In these times, anything we can do to save ourselves a little money is welcome. Increasingly, we have to define the monthly budget very well to reach the end of the month, therefore, an idea to feel a little more financially solvent is to spend less: less on clothes, less on the telephone and less on the electricity bill. . Also, the less energy we use in our home, the less impact we will have on the environment.
The best tips to reduce spending on electricity
1 Make a list of energy expenditure
This is our first advice, and perhaps the most valuable. It is about spending a little time listing each of the light sources in your home , from small appliances to outdoor lights. This will help you understand how you are distributing electricity consumption and where you can or cannot reduce or do without it.
2 Check your electricity rate contract
In most countries, the cost of electricity varies depending on the time of day. For example, in Spain electricity is usually cheaper between 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. in winter and between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. in summer. In Mexico, the most expensive hours are usually between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and after dinner, but it depends on each state. If you are not clear on the electricity bill which times are the most expensive and the cheapest, call your company and ask.
3 Check the contracted power
Perhaps you have contracted a much higher power than you really need and that is affecting your electricity bill. The more power you contract, the more appliances and lights on you can use at the same time, but the more you pay. If you have a small home or don’t often use many appliances simultaneously, you may be able to lower the number of kilowatts (kw) contracted .
4 Make sure there is no light leak in your installation
It is advisable to carry out a technical review of the electrical installation at least every 10 years . But if you want to make sure that you don’t have any leaks that are increasing your electricity bill, you just have to turn off all the electrical sources in your home and check if the meter moves or is still . If it keeps moving, it means that there is some kind of fault in your installation.
5 Compare the rates of electricity companies in your country
Depending on where you live, you may have the option of contracting electricity with different companies. If so, take advantage of online rate comparators to contract the rate that suits your needs efficiently.
6 Use support apps
Also in many countries there are apps or applications for smartphones and iPhones that allow you to check your electricity rate in real time . This will give you an idea of the hours of the day when electricity is more expensive or vice versa, helping you to reduce energy consumption .
7 Use the appliances that consume the most in the cheapest hours of your rate
Once you know exactly what time of day the kilowatt is cheaper , you can take the opportunity to use one of your appliances during this time slot, such as the washing machine, the iron or the dishwasher.
8 Reduce the number of light bulbs
Do you really need as many light bulbs as you use in your house? Make a count and detect if you have unnecessary light sources .
9 Switch to LED bulbs
If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to invest a little in changing the light bulbs in your home for low consumption ones. LED bulbs consume between 70 and 80% less than incandescent bulbs and 30% less than fluorescent bulbs . In addition, they have a longer lifespan, break less easily, do not emit UV rays, and light instantly without the need for heating. Everything is advantages!
10 Adapt the voltage of your light bulbs to the spaces in your home
Perhaps you are using too high a wattage for a small room that is lit on minimal wattage. In kitchens we may need more light intensity to cook, but in bedrooms with dim lights it is enough . By reducing the voltage of your light bulbs (even LED ones) you will save a lot on your electricity bill.
11 Goodbye to standby
Turn off all electrical appliances and devices when you’re not using them, including your modem. The stand-by mode of the television or the coffee maker can increase your electricity bill by between 8 and 10% . To make it easier to do so, install multi-contact power strips or devices where you connect several appliances at the same time and can turn them off with a single switch.
12Take advantage of natural light
It seems obvious, but many times we leave the curtains closed or the blinds down and turn on the light in a room in broad daylight.
13Buy low consumption appliances
If you are going to make a purchase of a new appliance, make a smart purchase and get an energy efficient appliance. In the long run it will save you a lot of money.
14Use your appliances in saving mode or low consumption
Many of your appliances have saving or low consumption functions , even if it is not an appliance classified as saving. Use the saving function of the washer or dryer, you will save on your electricity bill.
15 Reduce the temperature in the washes of your washing machine and dishwasher
You can save up to 50% energy if you wash clothes at 40°C instead of 60°C . Use the dishwasher’s eco program to wash dishes at 50°C instead of a higher temperature.
16 Regulates the temperature of the refrigerator
Ideally , keep the fridge at around 5°C and the freezer at -18°C to use it efficiently and save as much energy as possible. Also, do not put hot food in the refrigerator and avoid the accumulation of ice in the freezer to reduce energy consumption.
17 Use insulating materials in your home
If you are thinking of renovating your home, take the opportunity to include insulating materials that allow your house to be warmer in winter and cooler in summer, such as insulation in ceilings and walls or double-glazed windows , which do not allow the passage of air. cold or air conditioning outlet.
18 Invest in sunscreens in your home
Installing an awning or a special roof on the facade of your home or on the terrace can help you improve the energy efficiency of your home in summer, since these devices prevent direct sunlight from entering through the windows and, therefore, the entrance of excessive heat. This will make you not have to abuse the air conditioning or the fan as much.
19 Check if air is escaping through the doors
It is estimated that 5% of the heat in a home escapes through the bottom gaps of the doors. To avoid this and thus save electricity in heating (if that is the heating system in your home), use specific insulating weather-strips for this purpose or, where appropriate, carpets and mats that do not let air escape .
20 Don’t let the air escape through the windows
Windows are the biggest escape of cold (air conditioning) or heat ( heating ) from a home, around 25% no less. Therefore, apart from investing in good windows, it is advisable to use thick curtains in winter or soft ones in summer .
21 Bet on gas
This advice depends on the country you live in, as in some countries gas is more expensive than electricity. But gas is generally considered to be more energy efficient and lower priced than electric power.
22 Less heating and more clothes
In winter, lowering the heating by one degree can save up to 7% energy . So if you have an electric heating system you will be able to save a lot of money on your electricity bill. The recommended temperature in the home in winter is 19 to 21 degrees Celsius. In addition, as recommended in the Guide to reduce electricity bills and save at home provided by the Government of Aragon (Spain), when the heating season begins purge the radiators, thus ensuring that there are no bubbles of air that hinder the transmission of heat from the hot water to the outside.
23 Less air conditioning and less clothes
If you need to use air conditioning in summer, use it between 23 and 25 degrees , the more degrees, the less energy consumption.
24 Play with your home textiles
So that energy consumption is lower in winter , use cozy and warm textiles in your home, such as thick curtains, rugs, wool sofa covers or similar… and in summer , change them for softer and cooler fabrics . This will allow you to need heating and air conditioning less frequently.
25 Invest in smart appliances
These types of appliances can turn your house into an energy efficient home. On the market you can find smart thermostats that regulate the temperature of your home based on the time of day, smart plugs connected to an application on your mobile phone to control the use of light and your electrical appliances from it, and even monitors of electrical consumption with which you can control the consumption of electrical energy in your home to the maximum.
26 Shorten your showers
If you have an electric shower system or the water heater is electric, this tip is essential to save on electricity consumption.
27 Get in the habit of turning off the light when leaving a room.
Leaving lights on in your home without them being really useful can significantly increase the cost of your electricity bill.
28Don’t leave lights on at night
If you need to leave a light outside or in the garden for safety, look for solar lighting solutions.
29 Place the air conditioner in a cool and ventilated place
Did you know that any electrical device consumes less energy if it is located in a cool and ventilated place? Also, try to change the air conditioning filters as often as indicated by the manufacturer.
30 Keep up with the preventive maintenance of your appliances
Electrical appliances in poor condition can significantly increase energy consumption. Try to do the recommended maintenance on your washer, dryer, dishwasher, or refrigerator.
31 Use the vegetation in your favor
If you have a single-family home, you can take advantage of the vegetation to create shade in summer and thus feel cooler. For example, with vines or fruit trees.
32 Cook efficiently
When you cook, there are many things you can do to spend less electricity, especially if you have a ceramic hob and an electric oven. For example, take advantage of the residual heat of the ceramic hob to finish cooking a stew, use pans and pots of the right size for the amount of food, that these are of good quality so that they better maintain the heat, use a pressure cooker (which reduces 75% of the energy used), avoid opening the oven while food is cooking or cover the cooking containers while food is cooking .
Apps to save money on electricity bills
StandbyCheck : this application has an option called ‘energy detective’ in which, by entering the electrical devices that you have connected in your home and their consumption data, it shows you the money you can save if you reduce or eliminate the standby mode . In addition, it is an app that also warns about possible energy leaks.
Boltio : What this app does is show you the price of a kilowatt hour . In this way, you will be able to decide correctly when it is more economical to turn on certain electrical devices or appliances in your home.
MiLuz : this app has exactly the same function as the previous one. Of course, you must bear in mind that not all meters take readings in real time and every hour . In addition, you will have to assess the specific specifications of the rate you have contracted. For that, you can contact your electricity marketer.
Houseinhand KNX : turn on the heating or air conditioning whenever you want, turn off the lights you forgot when you rush out of the house, lower the blinds during the hours of maximum sun … All this will allow you to make this app And, without a doubt, they are gestures that can help you considerably reduce the amount of your electricity bill .