Induction cooker and how to save electricity. Five ways to save energy at home. Labeling of energy-saving equipment

Today, not all regions of our country are gasified, so cooking on an electric stove is very common. When purchasing a product for the consumer, both functionality and energy efficiency of the stove are equally important, since it is the main consumer of electricity in an apartment or private house.

Economical electric stoves, how to determine their energy consumption

The level of energy consumption of a stove directly depends on its type. Today there are two main types of electric stoves:

classical, in which the surface is heated by conventional tubular energy heaters (heating elements),
induction, which works by inducing eddy currents created by a high-frequency magnetic field (from 20 to 100 kHz).

There are also combined devices in which some of the burners contain heating elements, and some work on the induction principle.

Electric stoves still differ in a number of indicators:

type of surface material (cast iron pancakes, open spiral or glass ceramics),
control (touch or mechanical),
power supply (single-phase or three-phase).

The electric stove is a powerful device, each burner consumes 1.5-2 kW / h, the oven - 3-4 kW / h. The current strength reaches 50A. Therefore, before purchasing a stove, you should make sure that the electrical wiring in the house is able to withstand such a load. In case of doubt, it is better to run a separate cable and install a separate socket with a fuse. Also, a two-tariff electricity meter will not be superfluous.

If we compare the "classic" and "induction" devices in terms of electrical consumption, then the induction cooker is more profitable. Gas is more economical than any electric one, but it cannot always be installed for objective reasons (lack of a nearby gas main to which you can connect or the high cost of connection).

Induction appliances are the future that started today. The principle of their operation allows you to heat not the burner, but directly the bottom of the installed dishes, from which the working surface can already heat up, but usually not more than 60 degrees. Food in such conditions cooks much faster, heat loss tends to a minimum, the glass-ceramic surface does not heat the air in the kitchen.

Economic stove, myths and prejudices

Despite the effectiveness of induction cooking appliances confirmed by research and long-term practice, some people continue to treat them with distrust. There are many different prejudices that cause potential consumers to ask questions. Let's consider some of them.

The magnetic field is harmful to health. Studies of the magnetic field voltage of an induction electric stove and a conventional electric hair dryer showed that this indicator for a hair dryer is 90 times higher than for a hob. And this does not prevent women from blow-drying their hair regularly.
For an induction cooker, you need to buy special expensive dishes. This is not true, since many old pots (enamelled and aluminum) have the ferromagnetic properties necessary for the induction process. To check if the cookware is suitable for such a stove, you just need to bring the magnet to the bottom of the pan, if the magnet sticks, then it fits.
Every metal object on the glass-ceramic surface will become hot. In fact, there are a number of systems that protect against such a development of events, the main principle of which is: "no dishes - no induction."

Therefore, a consumer who is considering which electric stove to buy should understand that at the moment the best electric stoves are induction.

The electric stove is the most energy-intensive appliance used today in the household. Therefore, it is necessary to operate it, constantly taking care of saving electricity. The tips below will be useful not only for newcomers, but also for those who have been using electric stoves for a long time.

Let's start with the dishes. It is because of it, as experience shows, that a huge waste of electricity is obtained. The fact is that heat from the surface of the burners to the bottom of the dishes must be transferred due to their tight fit to each other. In order to achieve such a fit, the surface of the burner is subjected to special turning - facing. The bottom of the dish should be the same. But in a large number of cases, owners of electric stoves use dishes with a concave or convex bottom. This leads to a sharp increase in the boiling time of water. Accordingly, the consumption of electricity also increases. With a gap between the bottom of the cookware and the burner in the central part, even 1 mm, the energy overrun is 17%, 2 mm - 41%, 3 mm - 47%. With the existing fleet of electric stoves in the country, the excess consumption of electricity due to the use of low-quality utensils can be comparable to the energy consumption of a large metallurgical plant.

Cooking utensils for electric hotplates must be carefully selected. It is very simple to do this - just attach a ruler to the bottom of the dish. If the deflection in the central part or along the edges of the bottom is more than a millimeter, then it is better not to use such dishes. And it is not necessary to throw it away. It is useful for cooking in an oven, where the configuration of the bottom does not matter.

Replacing dishes when switching from a gas stove to an electric one may at first glance seem like an unjustified expense for a family. But it's not. A simple calculation shows that the use of dishes with a bottom deflection of 2 mm costs extra money.

In stores there is a large selection of dishes with a thick, even bottom. If we compare the cost of the pan and the cost of the electricity saved by it, we can see that it will pay off in a year. And it serves at least 5-7 years. So there is a benefit.

Even if all the dishes in the kitchen are good, remember that the crumbs stuck to its bottom also create a gap. Therefore, before installing on the stove, it does not interfere with running a dry cloth along the bottom of the pan.

An important role is played by the diameter of the dishes, since both the efficiency of cooking and its quality depend on it. If the diameter of the cookware is smaller than the diameter of the burner, then it simply heats the air. If the diameter of the cookware is excessively large, then the heating of the bottom will be uneven and the food may burn. In this case, the cooking time also increases. Cookware with a bottom diameter equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the burner is considered the best.

It is necessary to adhere to some rules when cooking. First of all, be clear about what the power levels of the burners are intended for.

Maximum(sixth) stage is mainly used at the beginning of cooking or frying, when you need to quickly boil water or heat the pan.

This stage is used for frying fast-cooking dishes such as pancakes, scrambled eggs, etc.

On fourth And fifth steps fry dishes that require longer processing - potatoes, cutlets, schnitzels. The first, second and third stages are designed for long-term cooking and heating of food.

Regardless of the level at which the dish is cooked, the rule to remember is that the burner should be turned off shortly before the dish is ready. The burner retains heat for a long time, and it is enough to bring the dish to readiness. You can also use the heat of a switched off burner to heat small amounts of food.

Greater energy savings are also obtained by cooking the so-called " tower» way. In this case, the pans are placed on top of each other. The upper pan is heated by steam rising from the lower pan. It is especially good to cook dietary dishes in this way, steam peas and beans, and heat up ready-made meals. The effectiveness of this method is not so obvious, but do not rush to abandon it without experiencing it. " Tower»
cooking is very popular in Western European countries, which have half a century of experience with electric stoves.

Surveys have shown that burners with a power of 1500 W are most often used. This causes an excessive consumption of electricity, and the service life of these heat-stressed burners is less than that of 1000 W burners. Given this circumstance, you should think about which burner to turn on. If, for example, dinner is being prepared, it is better to put the pan on a small burner. In this case, only a few minutes will be lost, since maximum power is needed only when boiling. But less energy is consumed, and a large burner will last and last longer.

When using fryer cupboard, remember that it is economical to fry in it only dishes weighing 1 kg or more.

Another significant reserve of energy savings is the use of specialized appliances for cooking. These devices are adapted for the preparation of certain types of dishes. Meals are of better quality than cooked on the stove, and less energy is expended. Having a set of such devices, you can reduce the use of an electric stove to a minimum. The set may include an electric frying pan, an electric saucepan, an electric grill, an electric toaster, an electric barbecue grill.

3. Energy saving when cooking.

Proper operation of household electrical appliances contains large reserves of energy savings.

The most energy-intensive consumers are electric stoves. Their annual electricity consumption is 1200-1400 kW. How rationally use electric stoves?

Cooking technology requires the burner to be turned on at full power only for the time needed to boil. Cooking food can take place at lower power. The soup does not have to boil at all with a key: it will not boil faster because of this, because above 100 0C the water still does not heat up. But with intense boiling, it will evaporate very actively, taking away about 0.6 kWh for each liter of boiled water. What should be cooked for a long time should be cooked on a small burner, heated to a minimum, and always with the lid closed. Cooking food at low power significantly reduces energy consumption, so the burners of electric stoves are equipped with power switches. Most electric stoves are now equipped with 4-stage power regulators; as a result, when cooking, electricity is consumed irrationally. The use of 7-stage switches will reduce energy costs by 5-12%, and stepless switches by another 5-10%.

The principle of stepless power control is to change the relative duration of the cycle "on at full power - off".

The main element of the regulator is a bimetallic plate connected to a mechanical interrupter. The plate is heated by heat generated by a heating resistor with a power of 2-6 W, connected in parallel with the heating element of the burner or built directly into its body. By changing the position of the switch knob, you can adjust the relative duration of the periods "on - off", and therefore the average power of the burner. Stepless power regulators allow you to smoothly adjust the power in the range from 4 to 100%.

A more advanced method of power control is the automatic control of the burners depending on the temperature of the bottom of the poured vessel. Among the known designs of such regulators, two are most common: with a manometric temperature sensor and with a measuring resistor. Regulators of the first type are used for cast-iron burners, the second type - for tubular ones. The quality of the temperature sensor depends on the density of its contact with the bottom of the vessel. To this end, it is installed slightly above the plane of the working surface of the burner, in its center, and is held in this position by a spring. When installed on a pot burner, a spring presses the sensor firmly against its bottom.

Untimely change of faulty burners leads to an overrun of electricity by 3-5%. Burnout in the burner of one or two spirals violates the regulation mode - the minimum power level increases a 2-3 times. In the case of delamination, cracking or swelling of cast iron, the tight contact of the surface of the burner with the bottom of the pouring vessel is disturbed.

To reduce the consumption of electricity for cooking on electric stoves, it is necessary to use special dishes with a thickened turned bottom with a diameter equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the burner.

For solid cast iron burners, the best heat transfer is achieved with close contact between the surface of the burner and the bottom of the cookware. Due to the deformation of the bottom, the presence of technological stampings on it, the contact of the burner with the dishes is carried out only on a part of the surface. This lengthens the heating time of the food, increases the consumption of electricity and causes internal stresses due to uneven heat removal, as a result of which cracks and distortions can form in the cast iron of the burner. Using cookware with a curved bottom can lead to energy waste up to 40-60%. In order for the dishes to fit snugly on the burner, heavy pots with a thick bottom and heavy lids are preferable.

Studies have shown that 1500 W burners are most commonly used. This causes an excessive consumption of electricity, and the service life of these heat-stressed burners is less than that of 1000 W burners. Given this circumstance, you should think about which burner to turn on. If, for example, a small amount of food is being cooked, it is better to put the pan on a small burner. In this case, only a few minutes will be lost, since maximum power is needed only when boiling.

Particular attention should be paid to boiling water on an electric stove. For the rational use of energy, it is necessary to pour water exactly as much as is required for this case. It is completely unreasonable to pour a full kettle, and then heat it up.

One of the conditions for improving the operation of the electric kettle and dishes is the timely removal of scale. Scale is a hard deposit on the inner walls of the cookware, which is formed as a result of repeated heating and boiling of water. Scale has a low thermal conductivity, so the water in a scaled dish heats up slowly. In addition, the walls of the dishes, isolated from water by a layer of scale, are heated to high temperatures, while the iron is gradually oxidized, which leads to the rapid burning of the dishes. To remove scale, the drug "Antinakipin" is produced. You can also use vinegar essence (1 part essence to 5-6 parts water).

Another significant reserve of energy savings is the use of specialized appliances for cooking. These devices are designed for cooking certain types of dishes. Meals are of better quality than cooked on the stove, and less energy is expended. Having a set of such devices, you can reduce the use of an electric stove to a minimum. The set may include an electric frying pan, an electric saucepan, an electric grill, an electric toaster, an electric barbecue, an electric kettle, an electric samovar, an electric coffee pot.

Significant convenience, time and energy savings are provided by the use of pressure cookers. Their use reduces the cooking time by about three times and simplifies the technology. At the same time, electricity consumption is halved. These advantages of pressure cookers are ensured by its tightness and special thermal conditions - a temperature of 120 0C with excessive steam pressure.

Microwave ovens, which have recently become widespread, also have undeniable advantages. In them, heating and cooking of products occur due to the absorption of the energy of electromagnetic waves. Moreover, the product is heated not from the surface, but immediately throughout its entire thickness. This is the efficiency of these furnaces. When operating a microwave oven, it must be remembered that it is afraid of underloading when the radiated electromagnetic energy is not absorbed by anything. Therefore, during the operation of the oven, you need to keep a glass of water in it.

4. Saving electricity when using radio and television equipment.

Radio and television equipment is a significant consumer of electricity. If we assume that on average TVs in our homes are turned on 4 hours a day, then about 30 billion kWh of electricity is consumed annually. For the rational operation of radio-television equipment, it is necessary to create conditions for its better cooling, namely: do not place it near electric heaters, do not cover it with various kinds of napkins, systematically clean it from dust, and do not install furniture walls in niches. Voltage stabilizers are often used to improve image quality.

The voltage stabilizer is designed to connect television receivers and other radio equipment to an electrical network, the voltage of which changes noticeably during the day. The stabilizer automatically maintains the desired supply voltage. It operates on AC mains, 127 or 220 V, giving a rated output voltage of 220 V. When choosing a stabilizer, it must be borne in mind that the total power of the energy consumer connected to the stabilizer should not exceed the power (its value is given in the model name) for which the stabilizer is designed. The ferroresonant voltage stabilizers are the most widely used. They maintain the output voltage with an accuracy of +\- 1%. Their disadvantages include a low power factor, which leads to significant losses of electricity in the stabilizer.

The design of a number of recent TV models suggests their use without voltage stabilizers.

A large amount of electricity is spent on the long-term operation of radio and television equipment, often operating simultaneously in several rooms of the apartment. Calculations show that if it were possible to reduce the lighting load and TV viewing time in each family by 10% or 40-60 minutes, then household electricity consumption per apartment could be reduced by 50 kWh, or by 4% of modern level. To listen to informational programs, it is advisable to use a radio broadcasting network. Many electronic devices - VCRs, receivers, players - continue to operate in standby mode after being turned off. The scoreboard of the device becomes an electronic clock. This, of course, is convenient. The power of the "standby" device is small - some 10 - 15 watts. But for a month of continuous operation, it will “eat” a rather tangible amount of electricity - about 10 kWh.

How to save electricity. Ways to save money and useful tips.

What can be done to reduce the amount of electricity consumed and pay less? First of all, everyone should learn how to save energy through the rational use of household appliances available in the house. How? Yes, very easy! So, we present to your attention a few simple, but very effective measures that will help you learn how to save electricity.

Effective ways to save electricity in a house or apartment

How to save electricity

How to use household appliances economically

Fridge

Since it accounts for almost 30 percent of all the electricity we use, it seems that to save money you just need to buy a refrigerator of the highest energy efficiency class - "A +++". “If you have a refrigerator at home that is not older than 20 years, you don’t have to change it. It is more important here not to use it as an exhibition of food, which is very fond of children: opened, looked, thought, closed. And five minutes later again. Lowering the temperature by one degree increases energy consumption by 5 percent. So it is worth setting the lowest temperature in the freezer only if you need to store food for months.

Install the refrigerator in the darkest cool corner of the room. The closer the refrigerator is to heating (batteries, radiators) and heating (stove) devices, as well as to the sun's rays, the more electricity it will consume. In addition, to reduce energy consumption when using the refrigerator, try to observe a few more points: do not allow a thick ice layer to form in the freezer, defrost regularly and wipe the refrigerator dry; before placing food in it, cool it to room temperature, never put a hot pot or pan; close the refrigerator door tightly and do not keep it open for a long time; make sure that the door seal fits snugly against the refrigerator body, preventing the formation of even the slightest gap; when installing a refrigerator, leave a gap between its radiator and the wall so that the unit can cool in time.

The most voracious of household appliances in any house or apartment is the refrigerator. For efficient, and therefore economical operation, it is necessary to defrost it periodically if there is no “No Frost” system. The refrigerator should be placed away from any appliances that produce heat, and especially from radiators. Necessarily unhindered natural ventilation must be ensured at its back wall through which the refrigerator releases heat to the outside. Do not try to put it in a niche or hang it with lockers on all sides. And the most important thing, do not place hot pots or utensils- Wait until it cools down to room temperature.

Put the refrigerator in a cool place, in no case near the stove. If the temperature in the room where the refrigerator is located reaches 30?C, then its electricity consumption doubles.

Do not put warm foods in the refrigerator, let them cool to room temperature.

Defrost the freezer in time when ice forms in it. A thick layer of ice impairs the refrigeration of frozen food and increases energy consumption.

Electric stove and dishes

The surface of the stove and the bottom of the cookware must be clean and flat: a frying pan with soot requires 60 percent more electricity. “You can buy the smallest and cheapest electric stove,” comments Kokorin. “The main thing is that it has a flat hob that will heat the dishes, not the air.” Boiling water without a lid triples the energy consumption. If the diameter of the burner is larger than the bottom of the pot, the stove is using energy to heat the kitchen, not the food.

When choosing cooking utensils that do not match the size of the electric stove burner, 5-10% of energy is lost. To save energy when using electric stoves, use dishes with a non-curved bottom, which is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the burner.

Keep the lid on the pot when cooking. The rapid evaporation of water lengthens the cooking time by 20–30%, and, accordingly, the energy consumption for cooking increases by the same amount.

After the food boils, switch to the low temperature cooking mode. After all, if the water has already boiled, then it will not heat up above 100? C, but will evaporate. The dish will not cook faster, and more electricity will be spent on its preparation.

Washing machine and dishwasher

For a family of four, a dishwasher saves about 7,800 liters of water per year. But here, as with a washing machine: you need to load it completely, with an incomplete load, the overrun is 10-15 percent. Or use half load mode if available.
The washing machine consumes the most energy by heating water. Washing at 90 degrees uses three times more energy than washing at 40.

A washing machine consumes up to 15% of household electricity. Use all the possibilities of economical consumption of electricity, which are provided for by the instructions for your washing machine:

Quick and economical wash modes
Fully loaded, but not overloaded (overloading increases electricity consumption by up to 10%)
Lower temperature (does not always need to be washed at high temperature)
Correctly selected mode of operation of the machine.
Here you can also use the principle of residual heat, that is, turn off the iron 5-10 minutes before the end of ironing.
Do not overdry the laundry: ironing it will take more time and, therefore, use more electricity
Unfinished laundry will also require additional electricity consumption.
Use irons with an automatic shut-off function
Correctly use modes for ironing different types of fabric.
Set the right temperature to cool the room
Make sure all windows and doors are closed before turning on
When buying an air conditioner, be guided by the size of the room and the number of people who will be in it. A device designed for a large area will simply “eat up” electricity to no avail.
Clean fans and filters regularly.

economical lamps

Iron

Do not overdry and do not even wait until the linen is completely dry, start ironing it slightly damp. The drier the laundry, the more energy (and time) it will take to iron. And before starting to “communicate” with the iron, first sort the laundry by type of fabric and start ironing from those things that do not require strong heating of the appliance. Start and finish ironing items that need a lower temperature setting with an electric iron. For example, you can iron handkerchiefs well even with the iron turned off.

Vacuum cleaner

After each use of the unit, do not be lazy to immediately clean out the dust container, whether it is a bag or a garbage container. A vacuum cleaner with even a half-full dust container runs slower, consuming at least 40% more electricity. Clean your vacuum cleaner's dust container more often, which not only increases suction power, but also reduces energy consumption by up to 40 percent.

Electric kettle

If there is a gas stove in the house, first of all, try to use the electric kettle less often. Let the water boil on the stove a little longer, but then you will have the opportunity to save on electricity. Do not fill the kettle with more water than you need - it takes much more energy to boil a kettle filled with water. If possible, use a thermos to keep the water hot so you don't have to boil the kettle again. Descale the kettle regularly, as it slows down the process of boiling water.

If you have old-style TVs (CRT) in your house, try to replace them with LCD devices. Modern TV models consume at least half the electricity of their predecessors.

Washing machine

If you are still thinking about which model of washing machine to buy, opt for modern class A models. According to experts, it is these models that consume 2/3 less energy than others. If you have already acquired a washing machine, approach its use rationally, having learned the following points: start washing only with the machine drum completely filled (it is better to run a full machine once than twice with a half-empty drum); most of all, when washing, energy is expended to heat water, so try to wash at a temperature not exceeding 60 ° C - this will reduce energy consumption by almost half; if possible, exclude prewash when choosing a program, which increases energy consumption by at least 15%. Descale your washing machine - this will extend its life and improve the quality of work. To end up, use a few sachets of citric acid, as in the case of a kettle: pour the powder into the tank and empty (without laundry) turn on a short wash cycle (no push-up is also needed).

Electric stove

When operating the electric stove, make sure that its burners are not deformed, and that the bottom of the used dishes fits snugly against their surface. The discrepancy between the size of the bottom of the cookware and the diameter of the burners also entails an excessive consumption of energy. In addition, try to turn on the stove immediately before starting cooking, and turn it off a little earlier until the dish is completely ready, because even when it cools down, the burner will also heat what is on it. Do not boil water on an electric stove, because an electric kettle will not only do it faster, but also with much less energy consumption. If you use an electric kettle, I recommend not to boil an excess amount of water, but only the one necessary for a given moment. And most importantly, clean it from scale more often.

Do not preheat the oven unless the recipe calls for it.
Use the residual heat of the burners (switch off 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking)
Close pots with lids
Do not use excess water when boiling vegetables and eggs
Use good cookware with a flat, undeformed bottom and the size of the burner
Use pressure cookers
Use an electric kettle (it consumes less electricity than an electric stove), at the same time, get an electric kettle sufficient in volume for the whole family and pour as much water into it as you use at a time
Use a microwave oven and toasters, in which you can cook a dish no less tasty and crispy in just a couple of minutes than in the oven. But it is much faster, and, therefore, more economical.

Audiovisual equipment

When leaving home for a long time (or going to bed at night), turn off not only the lights, but also electrical appliances that are in standby mode (standby mode): TV, music center, DVD player. This measure will also increase the fire safety of your home.

Try not to place household appliances close to devices that generate heat (for example, a radiator), it is also not recommended to install them in niches, move them too close to the wall and cover them with something when working. These appliances do not like warm places in the house, because they themselves generate heat. Excess heat is always harmful to any appliance.

Place the TV in an evenly lit area, this allows you to set the brightness and contrast controls to a lower level. This also applies to computer monitors. This measure saves up to 5% of electricity.

Computer technology

All computers manufactured today support a power saving mode. With the correct setting of this mode, you can achieve up to 50% energy savings. At the same time, the monitor will automatically go into standby mode first if no work has been done on it for several minutes. This mode is much more economical than the full operating mode. And after a while, if the work has not resumed, the computer also goes into standby mode. This is an even more economical mode.

Reduce monitor brightness (this affects power consumption)
Turn off your computer if you don't use it for a long time
Turn on all peripheral devices (scanners, printers, modems) through a surge protector and always turn off when these devices are not working
Use LCD monitors whenever possible
Use a laptop more often (it "eats" less energy than a desktop computer).

Mobile devices

Do not leave a charger for a mobile phone, camera, player, laptop, etc. plugged in when there is no device to be charged.

At the same time, the charger still consumes electrical energy, but uses it not for charging, but for heating. When the charger is plugged into an outlet all the time, up to 95% of the energy is wasted.

Air conditioner

The operation of the air conditioner must be carried out with the windows and doors closed. Otherwise, the air conditioner will cool the street or other rooms, and where coolness is needed it will be hot. In this case, the electricity consumed for the operation of the air conditioner will be wasted.

Heaters

The cold on the street and at home makes us get heaters from the pantries. And now ... Autumn is rainy and cold. And there is no heat in the house. What to do? Feeling cold and sick is reluctant. So you have to turn on the "eaters" of electricity - heaters.

In order to somehow reduce the time of using the heater, you need to insulate everything that is possible: windows, walls, floors, etc. Of course, plastic windows do a good job with this task. Well, if the windows are ordinary, try to close up all the cracks and cracks in the window frames. It is through them that up to 50% of heat escapes. The same must be done with the front doors.

What if the central heating is already on, but you still feel cold?

There can be many reasons (we will not dwell on this now). But in some cases, simply flushing old batteries, replacing them, or increasing their heat transfer by building up additional sections can help.

During the renovation, we installed modern radiators in all rooms in the quantity we considered necessary. And they never regretted it. When central heating works well, the apartment is always warm.

Well, try not to use heaters, if possible, they are very “gluttonous”.

Still, as an option for an additional source of heat in the apartment, you can consider a heated towel rail, which is connected to hot water supply.

Lamps. Lighting. Energy-saving lamps.

Instead of multi-lamp ceiling chandeliers and lamps, try to “introduce” several small single-lamp light sources (sconces, floor lamps, table lamps) into your home. Such lamps consume much less energy than, say, a chandelier in which three or five lamps are lit at the same time. Light bulbs. The famous Ilyich light bulb consumes much more electricity than its modern energy-saving or LED counterparts. Replace simple light bulbs at least in places of frequent use (children's room, kitchen, work or study area). In the bathroom and toilet rooms, as well as in the hallway, where the light is on for a short time, you can leave the old-style light bulbs. Of course, the cost of energy-saving lamps is somewhat higher, but their service life is much longer.

Dirty lamps, like dirty windows, can reduce light levels by up to 30 percent. Mosenergosbyt recommends fluorescent lamps, which are five times more economical than incandescent lamps, and, as they say, now they can be recycled not only in Ikea, but also in their management company. “Perhaps their danger is exaggerated,” Kokorin said. - Breaking a household mercury thermometer in an apartment is much more dangerous than a fluorescent lamp. But best of all - LEDs, which have recently become much cheaper and better. At least, no one complains about the blueness of the lips under LED lighting, as before.”

At best, an incandescent lamp lasts about a year, or even less, because such bulbs are very sensitive to various factors. For example, many are familiar with the situation when a light bulb “burns out” from power surges in the mains, a power outage in the house, or even from turning on a lighting fixture. But today, a 100-watt incandescent lamp can be replaced with a 14-watt energy-saving one: it will last 5-10 times longer and be less sensitive to power surges (if we are talking about LED lamps). And energy consumption will be reduced from 25% to 80%, depending on which energy-efficient light bulbs you decide to use.

To choose the right energy efficient lamps, you need to figure out what they are, and what you should pay attention to when buying. In this case, the competence of Volodymyr Oleinik, marketing manager of the Lighting Solutions sector of Philips in Ukraine, will help us.

Energy-saving lamps are divided into three groups: halogen, fluorescent and LED (or LED). All of them last much longer than incandescent lamps, and save energy, but they have their own characteristics.

Halogen lamps

Halogen lamps- these are the same incandescent lamps, in the flask of which a buffer gas is added: a pair of halogens (bromine or iodine). This allows you to increase the temperature of the spiral, which in turn prolongs the "life" of the lamp. Such a light bulb will serve you from 2 to 4 years. If you replace a conventional 100 W bulb with a 75 W halogen bulb, you will save 25-30% of electricity. And yet, halogens are less efficient than fluorescent and, even more so, LED lamps.

Fluorescent lamps economically consume electricity and last from 5 to 10 years. True, they do not heat up immediately, you need to wait a bit until the light bulb flares up at full power (usually from 5 seconds to 2 minutes). It is better not to use such bulbs in rooms where you often turn on / off the light, for example, in the hallway, bathroom - this will shorten the life of the lamp. Another feature of such lamps is that they cannot simply be thrown away, they must be handed over to special recycling points.

Fluorescent lamps

LED lamps (LED)– today are the most energy efficient and durable. High-quality LEDs last up to 15-25 years and save 85-97% of electricity compared to conventional incandescent bulbs, although they are significantly more expensive. LED lamps differ from others in that they do not “burn out” from power surges. No harmful substances are used in the production of LED lamps, so they do not require special disposal. Due to the variety of colors and shapes, LED solutions can be used to implement interesting design solutions - spectacular curtain and ceiling lights, accent lighting of individual interior items, and much more.

LED bulbs

If you decide to buy LED bulbs, pay attention to a few indicators on the package that will help you find an adequate replacement for outdated bulbs. In general, you should pay attention to two figures: the indicator of the level of luminous flux (measured in lumens “lm”) and color temperature (measured in Kelvin “K”). If you need an analogue of a 100-W incandescent lamp, then an LED lamp with a luminous flux level of 1400 Lm is suitable; and a 60-W incandescent lamp - LED at 600 Lm. At the same time, European manufacturers indicate the service life at which the luminous flux decreases by no more than 30%, while lesser-known companies often indicate the lamp service life (even if the luminous flux decreases by more than 30%). The higher the color temperature, the colder the light of the lamp. So, lamps with a color temperature of 2700-3100 K give a warm white light, and they are best used in a nursery or bedroom; lamps with a color temperature of 4100-4200 K (natural white) are suitable for the kitchen, living room and bathroom, and for the office you can use lamps with a temperature of 4200 K, they will give a cool white light that helps to focus. This information is indicated by bona fide manufacturers on the packaging. At the same time, on the packages of cheap analogues, the indicators often do not correspond to reality. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the products of European manufacturers that work in accordance with international standards.

Attention! Do not throw away used fluorescent lamps (including energy-saving ones) into the garbage chute and street containers. Try not to break fluorescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of mercury vapor, which are harmful to humans only if the lamp is broken.

Saving the family budget - choosing room lighting

When choosing lighting, divide the room into several zones. Use different fixtures for general lighting and for individual areas. For example, equip yourself with a cozy place to read books with a sconce or table lamp - you don’t have to turn on a huge 7-light chandelier for this.

natural light

Make the most of natural light: firstly, the windows should be clean, and secondly, without unnecessary need, do not close them with curtains or blinds.

When choosing lamps, pay attention to the manufacturer. Give preference to well-known international companies whose products have passed the appropriate certification. This means that it will be of high quality and safe.

Keep fixtures clean - dirt and dust on chandeliers and lamps can reduce the efficiency of a lighting fixture by 10-30%, reducing the illumination of the room.

Local lighting (sconces, floor lamps, etc.) allows you to effectively use them to illuminate only the necessary places for work, needlework or reading without the need to turn on the general one (chandeliers or lamps).

Room lighting, especially those made from LED strip, will not only beautify your room at night, but also help achieve a significant savings effect.

Always turn off the lights when leaving the room. Ideally, this habit should go into "autopilot" so that the hand itself reaches for the switch.

Be aware that replacing two bulbs next to each other with one bulb of the same total power gives both an increase in illumination and energy savings.

It is even better to replace incandescent lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) ones, which will help save up to 90% of energy (only not harmful fluorescent lamps!)

LED strips can be used as background lighting: 15 meters of “lights” are enough to decorate a couple of rooms, and the power consumption will be about 80 W, i.e. like a small incandescent lamp.

Use natural light rationally: do not draw curtains during the day, do not block the window with flower pots, and do not move massive furniture close to it.

Equip the lamps in the entrance and on the flights of stairs with motion sensors - this will allow them to be used only for their intended purpose.

How to save energy in the kitchen and cooking

The 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 electricity.

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, while the energy consumption will drop sharply, and the cooking time will not increase.

2. Be sure to tightly close the pan with a lid. When cooking in an open container, the power consumption increases by 2.5 times. Even if the lid is slightly ajar, this is equivalent to the fact that there is no lid at all, because. heat is lost with the outgoing 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 let the water boil violently on the burner turned on at full power, because much less power is enough to boil on a hot stove.

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

6. When cooking vegetables, use the minimum amount of water in the pots.

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, then it is better to do it in a small one. saucepan on the smallest burner.

8. The bottoms of pots and pans must be even and clean in order to have tight contact with the burners. Crockery with a crooked bottom or soot requires 60% more electricity.

9. When buying dishes, choose pans and saucepans with a thick bottom and glass lids.

10. Use pressure cookers. They save a lot of energy and time.

Cooking time in them is reduced by three times, and energy consumption by half. This is achieved due to the tightness of pressure cookers and a special cooking mode - the temperature inside the dish 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 utensils, enamelled, Teflon-coated are not economical.

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

13. Use special electric heaters (frying pans, pots, grills, coffee makers, etc.), in which the dishes are tastier and better, and much less electricity is spent. Use an electric kettle that saves energy by itself by turning off automatically when water boils in it.

Boil only as much water as you need at one time.

14. Timely descaling inside electric kettles can significantly reduce energy consumption.

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

16. Do not use the included burners of the electric stove to heat the room, it is uneconomical, inefficient and dangerous.

17. Use microwave ovens for heating and cooking, they will save you time and energy.

What we usually do uneconomically:

¦ choose the wrong dishes - energy loss 10% -15%

¦ Do not close the dishes tightly when cooking. — losses 2% - 6%

¦ We use too much water - losses 5% - 9%

¦ We use dishes that are not the size of the burner - losses 5% -10%

¦ We do not use residual heat - losses 10% -15%

And to consolidate the material - a wonderful infographic from

United Energy Company.

Temperature regime

Reliable thermal insulation and the absence of drafts - the easiest way to keep warm or cool in your home. This applies to both walls, doors and windows, as well as the door to the entrance and the attic (the upper floor loses heat through the ceiling).

Do not cover with curtains and do not clutter up the central heating radiators with furniture. If you use an electric heater, do not use it when you are away or during the night. It's better to just wear warmer clothes and pajamas.

Properly ventilate the premises in the cold season: open the window wide open, but not for long. So the "used" air will quickly be completely replaced, but furniture and other items will not have time to give off heat - and after closing the window, clean outdoor air will quickly heat up.

When decorating a home

How we arrange our home also affects the efficiency of the energy we use. With the right arrangement, we save energy and at the same time do not save on comfort. We don't often do renovations, arrange furniture or hang fixtures, so it's important to get it right right away.

To improve the natural light in the room, finish the walls and ceiling in light colors. This is especially important in rooms where there is little sunlight. In such a room it will be lighter, because light walls reflect 70 - 80% of the light, and dark ones only 10 - 15%. In such rooms, windows usually face north, or nearby buildings, trees, etc. prevent natural light from entering.

Modern apartments are effectively equipped with combined lighting. All artificial lighting in our apartments can be divided into general and local. General lighting is designed to evenly illuminate the room, usually in our homes this role is played by a chandelier. It hangs in the center of the room and is a powerful lamp whose task is to illuminate every corner, but it does not always succeed. It turns out that in the center of the room the light is too bright, and in the far corners of the room it is not enough. This is what local lighting is for. In our apartments, these are sconces, table lamps and floor lamps. They then need to be arranged and hung so that those places where the chandelier does not illuminate enough are additionally illuminated by them. The power of the chandelier can be considered sufficient if there are 15 - 25 W of incandescent lamp power per 1 m2 of area (the power of fluorescent, including energy-saving lamps, will be 5 times less). For local lighting, lamps 1.5 - 2 times less powerful than in pendant lamps are suitable. The combination of general and local lighting is called combined. What does it give us? The room is evenly lit. We no longer need a too powerful chandelier. It is possible to illuminate only that part of the room that we need, and where we do not need it, turn it off. The apartment will become cozier and more comfortable. As a result of the device of combined lighting for a room of 18 - 20 m2, up to 200 kWh per year is saved.

It is convenient and profitable to equip your home with dimmers. They allow you to smoothly adjust the illumination in the room. The dimmer, as the name implies (also called a dimmer), can smoothly adjust the level of lighting in the room. If the lighting in the room is too bright, it can be reduced, while also saving electricity. Dimmers are either manual or automatic.

We also recommend using various automatic lighting control systems. These systems are able to independently turn on and off the lighting or even change its intensity depending on the given scenario using sensors that respond to light, sound or movement.

If possible, give preference to fluorescent lighting. There are now compact fluorescent lamps (they are also called energy-saving). They are economical in the same way as the tubular fluorescent lamps known to us, but do not require special fixtures, because. are almost always suitable for installation in a conventional cartridge for a conventional incandescent lamp. Meanwhile, fluorescent lighting is about 5 times more economical than incandescent lighting.

When altering the wiring in the house, ask the experts to assemble the wiring diagram so that the general lighting in the room can be turned on not all at once, but individually, using several switches, i.e. groups. Then the light can be turned on only in that part of the room where it is needed at that time and turned off in the same room where it is not needed at the same time. Or on your chandelier it will be possible to turn on not all the bulbs at once, but as many as you need now for comfortable lighting.

There is no need for excessive illumination of those rooms where you are infrequently and do not do any work that requires bright light: these are corridors, toilets, bathrooms, utility rooms. It is enough to use incandescent lamps with a power of 20-30 W per 1 m2 (the power of energy-saving lamps will be 5 times less).

Saving heat - saving electricity

In the cold season, it is especially important to remember also about saving heat in our homes. After all, when we do not have enough heat from central heating batteries, we are heated by electrical appliances. And at the same time we spend electrical energy, which we could not spend

Heating

Heating batteries will effectively heat the room if heat-reflecting screens are installed behind them and not covered with thick curtains.

Currently, there are many modern heating technologies that have clear advantages over traditional ones: long-wave heaters, underfloor heating, heat accumulators.

Room insulation

It is known that in most of our houses, heat losses exceed the norm by 3-5 times. Very often, these losses are compensated by heating with various electrical appliances. Experts estimate that 40% of heat loss occurs through windows. Their additional thermal insulation or replacement with modern double-glazed windows can increase the temperature in the room by 4-5 °C. And, perhaps, the operation of electric heaters will not be needed or reduced to a minimum. The same applies to the insulation of doors, walls, floors and ceilings.

1. Insulate door and window openings with special insulation.

After all, the main heat leakage occurs through windows and doors.

2. Insert new energy-saving windows, preferably with double glazing.

If you have a balcony or loggia, then glaze them too.

This is the most efficient way to keep the heat in your home.

3. It is necessary to properly ventilate the room.

Ventilate when the heating is off!

Full ventilation for 2 minutes every 3-4 hours retains much more heat than constant partial ventilation.

In winter, 2-3 minutes of full ventilation is enough. In spring and autumn - up to 15 minutes.

4. Do not cover the batteries with curtains and decorative plates and panels.

Useful Devices

Today, modern electrical devices help save on electricity. So, there are devices that automatically turn off electrical equipment when it is not in use. For example, in the entrances of our houses, the light is on all night, but at three to five in the morning, as a rule, there is no one in the entrance and the electricity “burns out” in vain. This is where the time delay switch comes in handy. Simultaneously with turning on the light, a time relay is turned on, which extinguishes the light on its own after a specified period of time (from 10 seconds to 10 minutes). Thus, 14-20% of electricity can be saved. For the same purposes, an infrared detector (motion sensor) is used, which is triggered directly when an object moves. When you enter the room, the light turns on automatically, and when you leave, it goes out.

Also help save electricity dimmers (dimmers). These devices are mounted instead of a conventional switch and adjust the brightness of the light of the lamps. For example, if you are watching TV and you do not need bright lighting in the room, then turn the dimmer control knob and “dim” the light. There are also dimmers that can be controlled from multiple points or remotely using a remote control. Please note that the built-in soft on and off mode eliminates the harmful effects on the eyes of a sudden and bright flash of the set. Another advantage of dimmers is that they extend the life of the lamps, but some energy-saving lamps are not designed to work in dimmable luminaires.

With the help of impulse relays, lighting is controlled from several places. Of course, it is very convenient, upon entering the apartment, to turn on the light along the way: in the corridor, kitchen, living room. And you do not have to spend a lot of time to turn off the light in the entire apartment (house) - just press one button.

Multi-tariff meters

The question of the use of multi-tariff meters, of course, is not unambiguous. But if we take into account that some household appliances work around the clock (refrigerator) or almost constantly in “sleep” mode (TV, computers, etc.), then taking into account their work at night, this may still be beneficial not only for amateurs. work at night.

In addition, modern multi-tariff meters take into account electricity much more accurately than induction meters.

Household wattmeter

What is it for? It will help us save energy. With the help of this small device (by the way, it costs about $ 30), you can learn a lot of interesting things about the operation of your household appliances and, in general, about the consumption of electricity in the house.

Home wattmeters have been freely sold for several years to measure the electrical power of any electrical appliance in a modern apartment. They are inserted into the gap between the plug and socket, and measurements are taken automatically. Visual information is displayed when the device is switched on in the display mode. This method is available to any adult.

For example:

How much do you overpay for a computer that stays on all day?
How much electricity does your refrigerator consume and is it time to replace it with a new one?
How much electricity is used when you wash dishes in the dishwasher, do laundry, iron or dry your hair?
How much power does your TV use when it's off?

You will get an answer to all these questions and many others with the help of a wattmeter, as well as find out how much electricity was wasted and what you can really save on.

I think this will really help to find weaknesses in the consumption of electricity, which is especially important in light of the soon introduction of social norms for electricity consumption.

To do this, you need to carefully study the energy efficiency label that should be on household appliances. It has letter signs from A (the highest energy efficiency class) to G (the lowest).

Modern appliances consume electricity even in the "standby" mode is much less than in older models. For example, with 19 hours of operation in "sleep" mode, an energy-efficient TV will consume less than 1 kWh of electricity per year, and a conventional TV - 69 kWh.

Ways to save energy at home

The most significant and easiest way to save electricity in everyday life is to evenly consume electricity by the whole society during the day, therefore, without special need, do not turn on additional electrical appliances in the network during peak electrical loads: in the morning from 8 to 10 o'clock and in the evening from 20 to 22 o'clock The task is not easy, but still accustom yourself to this. Keep in mind that any prudent housewife in a civilized country will never turn on a washing machine or electric heater during peak hours.
Know that the economical consumption of electricity is determined not so much by the quality of household electrical appliances as by the quality of their care.
It is known what anxious feelings people experience when they remember at work that they forgot in a hurry (often it only seemed to them) to turn off the lights and electrical appliances at home. You can permanently get rid of such troubles, as well as prevent unnecessary waste of electricity and ensure fire safety in the house as follows: in the main electrical wiring line, immediately after the electric meter in the phase wire, make a circuit break by connecting a single-pole switch there. Install a switch near the exit door (of course, wire the electrical outlet of the home refrigerator with a separate line and connect it to the mains before the mounted switch). Now, when you leave the house, you use the switch to remove electrical voltage from all electrical wiring in the house (except for the refrigerator). Remember the installation of the circuit breaker requires proper knowledge and must be carried out in accordance with the current Electrical Code and safety regulations.
Force yourself at least once a year to tighten the screws and nuts at all available contacts in the electrical network and in electrical appliances. This will ensure not only long-term, reliable and economical operation of electrical equipment, but also its safety, as well as fire safety in the house.
If there is hidden electrical wiring in the house, dowels and nails are hammered into the walls, only knowing the scheme for laying electrical wires. Otherwise, you risk damaging the wiring or getting an electric shock.
Each family in the house should have, along with other power tools, a voltage indicator (current detector) in case of preventive or repair work on electrical equipment.
Systematically make sure that the bottoms of the pots fit snugly against the burners of electric stoves, and for this purpose, try to find and use special soft ring pads, with which they fill the gap between the bottoms and burners and thereby minimize energy losses in this node.
Please note that the diameters of the bottoms of the pans must either be equal to the diameters of the burners of the electric stoves on which they are placed, or more.
Remember that on the burner of an electric stove it is more economical and faster to heat a large dose of water at once than the same amount of water, but in smaller doses.
. Immediately change the hotplate of the electric stove if its surface is swollen, as such a hotplate will work extremely uneconomically. Keep in mind that the miser pays twice (in this case, "stingy" and "thrifty" are clearly inadequate concepts).
When cooking, do not allow heat loss with the outgoing steam, each pan should have its own tight-fitting lid.
Considering the thermal energy of electric stove burners, turn them on a little earlier than you put the pots on, and turn them off before the end of cooking.
Do not let the water boil violently on the burner turned on at full power, because much less power is enough to boil on a hot stove.
Use the economical "tower method" of steam cooking, where pots are stacked on top of each other, while the upper pot is heated by steam rising from the lower pot.
15. Aim to have thick-bottomed utensils in the kitchen that are specifically designed for cooking on electric stove burners.
16. When operating the electric oven, use its entire working volume. Agree, baking a couple of pies in a volumetric oven is both inefficient and uneconomical.
17. Be sure to purchase pressure cookers as they save both time and energy.
18. Know that tubular burners of electric stoves with stepless regulation of heating power are much more economical and durable than cast-iron burners with step regulation.
19. Do not use electric stove burners for space heating - there is little use for this, and the risk of damaging the idle burner is high.
20. When striving to organize ultra-fast and high-quality cooking at home (heating through the entire thickness of the product), purchase microwave ovens or microwave ovens.
21. Use the minimum amount of water in pots to boil potatoes and vegetables.
22. A significant reserve of energy savings in cooking is the use of specialized electric heaters (frying pans, pots, grills, coffee makers, etc.), in which dishes are of higher quality, and much less electricity is spent.
23. The industry produces electric kettles of various designs, so try to buy an electric kettle with a thermal release and a whistle that signals boiling water.
24. To heat a small amount of water, use an electric kettle, while boiling water in it as much as you need at the moment, since hot water in the electric kettle cools quickly.
25. The electric kettle is perhaps one of the most frequently repaired electrical appliances in the house, therefore, in order to increase its efficiency, improve the safety of the heat-electric heater (heater) and ensure fire safety, try to equip the electric kettle yourself with a simple device that ensures reliable disconnection of the electric kettle from the mains when boiling in water, that is, long-term operation without repair.
26. Scale inside electric kettles significantly reduces their efficiency, so do not forget to remove scale in a timely manner (for example, using the “Antiscale” agent).
27. Use thermoses to keep water and food warm for a long enough time.
28. The industry produces a wide variety of luminaires, and if you have a choice, give your preference to luminaires with fluorescent lamps or luminaires with incandescent electric lamps equipped with individual solid-state dimmers.
29. Maximizing the use of natural light is one way to reduce the energy consumption of artificial lighting. Keep this in mind and keep the window panes in the apartment clean.
30. Skillfully combine all three types of artificial lighting in the house: general, local and combined. General lighting is designed to uniformly illuminate the entire room using ceiling lights. Local - to illuminate a certain separate area in the room and is carried out by ceiling lamps such as "sconces", floor lamps and table lamps. Combined lighting is the simultaneous use of general and local lighting.
31. Try to purchase and use incandescent light bulbs at home that have 230 ... 240 V markings on the base or on the bulb, since such light bulbs last longer than those that have 220 V on the label (although the first ones shine a little worse).
32. Know that replacing two adjacent light bulbs with one light bulb of the same total power gives both an increase in illumination and energy savings.
33. Saving electricity with artificial lighting should not be at the expense of the illumination of the workplace, so use local lighting with the light source as close as possible to the working space.
34. Keep in mind that the luminous efficiency of fluorescent lamps is 4 ... 5 times higher than that of incandescent bulbs with the same power consumption, so try to use fluorescent lamps without restrictions in all rooms (except, perhaps, a bath-shower room). The use of fluorescent lamps with silent starting devices in the house is a real energy saving. The common notion that modern fluorescent lamps are harmful to health is unfounded, rather, on the contrary, they create more comfort with skillful design of rooms. (For the sake of fairness, it must be said that the fluorescent lamps of the first releases had a too narrow spectrum of light emission.)
35. Accustom yourself to regularly, about 1 time per month, wipe the dust from the lamps, which will ensure both cleanliness and improved lighting in the house.
36. Do not use fabric lampshades, as they collect dust and are dangerous in terms of fire.
37. To control the lighting in the premises, use semiconductor dimmers, their use improves comfort and at the same time reduces energy consumption.
38. The industry produces domestic refrigerators of two types - compression and absorption. The most widespread are economical compression single- and multi-chamber refrigerators operating in automatic mode (by the way, they have approximately the same energy performance).
39. Install the refrigerator away from heating and heating devices in the house.
40. Always leave and maintain a gap of 5 ... 10 cm between the refrigerator evaporator and the wall of the room.
41. Do not allow the refrigerator body to be heated by direct sunlight.
42. Install the refrigerator with a slight inclination to the rear (up to 5°) and be sure to adjust the position of the compression unit so that it makes as little noise as possible during operation.
43. Don't put hot food in the refrigerator.
44. Arrange food in the refrigerator without clutter to ensure the necessary air circulation in the chamber.
45. Do not open the refrigerator door for no reason and do not keep it open for too long.
46. When storing food, try to set the thermostat to the minimum or middle position.
47. Do not forget to defrost the refrigerator about once a month (at the same time, God forbid, do not poke metal objects in the freezer, picking off the ice), as well as clean and wash it with warm water.
48. And in general, know that the systematic implementation of elementary, well-known rules for the operation of the refrigerator will not only save electricity, but also extend the trouble-free operation of such a vital device in the house.
49. Buy smaller washing machines because they use less electricity and take up less space in your home. Do not use the washing machine to wash 2-3 handkerchiefs, it is better to store enough laundry to fully load it.
50. If possible, purchase an electric iron with a thermostat and a switch on the handle - these are perhaps the most economical irons, because they work when they are stroked (if you wish, such a disconnecting device is easy to make yourself).
51. When using an electric iron, try not to twist the electric cord and regularly check its integrity.
52. First iron items that need to be processed at low temperatures, and then increase the heat of the iron as needed.
53. Do not forget to clean the work surface of the electric iron, as this makes ironing easier and saves energy.
54. Remember, the vacuum cleaner works economically and reliably only with clean filters, so every time after cleaning the premises, not only shake out the dust container, but also thoroughly clean it with a brush.
55. Keep in mind that radios with too powerful loudspeakers, as well as TVs with excessively large screens in small apartments look not only ridiculous, but also consume electricity and cause harm to health.
56. Do not place radios and televisions near heating and heating devices, make sure that there is always space around them for air circulation.
57. Use timer devices to automatically turn on and off radios (TVs) according to a program you specify, which will save energy and ensure longer operation of the equipment.
58. Remember that a household voltage stabilizer is an additional consumer of electricity and that its use is justified only when there are too sharp voltage fluctuations in the mains. Where there are no such fluctuations, it is better to do without a stabilizer, but at the same time try not to use the TV at night when the voltage is high.
59. Be aware, the latest TV designs have voltage regulators built into them.
60. Please note that in order to listen to local information programs, it is enough to have a device powered by a radio broadcasting network.
61. Listening to the radio, try to use headphones, which will not only ensure silence in the house, but also save electricity.
62. Buy power tools and electrically driven mechanisms for your home, electrified sewing machines, electric drills, small-sized electric welding machines, electric soldering irons, etc. Of course, all of them are additional consumers of electricity, but indirectly contribute to the saving of other types of energy and generally stimulate the business activity of people.
63. When purchasing electrical appliances of “secondary importance” (immersion boilers, heating pads, fireplaces, fan heaters, convectors, etc.), remember that they are all additional consumers of electricity, and try to use them sparingly.
64. Do not use electric heating units in the house, unless it is absolutely necessary. It is better to carry out purposeful work on the insulation of windows and doors.
65. Do not cover with curtains and do not clutter up the central heating radiators with furniture.
66. Save water, remember that water does not run into houses on its own, but powerful pumps driven by electric motors support water pressure. Therefore, the more economical water consumption, the less will be loaded and electric motors at pumping stations.
67. Every month, on the same day of the month, take the readings of the electricity meter, compare the electricity consumption in this month with the previous one, analyze why there was a saving (or overspending) of electricity, and draw appropriate conclusions.
68. Don't try to steal electricity. Firstly, it is immoral, and secondly, know that there is no way to steal electricity that an experienced electrical expert would not reveal. Keep in mind that, if necessary, it is easy to determine with the help of laboratory tests whether the worm gear of the electric meter rotated in the opposite direction.
69. For all questions, comments and suggestions related to the publication of these practical recommendations, as well as for all kinds of technical and methodological advice, please contact: Always turn off the lights when leaving the room for a long time. When leaving the house, unplug all household appliances, except for the refrigerator. Even if you have a TV or PC of the latest model, then they consume 0.2 kW and 3.6 kW per month in standby mode, respectively, and older models are several times more.
Try to decorate your home in light colors (curtains, wallpaper, furniture) - this will maximize the use of natural light;
do not be lazy to wash windows more often, because it is on them that a huge amount of dust and dirt accumulates, which refracts the flow of sunlight into the room;
leaving the room even for a few minutes, turn off the light and do not leave the TV turned on for a long time unnecessarily;
do not save money on the purchase of household appliances of a high energy saving class - class A;
do not include several lighting fixtures where you can get by with one lamp;
do not leave electrical appliances switched on for a long time in standby mode (microwave ovens, televisions, stereos, computers) - they also consume energy;
all kinds of chargers that supply electricity to phones, laptops, cameras, disconnect from the device and from the network immediately after the completion of the charging process, as they continue to consume electricity.
Use extension cords with a power switch Some devices, such as printers, are plugged in all the time and consume power (2-3 watts in standby mode is the norm). Is it necessary, for example, to keep a DVD player constantly on, which is used once a month? To connect such consumers, it is advisable to use extension cords with their own switch, turning on devices only as needed. There are even smart power strips with Master-slave technology that automatically turn on devices when the “master” device is turned on (for example, the printer will automatically turn on only when the computer is turned on). By the way, is 2 watts of consumption a lot or not? A device that constantly consumes 2W from the network will consume about 18 kWh of electricity per year, which will cost about 50 rubles. The amount, of course, is small, but if there are several such devices, the total savings will be more significant.
Use energy-saving lamps Everything is obvious here, these lamps are really more profitable. If a 9W lamp replaces a 60W incandescent lamp, then after 100 hours of burning, the savings will be 5 kWh, or 15 rubles. If such a lamp burns at home at least 5 hours a day, then in six months it will fully pay off its cost. LED lamps are even more profitable, but their price is very high.
Use instantaneous water heaters instead of storage It is logical, the storage heater keeps the water hot all the time, which consumes additional energy. One has only to keep in mind that the flow heater consumes a lot of power and requires good quality electrical wiring.
Replace your old refrigerator Each refrigerator is labeled with its energy class. Refrigerators of classes A+, A++, A+++ are currently being sold, their consumption is about 150 kWh per year, while old refrigerators can consume up to 500 kWh per year. Of course, it is unlikely that anyone will change the refrigerator for this, but when buying a new one, other things being equal, you should choose a more economical model - an extra few hundred rubles a year will not hurt.
Replace the dishwasher Of course, hardly anyone will change the dishwasher just like that. However, new machines can be up to 30% more efficient than older models, which is also worth considering when buying.
Pay attention to the TV A TV is a device that is turned on quite often, so when choosing a new model, you can also pay attention to power consumption.
Install a water sprayer on a faucet Installing a water sprayer on a faucet will reduce water consumption, which saves both the water itself and the cost of heating it when using electric heaters.
Use the best electricity tariff Nightly electricity is slightly cheaper than daytime electricity, which can be used to turn on powerful consumers such as a washing machine or water heater.
Cook with the pot lid closed It has been estimated that cooking time and energy consumption will increase by up to 30 percent if the pot lid is open.
Adjust the temperature of the water in the washing machine and in the boiler Is it necessary to have water with a temperature of 80 in the tank? (It feels like almost boiling water). It is quite possible to set the temperature to 50 or 60 degrees. Washing at 40 degrees is already enough, while 40% less energy is consumed than at 60 degrees.
Adjust the refrigerator temperature Do you need a temperature of -18 in the freezer, or is -16 enough? Setting the optimal mode will both save energy and increase the life of the refrigerator.
Turn off the second refrigerator Many summer residents have a second refrigerator. Check if it is really full and if it makes sense to keep it on all the time.
Set the computer's power saving mode Many users do not even think that their computer has several power consumption modes (this is especially true for laptops). For many tasks (for example, typing this text) high performance is not required, and the user will not even feel the difference between the “maximum” and “medium” modes. At the same time, choosing the right mode will not only save energy, but also extend the life of the laptop. As you can see, many of the tips are quite logical. Of course, in Russia, electricity is pretty cheap, so no one will bother with many things. However, saving energy is not only a reduction in bills, but also a reduction in the burden on the environment. Well, if you manage to save even 1000 r. per year, they obviously will not be superfluous, so in any case it is useful and interesting to study your electricity costs.
When buying new electrical appliances and household appliances, pay attention to their energy efficiency class. For example, an A++ washing machine saves up to 20 percent of electricity compared to similar class A models.
Turn it off if you do not use a computer, TV and other equipment for a long time in a house that is in standby mode, in which a decent amount of Kilowatts can run up from above in a month.
In second place in terms of energy consumption in a house or apartment is an electric stove. Replace faulty burners in time and use only pots and pans with a flat bottom that are suitable for its size. And most importantly, use lids that reduce heat loss by almost three times. Try to turn off the burners in advance 6-10 minutes before the end of cooking.
If you leave the apartment for a long time, turn off everything from the mains, except for the refrigerator.
Do not forget to turn off the lamp or chandelier when leaving the room for a long time.
Use a photo relay, timer or motion sensor to automatically control street lighting near a private house or in common areas for apartment buildings.
Try to switch and use, if possible and without discomfort, a computer, TV, washing machine and
Turn on the air conditioner only after all windows and doors are tightly closed, which increases its efficiency.
For heating in the off-season (spring or autumn), if possible, use not an electric heater, but the appropriate mode for the air conditioner. The difference will be 2-3 times with the same efficiency
Recently, a two or three tariff system for electricity metering has been introduced using special models of electronic meters. The night rate is 30% cheaper than the day rate. It is very efficient to use night time for washing, heating water with a boiler and other energy-intensive operations.
Consider day and night electricity rates. The latter (from 23:00 to 07:00) allows you to pay 30% less for electricity. True, for this you will first have to install a multi-tariff meter.
Without special need, do not turn on additional electrical appliances in the network in the morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and in the evening from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. - these are peak hours of electrical loads, so the risk of short circuits with subsequent breakdown of expensive electrical appliances increases.
Take readings from the electricity meter every month on the same day and compare the electricity consumption in the current month with the previous one. Analyze why there was a saving or overexpenditure of energy - all this will definitely come in handy for developing new, more economical and "green" habits.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy saving ones. They not only save electricity, but also last 5-8 times longer. The cost of buying energy-saving lamps pays off in less than a year. When buying energy-saving lamps, pay attention to the light they emit - warm or cold. Warm light is closest to the light of incandescent lamps or natural sunlight, and cold light is similar to the light of fluorescent lamps and sometimes hurts the eyes. Cold light lamps can be used in a common area or to illuminate a balcony. The only drawback of energy-saving lamps is that after they are turned on, they reach full brightness in 1-2 minutes, so it is advisable for the hallway to buy a lamp of higher power, it will provide lighting even in the warm-up mode, but will consume a little, because. in the hallway, it is used only when you enter or leave the house.
Buy household appliances of class A, A +, A ++. Thanks to this, the energy savings at the end of the month will be obvious. Compared to devices of a lower energy class, they consume 30-40% less electricity.
Use your electric kettle correctly. It consumes 2 to 3 kW. To save energy, follow simple rules: boil as much water as you need at the moment, and descale the kettle in a timely manner. If you have an electric stove, then for cooking soups, pasta and cooking vegetables, it is more expedient to boil water in an electric kettle and pour it into a saucepan on an electric stove, because. Water in an electric kettle boils faster and uses less electricity.
Do not expose the refrigerator to direct sunlight and do not place it near a stove or radiator. Also, to save energy, it is necessary to defrost the refrigerator in a timely manner and never put hot food in it.
Load the washing machine according to the instructions. Too large or too small a load does not allow you to save electricity. Power consumption can be up to 30%.
When ironing, try to start and finish the process by ironing things that require a low temperature setting. Then the last scarves and scarves can be ironed with the iron turned off.
Do not forget to change or clean the filters of the vacuum cleaner, because otherwise they will make it difficult to work, reduce air draft and, as a result, increase its energy consumption.
Choose the right size cookware. Pots and pans should match the diameter of your electric stove burner. Rationally use the heat of the burners, accustom yourself to the fact that the electric stove can cook even when it is already turned off.
Set your computer to power saving mode, which can save up to 50% of electricity. All computers produced today support this mode.
Turn on the air conditioner only when all windows and doors are closed, otherwise the air conditioner will cool the street or other rooms.
Place lamps in all key areas of the apartment. Spot lighting is much more economical than lighting the entire room from one point.
Wash lamps, shades and windows frequently. Dirt and dust reduce indoor lighting by 30%. Also, do not forget to remove large plants from the windowsill and do not draw the curtains during the day, use natural light rationally.
Use the night and day tariff for electricity. Thus, you can heat the boiler, turn on the underfloor heating or the washing machine - at night, when you can pay 30% less for electricity. It is this difference that exists between the night (from 23:00 to 7:00) and day (the rest of the day) tariffs. Two-zone tariffs are approved by NERC Resolution No. 309 dated March 10, 1999. To be able to save electricity at home, you must contact the energy supplier (these are district or city power networks) with an application for the installation of a multi-tariff meter. Your second step is to get the technical specifications for installing the meter, taking into account the power consumption. The third step is to purchase the necessary counter and reprogram it. Prices for counters depend on the company-seller, on average they are about 2 thousand hryvnias. The fourth step is to install a meter (employees of RES or other electrical installation organizations can). Then he will contact the RES and call an inspector to seal the device. After installing the meter, changes are made to the electricity payment agreement, and you start paying at differentiated tariffs.
Install a "smart home" system, which is actively used in Europe. It involves the use of modern remote automatic devices, room light sensors, motion sensors, etc. Thanks to such a system, your energy costs can be reduced by 8-10 times. Unfortunately, such a system requires a significant initial investment, but in the long run, these investments fully pay off.
Using energy-saving lamps One way to save light is to simply replace conventional incandescent lamps with energy-saving ones. And although the cost of such lamps ranges from a hundred rubles and more, they last much longer. Due to the fact that these bulbs practically do not heat up, the energy expended is spent only on lighting. On average, their service life reaches three years, and the annual savings from the use of a family of three is an average of 600 rubles. 2
When using any household appliances, follow the instructions attached to it. For example, if you put a refrigerator next to a stove or heating system, energy costs will increase several times, since the device will have to work in enhanced mode to maintain the required temperature. The same goes for when you put hot food in the fridge. In addition, do not forget to defrost it during it, because due to the presence of frost on the walls of the freezer, electricity consumption increases by 15-20 percent. Yandex.Direct Leather sofas Leather upholstered furniture: folding and corner sofas. Delivery across Ukraine eurodivan.com.ua
When leaving, turn off the light Perhaps this rule is the easiest way to save electricity. If you don't rely on your memory, write a reminder note and hang it near your front door. This advice is one of the most effective.
Wipe the light bulbs When thinking about how to save electricity in an apartment, few people remember the need to wipe the light bulbs. Very few people heed this advice, as it is much easier to replace a dimmed lamp with a more powerful one. It is worth knowing that dust can “eat up” up to 20 percent of the light coming from the lamp. In addition, do not forget about the plafonds. Yandex.Direct Tired of overpaying for water? Save up to 60%! With a new nozzle on the faucet! Order now bigsell.com.ua
Make home redecoration A small redecoration will also help save on electricity. To do this, you just need to stick light wallpaper and paint the ceiling white. Light walls are able to return up to eighty percent of the rays. The darker the wallpaper, the less light output will be, for example, black color gives only nine percent of the light.
Use heat-reflecting screens A lot of electricity is absorbed by heaters used in the autumn-winter period. To reduce their use, heat-reflecting foil or penofol screens installed behind the batteries will help. This measure will help raise the temperature in the room by 2-3 degrees.
Insulate the room In addition to all of the above, you can save energy by taking simple steps to insulate the room. First, insulate the windows by plugging all the cracks or replace wooden double-glazed windows with better plastic ones. Up to 50% of heat can escape through windows. Secondly, hang warm thick night curtains on the windows. Thirdly, insulate the front door and loggia, as well as the floor in the room.
Buy Class A household appliances Modern energy-saving household appliances consume much less energy than any other. Moreover, the difference can sometimes be up to fifty percent. In addition, there are devices of class A + and A ++. Accordingly, their energy-saving abilities are even higher.
Replacing old wiring Sometimes, increased electricity consumption occurs due to old wiring. In this case, it is enough to replace it, having received not only the opportunity to save money, but also increasing the fire safety of the room.
Do not leave electrical appliances in "standby" mode. Televisions, computers, music centers are actively used only for a few hours a day. The rest of the time, they are in standby mode, while absorbing electricity. Also, very often people think that by turning off the device with the main button, its consumption of electricity also stops. In fact, this is not always the case, and therefore, a more effective solution would be to turn off the device from the network. Devices for saving electricity With the development of modern technologies, devices have appeared that help to significantly save electricity. This includes various remote and automatic switches, relays, transformers and much more. These miracles of technology were created specifically to reduce utility bills. Thanks to these devices, energy savings increase by 8-10 times. Their job is to be able to program the blackouts for a specific time. Typically, the timer has a limit of ten seconds to ten minutes. In addition, such devices are very often equipped with microphones, and their activation comes from a certain sound. It is also possible to install twilight switches that react to the onset of darkness. Today, saving electricity is not difficult and depends only on your desire. In addition to the above methods, there are also a lot of other tips used by the people. The most important thing is to remember why you are doing it. And the use of all methods in the aggregate will help reduce the cash costs for paying utility bills by several times.

Energy savings with initial financial investment

This category includes technologies called "Smart Home". The use of modern scientific developments improves the management of life support technological processes with a reduction in energy costs.

Promising areas are:

transition to alternative energy sources (sun, wind, water);
geothermal energy (heat pumps).

Irradiation of the Earth by the Sun

Solar energy is very attractive to homeowners. It is used by all countries of the world, and the expected effect of the implemented technology, taking into account the finances spent, sometimes brings disappointment.

In order for a home solar station to work correctly, it is necessary to accurately determine its characteristics at the design stage. Many home-made designs do not take into account the emerging complexities of technology, and are often doomed to failure.

Wind energy

Home wind turbines in many cases can significantly reduce energy costs. However, they, like solar stations, require an accurate calculation of the project and compliance with the installation technology.

Many owners of such power plants are disappointed due to incorrect accounting for the power of wind flows, leading to frequent equipment downtime. Pay attention to the possibility of high-rise structures falling under off-design storm loads.

The energy of moving water

The creation of a home hydroelectric station is justified when a water source is located near the house, capable of transmitting sufficient power to the water wheel. The most effective are those structures that are able to work under ice in any frost.

geothermal energy

The use of the thermal energy of the outer core and the surface layer of the earth is increasingly being used to heat buildings. Devices that can "raise the heat" of the soil are called heat pumps. Their work uses the thermodynamic principles described by the Carnot cycle.

The efficiency of using such structures is high, and energy costs are reduced to ensuring the constant operation of the compressor motor for the circulation of the refrigerant (click on the picture to enlarge).

However, this method requires a large investment in planning and installation of the entire structure.

For economical use of electricity in the house, it is necessary at the design stage to consider the most suitable options for you, taking into account local and climatic conditions, natural light and heat savings.

Saving electricity - this problem worries almost everyone: both consumers and producers of electricity.

Some in the apartment do not have a gas, but an electric stove, but you can save money on this electrical appliance.

The first thing to do is to pick up pots and other cooking utensils that have a bottom equal in diameter to the electric stove burner. In this way, you can save about 30% of electricity. It is undesirable to use dishes with an uneven bottom, because energy will be spent irrationally. If the bottom is larger than the diameter of the burner, then the heating will be uneven, and the food may burn.

If you need to cook pasta, soup or any dish that requires a lot of water, then it is more advisable to boil it in an electric kettle, and then pour it into a saucepan. In an electric kettle, the water heats up faster, so the energy consumption will be less. If you need to boil two sausages, then you should not take a large pot. It is necessary to choose the dishes that are optimal in terms of displacement, depending on what dish you plan to cook.

To drink a cup of tea or coffee, it is not necessary to boil it on the stove, it will be faster and more economical if you do it in an electric kettle, especially by pouring exactly as much water as you need to make a drink.

Using the residual heat of the burners

It is important to rationally use the heat that the burner gives. It remains warm for some time after being turned off. Therefore, you can try to cook something else or turn off the burner 5-10 minutes before the dish is ready. It will cook with residual heat. Every month, 3–4 kWh is a good energy saving.

An effective way to save energy is to use dishes with lids. This will allow you to cook faster, and therefore reduce heat consumption.

You can save money by buying a stove. First you need to decide on the power and number of burners that your family will need. For example, for 4-5 people, a three-burner stove with a power of 5 kW / h will be the best option. A family with a large number of people will need more power. It is necessary to pay attention to the class of the electric stove. Appliances of class A-A+++ provide savings of 15-20% per year - up to 180 kW / h.

The most energy-saving appliance is the induction hob. Its purchase will be more prudent than buying a conventional stove with massive pancake burners.

What power is optimal when cooking on an electric stove

Another rule: as soon as the water boils, cooking broths, soups, vegetables can be continued at a power of 100-120 watts, and porridge - 110-160 watts. For meat and potatoes, you need to select the 500-1200 watt mode. So you can save from 4 to 15% of electricity. It is necessary to replace burners that are out of order in a timely manner. This will add another 4-5% savings. Devices with 7 rather than 4 step switches consume 5-12% less electricity.