Conscious energy consumption: 10 unnecessary household habits to improve

Basic energy consumption – is an important aspect of maintaining life comfort, which includes the minimum level of energy consumption required to meet the basic needs of the population and the economy. Basic energy consumption includes electricity, heat and other forms of energy without which modern society cannot function.

Rational energy consumption has many benefits, including a positive impact on the environment and significant savings on utility bills.

In this article, we discuss how electricity consumption depends not only on the popularization of energy-efficient technologies but also on public awareness. Even though the energy efficiency of Ukrainians in communities is at least 4 times lower than in the EU or the US, there are still no energy efficiency classes in schools.

However, we should also highlight a positive trend — it has become much easier to live an energy-efficient lifestyle due to technological progress and generational change than it was 10 or 15 years ago.

Why is it so difficult to follow an energy-efficient lifestyle?

This can be difficult due to the high cost of energy-efficient technologies and equipment, which makes them unaffordable for a wide range of consumers.

In addition, the lack of awareness of the Ukrainian population about the benefits of energy efficiency and how to achieve it may limit the widespread adoption of these practices.

A recent survey indicated that almost 9 out of 10 (89%) respondents worldwide ignore the possibility of using new approaches to energy saving in their everyday life, although 80% of them know what to do to reduce the energy consumption of home appliances. Some conservative habits are so ingrained that consumers don’t even realize they need to change.

How can you change your own bad habits and save electricity?

To get rid of energy-inefficient-efficient habits, foremost, you should consciously understand their causes and consequences. Next, you can develop a plan of action that includes the use of efficient technologies, renewable energy sources, and rational use of resources. Finally, it is important to constantly improve your habits and be a responsible energy consumer to save the environment. This means using smart lighting, dual-tariff electricity meters, smart socket switches, power strips, light bulbs with motion sensors, thermal insulation, etc.

TOP-10 energy-inefficient-efficient habits and how to fix them

1. Leaving lights on in an empty room.

Solution: Remember to turn off lights when you leave to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and reduce the load on the power grid. You can also install automatic switches or use energy-efficient LED bulbs, which consume less energy and have a longer lifespan.

2. Using old incandescent light bulbs.

Solution: Complete switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. Currently, Ukrainians can exchange 5 of their old incandescent light bulbs for the same number of modern energy-saving LED elements for free. The exchange program is still ongoing, but it will end very soon. Therefore, hurry up and exchange 5 old light bulbs for new LED bulbs at any Ukrposhta branch. You can do this by submitting an exchange request via the “Diia” mobile application.

3. Leaving electrical appliances on when nobody uses them.

Solution: Connect TVs, computers, and phone chargers to power strips, which make it easier to turn off several devices at once. Another important point is that phone chargers that remain connected to the mains continue to consume energy at approximately 0.13 kWh per month. Therefore, it is worth disconnecting mobile phone chargers from the network after the mobile phone has been charged.

4. Leaving the freezer on when there is no food in it. This can lead to unnecessary electricity consumption, which increases your utility bills.

Solution: To disable the freezer compartment in a refrigerator without food, simply turn the temperature control to the “off” position and disconnect the power supply, making sure that the compartment has stopped cooling.

5. Leaving the refrigerator door open while selecting food.

Solution: When the refrigerator is open, an average of 7% of the energy consumed by the appliance is wasted. You should decide what you want to cook, eat or drink before opening the refrigerator door.

6. Running the dishwasher when it is not yet full.

Solution: You need to wait until the dishwasher is full before pressing start.

7. Turning on the washing machine at a temperature above 40 °C.

At the same time, running the washing machine when it is not full and using the tumble dryer when it is warm or windy outside will add extra money to your electricity bill.

Solution: Wash your clothes at a temperature of 30-40 °C. This will not ruin the appearance of the clothes and will save electricity.

8. Not replacing air filters in the ventilation system causes them to become clogged with room dust, pet hair and other particles, forcing ventilation to work in an intensive mode, which leads to increased energy consumption and higher utility bills.

Solution: To solve the problem of clogged air filters in the ventilation system, it is recommended to change the filters periodically, have the ventilation system professionally cleaned, and control the humidity of the room.

9. Usage of outdated household electrical appliances.

This is less efficient in terms of energy use. For example, outdated washing machines can use more water and electricity per wash cycle compared to modern models with energy-efficient technology. Old electric kettles use a lot of electricity and are prone to starting fires.

Solution: It is recommended to replace outdated electrical appliances with more energy-efficient ones. For example, household appliances that have an energy consumption class of A-A+++ “pull” less electricity by 30-50%.

Even if an old electrical appliance is no longer usable, it still has a certain value, as metals such as silver, platinum, copper, nickel, chrome, tungsten, aluminum, or iron may have been used in its production.

Therefore, you should not dispose of old electrical appliances in a regular trash can. You can take such waste for safe disposal at the Waste Management Center (WMC).

10. Attempting to suddenly cool or heat the apartment with a room thermostat, which is designed to control, regulate and maintain the optimum air temperature in the room.

Solution: Many room thermostats do not respond to temperature changes rapidly. They are designed to change the temperature gradually to avoid power surges.

To save electricity more efficiently, you should also pay attention to how many household appliances consume: washing machine, electric stove, electric boiler, electric kettle, heater, microwave, dishwasher, router, laptop, TV, etc.

In apartments of modern residential complexes with electric heating, underfloor heating, thermal insulation, digital and programmable thermostats equipped with non-volatile memory, it is much easier to maintain an energy-efficient lifestyle. The higher the energy efficiency class of a building, the less money a resident will spend on housing maintenance.

By improving energy efficiency at the enterprise and in ordinary household conditions, making “smart energy use” a priority, each of us can make a difference in resource conservation.

12 tips on how to save energy more efficiently at home

1. Do not leave lights on in empty rooms
2. Use only energy-efficient appliances
3. Use LED light bulbs
4. Unplug household appliances from the outlet
5. Keep the thermostat at low temperatures
6. Fix leaking faucets (as they waste 7000 liters of water per year)
7. Use automated smart appliances
8. Install double glazing on doors and windows to increase thermal insulation.
9. Cook food under a closed lid to avoid water loss due to evaporation.
10. Use a smart meter to collect data on electricity usage
11. Automatic washing at low temperatures
12. Install solar power plants with inverter and hybrid battery