Tips on Saving Electricity -
With pressure on the power grid and the rising cost of electricity we all need to think of ways of reducing our electricity bills.
1. Install a geyser timer and a geyser blanket. A geyser blanket will keep the hot water warmer for a lot longer, a geyser timer will make a big difference too, by limiting the time that the geyser is working it will not constantly draw power. They are not that expensive and quite easy for an electrician to install on your DB board. Also lower the temperature on the thermostat, 60 to 70 degrees centigradeis more than hot enough.
2. Switch off your appliances like TVs and Microwaves at the wall and unplug chargers. Those little red standby lights do consume more power than you realise
and let’s face it they really don’t serve any real purpose. This can save about 5% to 10% of your electricity bill.
3. Go gas. A conventional electric stove and electric heaters consume a lot of power. A 9kg gas cylinder refill for your stove costs less than R300 and will last 3 to 6 months on a gas stove. Gas is also much more responsive than an electricity in terms of giving you instant high heat and once you have got used to cooking on gas you will probably never want to go back to electric stoves again…
4. If you can afford it install solar panels and a storage battery system. This will significantly impact your electricity usage. A solar geyser can save you up to 40% on your heating bills.
6. Install lower wattage light bulbs, only light the rooms you use and try using a few lamps rather than the main lights or spot lights in your home.
7. Older electrical appliances are not as energy efficient as new ones. If you can afford it start replacing those fridges and washing machines with newer models
8. Bring food to the boil then place it into an insulation cooker like a Wonderbag, they really do work well, I have two at home and use them a lot.
9. Set your pool pump to run fewer hours.
10. Adjust your shower, put in a water and energy efficient shower head, these will use up to 80% less water. Also, rather than taking a bath, have a shower, a bath will use 5 times more electricity than a shower.
11. Use sunshine to dry your clothes rather than your tumble dryer. For rainy days use a drying rack inside.
12. Seal or block gaps around doors and windows, this will stop heat from escaping and cold drafts from coming in.
13. Wash your clothes in cold water where possible.
14. Install energy efficient windows. It is estimated that heat gain and loss through windows and glazed doors uses 25 – 30% of the heating and cooling
energy in most homes. You can get special window film to retrofit on your windows which is not that expensive and easy to install.
15. Remember to turn lights off in rooms you are not using.
16. Wrap up warm, rather than turning on the heat, layer your clothing to stay warm, put a hat on and extra socks. You lose most of your heat from your head, and if your feet are cold the rest of you will feel cold too.
By making small changes, even if we don't have the budget to fit solar panels we can all make a difference when it comes to saving electricity and avoid loadshedding/blackouts in the future.
Phone:
Call Claire + 27 82 399 0180
Email: bluedesigns5@gmail.com
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