Tips & guidelines: Electricity Saving

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The Domestic Sector accounts for 30% of total energy consumption in the country. There is a tremendous scope to conserve energy by adopting simple measures.

This information is a guide, which offers easy, practical solutions for saving energy in Home Appliances. Please, take a few moments to read the valuable tips that will save energy & money and ultimately help conserve our natural resources.

It would be useful to know which gadget consumes how much electricity. Economic use of home appliances can help in reducing electricity bills.

Why should we save energy

• Using energy wisely means being efficient.
• We use energy everyday at home, at school, at work, and even when you're playing.
• By saving energy you're helping to save the world's energy resources like coal, gas, oil and water and you're also saving money on your utility bills.
• Best of all, by using energy wisely we can cut down on pollutants in the air and water,
• making a better environment for everyone.
• Think about what would happen if there wasn't enough energy. . . there would be no light to turn on when it got dark . . . there would not be any hot water for the shower or heat for your house in the winter . . . no gas or oil to drive the car . . . so there are lots of reasons we should save energy.

Use the following simple guidelines for saving electricity and cutting down your energy bill

(A) At Home  

• The lights and television use electrical energy, so when you leave the room, shut them off.

• During the day when it is brighter outside, open the curtains and use the sunlight instead of turning on the lights.

• Don't leave windows or doors open when the air conditioning is on. This makes the AC have to work harder to cool a room.

• When you have a sunny day, help hang the Clothes outside instead of using the dryer.

Lighting

• Turn off the lights when not in use
• Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
• De-dust lighting fixtures to maintain illumination.
• Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL) are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same for lighting.
• Use electronic chokes in place of conventional copper chokes.
• Slim tube lights give better light and consume less electricity than the filament lamps.

Fans & Electric Iron

• Replace conventional regulators with electronic regulators for ceiling fans.
• Install exhaust fans at a higher elevation than ceiling fans.
• Select iron boxes with automatic temperature cutoff.
• Use appropriate regulator position for ironing.
• Do not put more water on clothes while ironing.
• Do not iron wet clothes.

Electronic Devices

§         Do not switch on the power when TV and Audio Systems are not in use.Idle  operation leads to an energy loss of 10 watts /device.

§         Turn off your home office equipment when not in use.

§         A computer that runs 24 hours a day, for instance, uses – more power than an  energy-efficient refrigerator.

§         If your computer must be left on, turn off the monitor; this device alone uses more  than half the system's energy.

§         Setting computers, monitors, and copiers to use sleep-mode when not in use  helps cut energy costs by approximately 40%.

§         Battery chargers, such as those for laptops, cell phones and digital cameras,  draw power whenever they are plugged in and are very inefficient. Pull the plug and save.

§         Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Start-ups and shutdowns do  not use any extra energy, nor are they hard on your computer components. In fact, shutting computers down when you are finished using them actually reduces system wear and saves energy.

Air Conditioner

• Prefer air conditioners having automatic temperature cut off.
• Keep regulators at “low cool” position.
• Operate the ceiling fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively throughout the room and operate the air conditioner at higher temperature.
• Seal the doors and windows properly.
• Leave enough space between your air conditioner and the walls to allow better air circulation.
• A roof garden can reduce the load on Air Conditioner
• Use windows with sun films/curtains.
• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower will be energy consumption.
• Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling.
• Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
• Keep doors to the outside closed when the heat or air conditioning is on. Every time you open a door while the heating or cooling system is operating, lots of expensive heated or cooled air escapes. That's why it helps to close them quickly when you come in or go out of the house.

Kitchen Appliances

Mixers

Avoid dry grinding in your food processors (mixers and grinders) as it takes longer time than liquid grinding.

            Microwaves ovens

• Consumes 50 % less energy than conventional electric / gas stoves.
• Do not bake large food items.
• Don't open the oven door too often to check food condition as each opening leads to a temperature drop of 25°C.

Electric stove

§         Turn off electric stoves several minutes before the specified cooking time.

§         Use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the cooking coil.

Gas stove

§         When cooking on a gas burner, use moderate flame settings to conserve LPG.

§         Remember that a blue flame means your gas stove is operating efficiently.

§         Yellowish flame is an indicator that the burner needs cleaning.

§         Use pressure cookers as much as possible.

§         Use lids to cover the pans while cooking.

§         Bring items taken out of refrigerators (like vegetables, milk etc) to room  temperature before placing on the gas stove for heating.

§         Use Solar Water Heater – a good replacement for a electric water heater.

Refrigerator

§         Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers; frost buildup  increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.

§         Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the walls so that air can easily circulate around the refrigerator.

§         Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold.

§         Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.

How to Check that refrigerator door seals are proper : Use a slip of paper to check the door seal. Close the door on the paper, then see if you can pull it out easily. If it pulls right out, your door may need new seals or the refrigerator may need to be replaced. If it sticks snugly in place and you have to tug to get it out, that means the door seals are working properly.

§         Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

§         Do not open the doors of the refrigerators frequently.

§         Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will  escape.

§         Use smaller cabinets for storing frequently used items.

§         Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge.

§         Plan ahead what you need from the refrigerator before opening the door. This  saves energy by keeping the time the door is open as short as possible.

Bathroom Geyser

§         The electricity consumption by your geyser can be considerably reduced if the  members of your family bathe in quick succession and switch it off as soon as it is no longer required.

Washing Machine

§         Always wash only with full loads.

§         Use optimal quantity of water.

§         Use timer facility to save energy.

§         Use the correct amount of detergent.

§         Use hot water only for very dirty clothes.

§         Always use cold water in the rinse cycle.

§         Prefer natural drying over electric dryers.

(B) At Shops and Business Establishments

§         Avoid excessive illumination. Please keep only as many fans and lights on as you need.

§         Do not use neon sign boards. Use only painted sign boards.

§         Use energy saving compact fluorescent lamps for the illumination of your shops,  showrooms, or hotels.

§         Try to switch on your room air conditioners and coolers at least one hour late and  switch off one hour early. Preferably, do not use these heavy duty appliances.

§         Please close the shops and showrooms precisely by 8 p.m. at night.

§         Use solar water heaters for hot water requirements of your hotels and lodges.

(C) At Farms

§         Provide shunt capacitors at terminals of your three-phase motor to help reduce current and ensure longer life to your pump set.

§         Use rigid PVC pipes to get more discharge.

§         Avoid sharp bends and too many joints in the suction and delivery lines.

§         Use low-resistance foot valves.

§         Lubricate pump sets at regular intervals.

§         Choose suitable crop mix so that at least one crop in a year is grown with least water consumption.

( Courtesy: http://www.cseb.gov.in/ )

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