Paying attention to your energy consumption is right not only because you save on your bill, but even because it helps you reduce the waste of resources. Together with Selectra‘s experts – the home utility manager who accompanies millions of Italians in choosing their light, gas and internet provider – we have prepared a guide to help consumers be greener, and at the same time make their bills less expensive.
Here are the easy steps to follow to reduce electricity consumption:
Do not leave the devices in stand-by mode – Never leave the TV on? But do you know that turning it off with the remote control isn’t enough? The devices that we leave connected to the power in stand-by mode, such as the TV, DVD player or computer, continue to consume energy even with the screen off. It is easy to remedy this by using the multi-sockets with switches, also called “electric slippers”, to permanently switch off the devices with a single gesture.
Disconnect the mobile phone charger when not in use – It seems a simple and obvious gesture, but few people actually do it. The “cable” of the phone, leave the power on, continues to consume electricity. To avoid waste, it should be removed from the socket every time after use.
Replace all bulbs with LED lights – At first glance, the bulbs do not seem to consume as much electricity, and instead have a significant impact on a large scale, because they are present everywhere, in every single environment! The LED lights have a consumption 5 times lower than the halogen ones which, we recall, have been banned in the European Union since September 2018. It has been estimated that the tender will eliminate 15.2 million tons of CO2 in the period from 2018 to 2025.
Avoid closing the blinds during the day – In summer, curtains and blinds help us partially skim the heat, avoiding excessive heating of the rooms, while outside the hot season they do nothing but prevent the entry of natural light, pushing us to turn on the light when in reality it is not needed .
Buy energy-efficient appliances – This is especially true for televisions: those with a low power screen, less than 800W, consume much less than the “classic” ones.
Use appliances in a smart and eco-friendly way – In addition to paying attention to the energy consumption class of all appliances, we must respect certain rules during their use:
Washing machine
- It is necessary to start the washing machine only at full load, giving preference to short and low temperature washing cycles (a 60 degree cycle consumes one third more energy than a 40 degree wash);
- Avoid prewashing, when possible;
- Descale regularly and clean the filters;
- If equipped with a dryer, avoid using the latter, if not strictly necessary. Spread clothes in the open air or use a program with cold air, if present.
Fridge
- Pay attention to the positioning: it would be put away from heat sources (oven, radiator etc.);
- The freezer would be defrosted every 3 months and the rear grill should be cleaned every year;
- It is important to check the set temperature (+5 for the fridge and -18 for the freezer is sufficient);
- To avoid extra energy consumption, the dishes should be cooled before placing them in the refrigerator.
Dishmachine
- Start it only when it is full, giving preference to an “ECO” cycle, if available.
- Allow the dishes to dry out of the dishwasher;
- Clean all the filters regularly.
Electric hob / oven
- Always put the lid on the pots when boiling the water;
- Avoid opening the oven to check food cooking;
- Always keep the hob and oven clean.
Vacuum cleaner
- Use the vacuum cleaner only to clean carpets and rugs, using a damp cloth on the other surfaces.
You can adopt a greener behavior with these small gestures right away! Find other tips on how to reduce your consumption on the Selectra website.
