Saving energy has always been an issue, but now it has become a top issue against the backdrop of skyrocketing energy prices. How could one be in everyday life in the different areas of lifeOptimize energy consumption? We have put together some helpful and practical tips for you that anyone can implement easily and without any major upfront investment, without first having to convert the house into a smart home. To do this, they must become aware of the energy thieves and their everyday behavior when dealing with energy and then optimize some household processes and their behavior. Tip: If you still need some motivation to be able to do this better, take a look at your current electricity bill. This is certainly helpful for discipline.
How can I save energy: in the household
Televisions etc.: standby mode
We are not always aware that there are invisible energy guzzlers in our home. For example, a television that is in standby mode for 20 hours a day consumes 18 euros per year. Many households have more than one television or music system. Turn off the devices when you don't need them and save yourself the costs. A good power socket strip with a practical on/off switch is also helpful here - just press a button when you walk around the house in the evening and the quiet energy thieves are switched off.
Refrigerator and freezer compartment
Since the refrigerator is always running, it is worth comparing this household appliance and investing in an efficient energy-saving model. The location where you place the refrigerator is also extremely important for saving energy. Do not place the device near heat sources such as the heater, the stove, the dishwasher or in direct sunlight, as the ambient temperature decreases for every degree lowerRefrigerator power consumptionby 3 percent. Make full use of the storage space in the refrigerator, keep the refrigerator tidy and do not leave it open. A temperature of 7 degrees Celsius is completely sufficient; many refrigerators are often set too cold. Appliances that have a combined refrigerator and freezer use more electricity. If your freezer compartment does not have anti-frost technology, defrost it from time to time as this saves energy.
Wash laundry in an energy-saving way
You don't always have to use the long and energy-consuming boiled laundry program. With the high-quality appliances we have available today, it is often sufficient to use the cold wash program up to 40 degrees for normally soiled laundry. Then avoid using the dryer and hang the laundry on the dryer. So you have burned a few calories and also improve the quality of the air in your four walls.
Iron
It's nice to have ironed socks, but let's be honest - not all clothes need to be ironed. Only iron the items of clothing that require it. Finally, use the residual heat from the iron after you turn it off.
Practical tips: save money when cooking
When cooking or in the kitchen in general, there are many ways to save a lot of energy. Don't be afraid to try out new ideas, you can save quite a large sum at the end of the year.
General tips: Save energy in the kitchen
It's worth adopting a few principles for working in the kitchen so that you can automatically save energy on a daily basis. For example, you should always place the pot on the appropriate stovetop size so that the heat does not pass the pot and dissipate into the air. The oven does not need to be preheated for every dish and in most cases, the dish can be finished cooking with the remaining heat in the oven for the last 10 minutes. It is also said that cookware that is too old can no longer distribute the heat evenly due to any unevenness in the material. In this case, it's worth investing in new cookware.
Stove or small appliances?
Is it more energy efficient to use the stove or the kettle, the egg cooker or the espresso machine? When cooking, the smaller the device, the lower the power consumption. Therefore, use it for smaller preparations of tea, coffee, warming up orPreparing smaller mealsthe corresponding smaller appliances rather than the stove. Tip: Even if you fill the kettle with water that is already warm from the tap, it uses less electricity to ultimately bring it to the boil. You should also pay attention to the capacity of the kettle. Always only heat as much as you really need.
Warming baskets – save up to 70 percent cooking energy
Have you ever heard of warming baskets? Heard of “Fireless Cookers”? This would be a smart purchase for those who cook for their family every day and want to save 50-70 percent of cooking energy. The warming basket is a type of insulated basket that cooks food such as potatoes, rice or beans without electricity and without energy costs. You bring the potatoes to the boil using the stove, take the pot off the stove and simply place it in the warming basket, which then cooks the potatoes at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius until they are cooked through.
Save electricity: on lighting
Since we have a fairly extensive, dark winter season in our latitudes, it's worth itenergy-saving lampschoose and organize the lighting cleverly. The combination with solar lamps is extremely smart and worthwhile.
Solar Lamps
Good solar lamps charge in the sunlight in a very short time a day and then provide free light for 24 hours. For example, if you have a bathroom with windows, you can charge the lamp for free during the day and then have bathroom lighting for free all evening. Solar lamps are also perfect for garden, terrace or balcony lighting. The night light for the children's room could also be replaced with a solar model.
The choice of light source
The good old light bulb is no longer available on the market. Instead, we are now spoiled for choice between halogen lamps, energy-saving lamps or perhaps LEDs? The price of the LED lamps is quite high, but this is put into perspective due to their long service life of an average of 20,000 hours to a whopping 50,000 hours. Another advantage of LED lamps is that they do not get hot and therefore reduce the risk of fire. The LED lamps are categorized according to energy efficiency classes with an EU label. As more and more efficient models are being developed, the energy classes have now had to be changed and the lamps that were recently class A++ are now class C. Nevertheless, they are still efficient and economical for private use.
Save energy: even in the children's room
We can also do it in the children's roomSave electricity. More specifically, we can teach our little ones how to help save energy in their space. Many children's rooms these days have a repertoire of devices that goes far beyond the simple CD player. The children's rooms accommodate devices such as televisions, computers, tablets or smartphones. A standalone computer uses more energy than a laptop, which in turn uses more energy than a tablet or smartphone. No matter which devices you choose, use a multiple socket that can be switched off and explain to the child that they should turn it off when they are not using the devices. Of course, be careful not to overload the multiple socket with too many devices.
Show children electricity consumption
Children do not understand what “saving energy” means and how much it costs – it is too abstract for them. Talk to your child about protecting the environment. To give him a visual impression, show him the electricity and water meters, the rotating wheels. Explain to the child that the wheel for the CD player or television does not have to turn when the child is not in the child's room and that the device should be turned off when not in use. For theLighting in the children's roomLED lamps are optimal. They are a little more expensive to buy, but they are nice and bright, burn for over 25,000 hours and don't get hot.
How can I save energy: at work and in the home office
Whether in the home office or at work, for the sake of the environment we should make sure to use the energy available sparingly. There are also various ways to save energy in the office.
Devices in the (home) office
When setting up a home office, you should consider which devices you choose. For example, a desktop computer uses about 3 times as much energy as a laptop. Since the devices are in constant use, it is worth choosing energy-saving models. Get an overview in advance and compare the models based on energy efficiency. Strategically find the best spot in the room to make maximum use of the natural concentration-enhancing and free daylight. If it is still too dark in the winter, use LED lamps. On average, these consume around 80 to 90 percent less energy than their alternatives, which are cheaper to purchase.
The computer screen
The good old screen saver, which new screens no longer need, uses around 50 percent more energy. You can save yourself that. Optimizing the screen brightness also pays off over the course of a year. Think about it and see if the screen brightness needs to be 100 percent. Or whether, under normal lighting conditions, around 70 percent would be enough. Many screens have a so-called eco mode, which automatically adapts to the lighting conditions and possibly down-regulates it.
Office after work
After you're done working, don't forget to eliminate the unnoticed nocturnal energy thieves. One of them is the router. If you switch it off after work, you save twice - in energy costs and in health risks, because you reduce radiation. Along with the router, you should also turn off all other standby devices overnight. This energy steals quietly and unnoticed and accumulates over the course of the year. Tip: Put one or moregood power stripstoo, so you only need to press the switch in the evening to save energy.
