12 Tips to Save Electricity

Sep 18, 2020 | Going Green, Articles

Electricity is the main source of power in our homes and workplaces driving our productivity and providing comfortable living conditions.

Most countries in the world are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels as the primary source of fuel for electricity generation. Using electricity efficiently by can help us save on our expenditure and at the same time help us save the environment. 

Here are some tips to help you save electricity and be more energy efficient.

1. Use Table Lamps Sparingly to Save Electricity

Only use table lights for specific lighting purposes. If there is enough ambient or natural light in your workspace, avoid using your desk or table lamp. 

2. Maximize Use of Natural Light to Save Electricity

Use as much natural light as possible during the day. If your workspace has sufficient natural light, avoid using powered lighting as much as possible. Shift your workspace closer to a window, if possible. If your workspace does not have sufficient natural lighting, consider installation of more windows, if feasible.

3. Clean Dirty Light Bulbs 

Clean dusty lightbulbs and lamps as often as possible. This will help ensure your workspace receives the optimum lighting quality for the devices that are being used. A dusty lamp will just obscure lighting, and cause your workspace or living area to not receive the optimum amount of lighting which the lighting device is able to generate. 

4. Avoid Opening the Refrigerator Door Too Often

Avoid opening and closing your refrigerator door often. Every time you open the fridge door, the temperate within the fridge compartment rises due to cold air escaping and being replaced by warmer air. If the fridge is opened and closed repeatedly within a short period of time, your refrigerator unit will have to work harder to regain optimum cooling temperature within the unit.

5. Avoid Placing Hot Food in the Refrigerator

Avoid placing hot food in your refrigerator. Placing hot food in the refrigerator will increase the temperature within the fridge unit once doors are closed, and will cause your refrigerator to work harder to bring the temperature back down. To save electricity, allow hot food to cool naturally before placing in in the refrigerator.

6. Iron Clothes in Large Quantities

Only iron clothes in larger quantities. Your iron consumes a lot of electricity to warm up and reach the desired heat level, and consumes quite a bit of “wasted” electricity in the process. Ironing in small quantities would mean having to iron more often, thus increasing your electricity consumption on average. To save electricity, try ironing in larger amounts. 

7. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting

Instead of older halogen light bulbs, use Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. CFLs and LEDs give off less heat, and provide much more lighting for the amount of power consumed. The reduced heat emitted from these lights would mean not having to increase cooling to offset the heat from the bulbs. Add that to the reduced power consumption from these newer, more powerful lights and you are ensured to save on your electricity consumption in the long run.

8. Clean the Air Conditioner’s Filter Regularly

The air filter in your air conditioner traps particles that are considered as contaminants, such as dust, smoke, pollen, and grease, among others. If the filter in your air conditioning unit is dirty, it will have reduced air flow leading back into the device, causing your air conditioning unit to not function as efficiently for the amount of power it is consuming. 

To keep your air-conditioner running optimally, clean the filters in the air conditioner at least once a month. If the unit is located in an area with more pollutants, such as a smoker’s lounge or in the main lobby of an office, cleaning it more often would be advised. For larger buildings with a centralized air conditioning system, look to cleaning the return air vents located throughout the building on a regular basis.

9. Set the Air Conditioner Thermostat Between 23 and 25 Degrees Celsius

Avoid setting the temperature of your air conditioner too low to save electricity. The general rule of thumb for optimum performance and energy savings is to set the thermostat at 8 degrees Celcius lower than the temperate outside of the building. Therefore, if the outside temperature is 30 degrees Celcius, the ideal temperate for your air conditioner to achieve would be 22 degrees Celcius. 

10. Unplug Unused Electrical Devices

A lot of electrical appliances still draw power even when they are not in use, especially TVs, computer monitors, and other devices which have a power indicator light. Even though the power consumption while not functioning may be low, considering the amount of devices of this kind prevalent in consumer electronics today, added up, it could come to a significant amount of power consumption which is essentially “wasted”. 

Unplugging unused devices can help you save electricity and may contribute to a significant reduction in your electricity bill.

11. Replace Electrical Appliances Above the Age of 10 Years

Electrical devices tend to be less efficient over time, either by becoming obsolete to newer technologies and standards, or by simple ageing and wear and tear. 
Devices which have motors that are not regularly maintained tend to consume more power to do the same work they used to do when they were brand new. For example, refrigerators produced in 2009 were 40% more efficient than refrigerators produced in 2001, and that’s only an 8 year interval.
The general rule of thumb is to calculate the energy savings by replacing a device when it reaches the 10 year mark. Once it reaches 15 years of age, it is probably time to replace it.

12. Set a “Sleep Mode” for Your PC or Laptop for Periods of Inactivity

It’s inevitable that you would sometimes have to leave your computer on and walk away to perform another task. Sometimes these tasks can drag on for a bit, and your computer is still operating at 100% power consumption, causing a considerable amount of wastage. 
Setting a “Sleep Mode” for your computer after periods of inactivity can greatly save electricity. 

Conclusion

In summary, you could save electricity by doing the following:

  1. Use table lamps or desk lamps only when really necessary.
  2. Maximize the use of natural light over powered lights.
  3. Clean dirty light bulbs often to get the most out of your lighting.
  4. Avoid opening the refrigerator door too often to help your fridge work less hard to cool its compartments.
  5. Avoid placing hot food in the refrigerator as it will increase the temperature within the fridge.
  6. Iron clothes in larger quantities so you don’t have to iron too often.
  7. Use energy efficient lighting such as Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
  8. Clean the filters in your air conditioner regularly for a more efficient airflow so your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard.
  9. Fix the temperature of your air conditioner to around 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. 
  10. Unplug unused electrical devices. A lot of devices still draw power even when not in use.
  11. Replace older electrical devices, especially those above 10 years of age. Older devices tend to be less energy-efficient over time and will require more power to perform as well as a newer device.
  12. Shut down your PC or laptop when not in use. Your computer is still consuming power even when it’s in “Sleep” or “Standby” mode.

When you make a commitment to save on your electricity consumption, you are indirectly making a commitment towards saving the environment.