How to save electricity

How can we save electricity at home? Can we do something concrete and simple, without waiting for bill cuts that will never come? Not all household electricity consumption is wasteful as such; sometimes it's simply a lack of knowledge about how energy supply works, trivial distractions, or even poor appliance purchasing decisions. In terms of waste, aside from the classic mistake of leaving lights on when they're not needed, there's the absurd waste of standby . You can avoid leaving lights on with a simple exercise that, over time, should become a habit. When you leave a room, as a mechanical gesture, always take a look back: and you'll see that, little by little, the habit of leaving a light on will disappear. As for standby, you need to start with its waste: it accounts for between €18 and €90 per bill. Do you want to keep throwing this money out the window all year long, for the rest of your life? If you're not resigned, then all you need to do is buy a few power strips, place them in the areas where you'll need multiple appliances, and the waste of standby power disappears completely with a flick of the switch. Each individual appliance has its own tricks, easily applied, to reduce its energy consumption. We've covered them all, like the washing machine . Read them and try to apply these tips. As with choosing appliances, as with lighting, always favor energy-efficient ones and LED bulbs. Spending, in this case, means saving.

Appliances

Household appliances consume a lot of energy, and above all, there are many of them: we use one in almost every room. The king of energy guzzlers is the refrigerator : in Italy, refrigerators consume about 3,5% of all national electricity, more than that consumed by rail and urban transport. But alongside the refrigerator, we use the washing machine every day; many families now have a dishwasher, some still use an electric water heater, and so on. The first thing to do would be to replace old appliances as soon as possible with new ones that are proven to be efficient , meaning they consume less electricity while providing the same performance: just compare the energy labels, which must be clearly displayed, and always choose models in class A or higher (A+, A++, A+++) . There are also a series of tips for using purchased appliances intelligently. Here are what they are.

Kitchen

Of all the rooms in the house, the one that has the biggest impact on energy bills is undoubtedly the kitchen : not only is it a source of food waste, but also energy. We cook here every day, using the refrigerator and freezer, but also the microwave, gas, and electric ovens . Not to mention the gas stovetop . For all these activities, there are good and bad habits: good ones, like using a pressure cooker or degreasing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher; bad ones, like opening the refrigerator unnecessarily or leaving it open for too long, or overusing a non-ventilated electric oven.

Heater

The heaviest item on your bill is undoubtedly heating . It's a shame that a large portion of the energy consumed to heat a building is wasted. This is where you can take action: by reducing waste and using high-efficiency appliances, each family can save 20 to 40% on heating costs , with significant benefits for the family budget as well as for the environment (consider that in Italy, 30% of energy costs come from our homes, which are responsible for approximately 27% of national greenhouse gas emissions). Your home can become less wasteful thanks to better insulation, starting with the windows.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are undoubtedly among the best ways to save money at home. For an initial investment that pays for itself over two decades, a photovoltaic system can reduce domestic hot water costs by up to 80 percent and reduce heating costs by 60-70 percent . These savings, however, depend greatly on the personal habits of each household, which should be accommodated by choosing a system sized appropriately for consumption. These types of systems produce electricity by harnessing solar radiation, which is stored within modules, which transform solar energy into electricity. This energy, in turn, is converted into alternating current by an inverter, allowing it to be used in the home. The systems are also equipped with a bidirectional meter that allows self-produced energy to be used for the home's needs and excess energy to be fed into the grid. In this regard, however, there are systems that allow you to store this excess energy for reuse when needed instead of immediately feeding it into the grid. This is called photovoltaic with storage, a system that allows you to store the surplus electricity produced by the photovoltaic system during the day and make it available when you need it most: in the evening, at night, or in the early morning. This way, you can cover up to 90% of your family's electricity needs with self-generated electricity.

The electricity bill

Every year, Italians purchase more than 12 million light bulbs for their homes. Lamps, bulbs, and chandeliers consume electricity , which significantly impacts our bills. It's therefore essential to choose the best lighting source based on consumption and how it's used in a given room. In our special feature on organizing lighting to minimize energy waste, you'll find all the tips for using lighting rationally and wisely.

Read also:

• How to save money with the dishwasher
• Computers: Tricks to Consume Less Power
• Heat pump heating: how it works, costs, advantages and disadvantages

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