How to ensure low electricity consumption at home: 3 ways at hand

Achieving low energy consumption doesn't necessarily mean putting limits on your lifestyle.

Next, you will learn how to achieve low energy consumption without much effort.

1. Choose an effective lighting system

Choosing an efficient lighting system can be the first step in optimizing your home's energy use. The easiest and most convenient way to do this is to use LED light bulbs instead of conventional incandescent bulbs. If you're wondering what the benefits are, here are the most important ones, according to the Energy Policy Group (EPG):

● An LED lamp consumes about 6 times less electricity than an incandescent lamp. While an LED lamp consumes 10Wh, a conventional lamp consumes 60Wh.

● LEDs consume up to 80 % less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

● LED lamp life is approximately 50,000 hours, equivalent to the average life of 50 incandescent lamps.

When it comes to LED bulbs, there are various myths circulating in the public space and it's important to be aware. Here are two examples:

1. "LED lights are not bright enough"

Many people think that the brightness of a light bulb is determined by the number of watts it has. According to EPG experts, this is wrong, since watts refer to the power used by a light bulb to generate light, and the luminous flux of a light bulb is measured in lumens. So an LED bulb and an incandescent bulb can have the same number of lumens, so they produce the same amount of light, but the difference is that LED bulbs use fewer watts than incandescent bulbs.

2. "Replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs is expensive"

The use of LED lamps is an investment that in the long run contributes to reducing energy consumption in the home and protecting the environment. As I said, LED lamp life is 50,000 hours and incandescent lamp life is about 1000 hours, which means that according to EPG, LED lamps do not need to be changed as often. Find out all about the consumption of LED lamps and make the right choice!

2. Get used to responsible consumption

Adopting responsible consumption habits can help you optimize the energy efficiency of your home effortlessly. Here are some examples of how you can achieve low energy consumption in the kitchen, according to the Energy Policy Group (EPG):

● Defrost food before cooking to reduce cooking time.

● Use lids to keep heat inside containers you use during cooking.

● If you wash dishes by hand, turn on the water only as long as necessary to rinse it, do not leave it on all the time.

● Place the refrigerator in a ventilated place and keep it away from heat sources to prevent additional energy consumption.

Now that you've learned what small steps you can take to reduce energy consumption in the kitchen, here's what you can do to achieve the same effect in the bathroom:

● Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or brush your hands, and turn it on only when you need to rinse your mouth.

● Replace cracked faucets or pipes to avoid water loss.

● Reduce shower time and only fill the tub halfway when taking a bath.

3. Choose an efficient heating system

There are several heating systems that can be used to achieve the desired thermal comfort in your home: underfloor heating systems, central heating or radiators, but one of the best systems in terms of energy efficiency is the condensing gas boiler system. The principle of operation is the same as that of a conventional power plant. The difference lies in the fact that the condensing gas plant recovers part of the heat that would have been removed to the outside during the combustion process.

To maximize the energy benefits of your boiler, you can also use a smart thermostat, which makes it easier to control the temperature in your home. The thermostat automatically starts or stops the boiler when the temperature drops or exceeds the set value. Thus, the optimum temperature is maintained, and the boiler will not work constantly, but only when necessary. For example, a thermostat allows you to set a lower temperature at night or when no one is home, which can result in energy savings of up to 30%, according to EPG.

Also, to maintain the efficiency of the heating system, radiators must be periodically cleaned and ventilated. It is important that radiators radiate heat, so they should not be covered by clothing or cluttered with large pieces of furniture. Thus, the score can be reduced to 20%.

At the same time, by replacing old thermostatic heads with modern ones, energy savings of up to 7% can be achieved. Compared to manual radiator mixers, thermostatic mixers provide energy savings of up to 25%.

Using LED bulbs, adopting healthy consumption habits, and choosing an efficient heating system are some of the main things to consider if your goal is to achieve low energy consumption in your home.

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