To reduce the energy consumption of the dryer, it is best to keep it in good condition, cleaning the lint filter after each use and ensuring that the drain is clean.

Save energy with the refrigerator

This is an appliance that stays on for most of its useful life, which tends to be around 14 years on average, so choosing an efficient appliance is essential.

Today's refrigerator models are up to 40% more efficient than appliances sold in 2001

Current models are up to 40% more efficient than the appliances that were sold in 2001, so replacing the old refrigerator with a more modern one already represents significant savings. Here are other actions to save energy with our refrigerators.

Always choose the most energy efficient models.
Since it takes more energy to cool air than food, keeping the fridge full will always save energy.
The larger the refrigerator, the greater the consumption, so it is advisable to select a size adapted to the amount of food that is generally going to be kept in it.
Select a suitable temperature for the refrigerator and freezer, which should be around 3-5ºC in the first case and -1 / -15ºC in the second.
The appliance will work best if the rear tubes are kept clean, so it is a good idea to vacuum them from time to time.
Do not place the refrigerator next to sources of heat, such as the oven, the washing machine or the dishwasher.
Keep the door open for the shortest time possible.
If the fridge is half empty, place a container with water inside it, which will help save energy, as the water retains the cold and the air does not.
Defrost food in the fridge, as this takes advantage of the cold it gives off.

And, finally, when any of these appliances has stopped working or needs to be replaced, we must make sure that it is disposed of correctly and that it does not end up in a landfill as highly polluting electronic waste.

Normally, distributors and merchants who sell new appliances will take care of the disposal and recycling of the old one, and if not, find a Clean Point in your city for appliance recycling.

Using thermostats reduces our electricity bill

Thanks to technology, there are devices that control the on and off of a certain device, installation or light by programming. They are called thermostats.

For example, in your heating system, if we work during the day we can schedule it for certain hours. When we are not at home, we will not waste energy as we see in the following image.

But … How much can we save by installing a smart thermostat? Although actually reducing the cost of the invoice is determined by many factors; habits of home users, energy efficiency of appliances, hotter or colder areas, etc. An example of a rough idea is the following image from a recognized thermostat manufacturer:

The decrease in our energy bill can be significant, so we must weigh the possible purchase of one of these devices. By the way, if you want to know more, we have an extensive article on how a thermostat works in heating and what options we will find in stores.

How much can we save on the electricity bill

The following graph we can see the cost of the measures that we can adopt, the annual savings in percent and economic in euros, and finally return on investment with or without aid.

Mobile app for energy saving

As we already have a global perspective of consumption, now it would be necessary to see it directly on our home. For these cases we have Apps for energy saving as online advisers, tools and applications of all kinds that, to a greater or lesser extent, provide data and more exact control when entering the characteristics of our home.

As a subsection, from the article how to calculate home energy consumption you can access one of the most recognized online applications for computers, which we would see something like:

But the bestAPP to save Most valued and winner of several international awards such as the Barcelona Smart City Hack or the Mobile Premier Awards 2016, it is the Virtual Energy Advisor application considered the Top in theenergy efficiency at home to spend less.

As we have seen in the article, reducing energy consumption at home is possible and only requires good habits, being constant in maintenance and really efficient appliances.

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