Best tips on how to save electricity – The topic of saving energy has never been more relevant, nor has there been so much written and discussed the need to save energy. Even if many discussions are currently about saving heating energy, however, it is at least as important to save electricity.
Our daily life is hard to imagine without electricity. Almost all devices we need in everyday life and the household is operated with electricity – from the stove to the refrigerator and freezer to consumer electronics and lighting, but now also bicycles, scooters, and cars.
With a few simple rules, anyone can effectively reduce electricity costs. We have compiled the 20 best pieces of advice.
1. Purchase energy-saving devices
In any case, it makes sense to pay attention to the energy consumption of the devices that are bought new. To save electricity, you don’t have to rigorously get rid of all old electrical appliances and replace them with new, energy-saving models.
In almost all cases, a conversion only makes sense if a new device is to be purchased anyway because the old one is defective. When making new purchases, you should always give priority to the more energy-efficient model, even if it is usually a bit more expensive in terms of the purchase price.
2. Standby mode: Some devices are always “live”
Switching off the stand-by mode alone offers considerable savings potential for many devices. Many televisions, hi-fi systems, or computers run continuously, and as a consumer, you hardly pay any attention to them. Above all, consumer electronics devices are often constantly “under power” and consume a considerable amount of energy.
In standby mode, television sets consume up to 100 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. To save electricity here, power strips are a good idea to save electricity here, into which devices such as televisions, video and DVD recorders, or hi-fi systems can be plugged. They can be completely disconnected from the power supply whenever they are not in use by switching off the power strip.
Incidentally, power strips are also well-suited for PCs, printers, or monitors. You can also save electricity in the office at the push of a button. Another possibility is, of course, to unplug the devices. But this is more annoying than switching a power strip on and off. A family can save around 115 dollars a year by using power strips.
3. How to save electricity on lighting
If you want to save on lighting in your house or apartment, you should get LED lamps. LED lamps require only a fraction of the energy of energy-saving lamps or halogen lamps.
A considerable amount of energy can also be saved by installing motion detectors, which then switch the lighting on and off, especially in stairwells. Of course, you should only switch on the lighting in the currently used rooms. If rooms are only specifically illuminated where one is currently staying, this also saves.
Another saving tip that very few people think of: A conscious choice of color when painting the wall. Because light-colored walls reflect light better than dark-colored walls, white or light-colored paint will increase savings.
The same applies to bright lampshades. They also have an intensifying effect on luminosity and thus allow the use of a light source with lower power consumption.
4. Defrost refrigerators and freezers regularly
Regular defrosting of the refrigerator and freezer significantly reduces electricity consumption. It also preserves freezer performance. Even a 2mm thick layer of ice in the freezer increases electricity consumption by 15%. Regular defrosting therefore helps enormously in saving electricity.
Incidentally, ice formation is reduced by two measures: Do not leave the door open for an unnecessarily long time. Do not put (too) warm food in the fridge. At the same time, the two points help to save electricity in the household.
5. Do not place refrigerators near heat sources
Even the location where the cooling devices are set up is in the kitchen. It can have an impact on power consumption. They should never stand next to devices that emit heat, such as a stove or oven, washing machine or dishwasher, or next to a radiator.
You should also make sure that the fridge and freezer are at the right temperature. Seven degrees temperature in the refrigerator is generally sufficient. You should also ensure that drinks or food are always completely cool before putting them in the fridge.
A temperature of -18 degrees C is sufficient for freezers. The freezer should only be set to “Super” for a short time if larger quantities of food are freshly frozen. After freezing, this setting should be reset.
6. Save electricity when cooking: Use the right pots and lids
Even when cooking, everyone can save electricity through conscious behavior. So you should make sure to use the right hotplate. The pot or pan should fit exactly on the hob. In addition, the pot should always be well closed with the lid. If you use little water when cooking, you can also save because the water boils faster. When cooking, it is enough if the vegetables are only half in the water. The hot steam is enough to cook the other half with the lid closed.
7. Switch off the cooker before the end of the cooking time
A few minutes before the end of the cooking time, you should switch off the stovetop. The residual heat lasts for some time and can be used–free. You can also heed this tip when baking: If you switch off the oven about ten minutes before the end and also do not preheat, you can save a lot of money.
Anyone who prepares dishes that would otherwise have to simmer or stew for a long time is well advised to use a pressure cooker. A lot of electricity can be saved here thanks to the shorter cooking time and the lower temperature.
8. Proper Washing: Full machines only
When doing laundry, if you turn on half-full machines, you waste water and energy unnecessarily – and money. Washing machines should always be filled with the maximum possible amount of laundry.
9. Correct washing temperature
Another way to save money: wash at a lower temperature. A lower washing temperature reduces power consumption, and the water does not need to be heated as much. Washing temperatures usually range from 30 to 40 degrees.
As a rule, modern detergents also wash normally soiled laundry clean without any problems. It is only advisable to switch on a higher temperature in the case of heavy soiling. A pre-wash is basically superfluous and only wastes energy unnecessarily.
10. Tips for ironing
Even when ironing, everyone can save electricity. If the laundry is prepared correctly, ironing will take less time. So it’s better to keep laundry hanging on hangers and smooth them out before drying. Then it’s easier and faster to iron them.
When ironing, there is a similar rule as when baking and cooking: use the residual heat. If the iron is switched off shortly before the end, the residual heat can still be used for straightening.
By the way, even irons with a power consumption of 1000 watts get hot enough to iron everything. It doesn’t have to be 2000 or 3000 watts because the irons don’t use this power all the time anyway.
11. Air dry laundry to save electricity
If you dry your laundry in the air, you can turn the tumble dryer off. A load of laundry to dry with the tumble dryer costs between 50 cents and 1.50 euros. Therefore, the potential for savings is quite large.
But even if you want or have to use the tumble dryer, you can save a lot of energy with a few tricks. The tumble dryer should always be fully loaded before it is switched on. If the fluff filter is cleaned regularly, the dryer consumes less.
This is even more important with the heat exchanger. If it is full of fluff, drying takes significantly longer and consumes more energy.
Tumble dryers do not have to be set to “extra cupboard dry,” especially not if the laundry is then ironed.
12. Choose the right size of a refrigerator, washing machine, etc
Again and again, filling the device is mentioned as a hint for saving energy with many devices.
In order to be able to implement this sensibly, the household appliances should also be adapted to the respective household.
What should a single household do with a washing machine that has a capacity of 9 kg? So the following applies: Especially with washing machines and dryers, dishwashers, ovens or refrigerators, and freezers: choose the size that suits your needs.
13. Use eco-programs to save electricity
Modern washing machines and dishwashers have so-called eco programs. They are often not used because they last longer than comparable “normal programs.” But it makes sense to use them. They are optimized in such a way that as little water and electricity as possible are required in these programs.
However, both washing machines and dishwashers should be run at higher temperatures from time to time. This prevents germs from forming, and bad smells are avoided. Deposits are also avoided in dishwashers.
14. Unplug the chargers from the mains
In the meantime, many people are already using so-called power strips to avoid high energy consumption when the television, PC, or stereo system is in standby mode. However, it makes at least as much sense to unplug the chargers.
The plug should be pulled from the charger if the mobile phone, laptop, or e-reader is not being charged. This saves electricity, and the power supplies last longer if they are not permanently connected to the mains.
15. Use a kettle instead of a stovetop to safe electricity
Hot water is constantly needed in the kitchen. If the warm water is heated in the kettle and not on the stovetop, then you can save a lot of electricity (costs). And that doesn’t just apply to hot water for tea or coffee.
Anyone who also heats the water in the kettle for pasta and vegetables also saves energy. Only as much water should be heated as is needed for the pot of tea or the pot of pasta.
16. A laptop instead of a PC helps save electricity
If you have the choice between a laptop and a PC, it is better to use a laptop than a PC. Laptops and tablets are designed to use as little power as possible so that a battery charge lasts as long as possible.
Notebooks and laptops, therefore, require significantly less energy than desktop devices. At the same time, the performance is no longer worse.
Of course, the following applies here as well: Always shut down devices completely when they are not needed. Avoid standby mode.
17. Replace the heating pump and save electricity
Heating pumps can be enormous power guzzlers in the home. Modern high-efficiency pumps only require a fraction of the electrical energy compared to old heating pumps that run around the clock and consume electricity. The purchase of a new heating pump usually pays for itself after two or three years. Incidentally, you can receive state subsidies for the purchase of high-efficiency pumps.
18. Timers save electricity in many places
Switching off devices in standby mode to save power is well known. Here and elsewhere, timers can also help to save electricity.
There are plenty of possible applications: starting with under-sink water heaters and WLAN routers to aquarium lighting or illuminated Christmas decorations: If these are always switched off when they are not needed, electricity can be saved everywhere.
20. Replace electrical kitchen appliances with mechanical ones
Hardly anyone notices, but in the meantime, we are doing more and more work with the help of small electrical helpers. One or the other could still be done manually and without any energy consumption.
A few examples: Simply replace the electric slicer with a mechanical one, or simply cut the bread into slices with a serrated knife. Does it have to be an electric coffee grinder? Hand-operated models with a crank do the job just as well.
Egg whites or cream do not have to be whipped up in the electric food processor. There are also mechanical devices for that. Pasta machines or meat grinders do not have to be operated with electricity. There are also models with manual operation.
20. Biobike instead of eBike – bus and train instead of e-car
As much fun as e-bikes are and as much as e-cars are advertised at the moment: If you pedal yourself, you do not need to charge a battery and can save electrical energy.
Taking the bus or train, cycling, or walking instead of an electric car saves electrical energy. The savings potential here is surprisingly high.
Conclusion
Everyone can do a lot to save electricity and protect their own wallet and the climate by making small behavioral changes. A look at the current mirror helps to assess how good or bad your own consumption is.
