10 tips to save electric energy at home

Every month we suffer one of the biggest blows to our wallet: the electricity bill. And even more so, with the latest price increases. In fact, it is estimated that in the last two decades, the cost of electric energy has increased by more than 90%, and this trend doesn't seem likely to change.

As soon as we see the electricity bill, we all think: "I have to save electric energy at all costs." And it's not just because of clean up our household economy, but because of help the environment, since its production impacts (and a lot) on it. Therefore, within our policies Planet First, we want to share with you 10 tips to save electricity at home. In divain we already do them, and we have noticed the change!

Habits and tips for saving electricity

Energy expense list

The first step to carry out the electricity saving is to be fully aware of what we spend. For this, the best thing is to make an electricity expense list that reflects all sources of light consumption, starting with the highest (like heating or air conditioning) and ending with the lowest (small appliances). Once identified, you can undertake a usage reduction that suits you.

Reducing the number of light bulbs and switching to LED

Although we are not aware, we usually have more light bulbs than we need. Therefore, it is important to take an inventory and adjust them as much as possible to avoid unnecessary expenses. And it is that the light tends to overlap, so when we have several light bulbs in the same space, if we remove one it is very likely that we won't notice a significant loss of light. Try removing one and if you see it doesn't affect much, consider removing it permanently or putting in a much less powerful bulb.

What we also recommend is that you introduce LED bulbs into your life. Why? Well, very simple:

• Are much more ecological, since they consume between a 70 to 80% less than incandescent ones and a 30% less than fluorescent bulbs.
• They have a longer useful life.
• Are more durable.

Watch your appliances

As a general rule, the appliances that consume the most are those in the kitchens. The refrigerators, the freezers, the washing machines and the dishwasher add up to almost 60% of the expense of all the appliances in a home.

So you can already imagine the importance of using them correctly:

• The fridge and freezer are the ones that consume the most, and they do even more when their doors are open. Open and close quickly to avoid high consumption. A curious fact: consume more the emptier they are, since foods that are already cold or frozen help keep the temperature low.
• As for the iron, it is good to accumulate a good amount of clothes and take advantage of iron everything at once, otherwise, you will multiply the electricity consumption. Another trick: start with the clothes that require less heat and leave for last the one that needs the most.

Also, it is recommended that if you have to buy a new appliance, you invest a little more and get a model that includes the low power mode and that it has a greater energy efficiency. The models A, A+, A++; consume on average 55% less energy. They are more expensive, but in the long run, it's worth it, a lot.

Stand-by is the worst enemy of electrical energy saving

Another great trick to save energy is unplug electronic devices once we stop using them. And when we turn them off, we are not doing it completely, they stay in stand-by. Yes, stand-by, that little red or blue light that stays on once we've pressed off.

In theory, devices stay in this mode to update or to start faster the next time they are turned on, but this entails a hidden energy cost: the stand-by consumes electricity, no more and no less than between 8 and 10% of total consumption.

So, as I said, ¡you have to unplug everything! Since doing it manually can be a bit tedious, we recommend you connect several devices to the same power strip and simply disconnect the switches of those you are not going to use for a while.

Always use the saving or low consumption mode whenever you can

Many appliances and electronic devices, like the computer, the mobile, or the washing machine, have saving or low consumption modes which are very efficient to not waste so much energy.

Regulate the temperature of the heating and air conditioning

Being at home in short sleeves in winter and a light cardigan in summer is a real nonsense. Regulate the temperature to avoid totally unnecessary energy expenses.

The importance of this regulation is incredible since increasing the heating temperature by just one degree, it can mean a energy consumption increase of 7%!

In winter it is advisable to maintain an ambient temperature between 19 and 21 degrees during the day and between 15 and 17 degrees during the night; while in summer, the ambient temperature should not be lower than 24 or 25 degrees.

Adapt your habits

If you adapt your appliance usage hours to the low consumption hours as much as possible, you will see a slight decrease in your electricity bill.

Most of the tariffs have the lower prices on weekends. Take advantage then to do the week's laundry, ironing…

The tarifa nocturna it is also quite a bit cheaper although this one does not suit the daily routine of most people well. If you have a shift job or are a night person, consider getting the tarifa nocturna because you will notice it.

Change the contracted power to save money

In the electricity bill, consumption is only part of what you pay, since a large part corresponds to taxes and contracted power, which you have to pay even if you consume nothing. The contracted power indicates the electricity we can consume at the same time. And this represents an average of almost 50% of the total bill!

So to save, it is very important to be fully aware of what we normally consume in order to contract just what is necessary (although we always recommend adding a small margin in case of unforeseen events).

Properly insulate your home from the outside

It is estimated that nothing less than 25% of home heat is lost through the glass and door cracks. This is why it is important to thoroughly check all leakage points to be able to install insulators (in the cracks the most effective is to put weatherstrips) or even change doors or windows if such leaks are irreparable.

Electric consumption monitor

Finally, we recommend that you get a electric consumption monitor. These devices connect to the electrical circuit and perform a total consumption tracking, to identify the parameters where the greatest expense is being made. This way it will be easier for you to identify where you can save electric energy in your home.

Why is it important to save energy?

Electric energy is produced through generating plants such as thermoelectric or hydroelectric plants; and these have a great environmental impact, as natural resources are massively consumed and the ecosystem is destroyed. Additionally, in the case of thermoelectric plants, the burning of fossil fuels occurs, generating greenhouse gas emissions that severely harm the environment.