Eight Tips to Save Energy at Home
Whether it is summer or winter, the energy consumption we make in homes does not stop. When it is not the heating it is the refrigeration system, the different appliances or the special occasions in which the house is filled with people. Therefore, we bring you some tips to save energy at home, useful for any time of the year.
Use energy-saving light bulbs
Low energy bulbs spend up to 80% less, last 8 times longer and reduce to a quarter of the heat generation by comparison with incandescent lamps. With these benefits it is worth investing in them despite the fact that their price is higher than the traditional ones. In the long run you will be rewarded with the energy savings that their use implies.
Choose appliances class A or higher
When buying an appliance we must consider, apart from its aesthetics, the brand or style, its energy efficiency. With equal performance, a Class A appliance consumes 70% less energy than a Class G appliance.
Each degree in heating counts
Heating and domestic hot water production represent around 60% of the energy consumed in a home. Therefore, we must be aware that for every degree that we increase the temperature unnecessarily, it increases the energy consumption between 7% and 10%. The recommended temperature in the house in winter is between 69.8ºF and 73.4ºF, except in the bedrooms, which ranges between 66.2ºF and 69.4ºF.
In refrigeration each degree also counts. In summer, the recommended temperature is 77ºF inside homes. For all this, it is not energetically sustainable to be at home in August with a jacket or in December with short sleeves.
Improve the isolation of the house
Another very important point, and one that often goes unnoticed when we talk about saving energy is isolation. By placing weather-stripping on doors and windows we can avoid heat losses in winter and cold losses in summer. In this way we will make our home more comfortable. The Energy Foundation of the Community of Madrid (FENERCOM) in its guide on insulation, states that when there is not a good thermal insulation, the demand for energy is greater and, therefore, so is the expense.
Do not cover the radiators
It is not usual to pay attention to this point, but you should avoid placing objects in front of radiators such as furniture. In this way the heat will be distributed better, increasing comfort and avoiding the loss of energy that would occur if we put obstacles blocking it.
Ventilate 10 minutes
Both in winter and summer it is advisable to renew the air of the house once a day. Ten minutes is enough time to allow it to circulate and renew without excessive heat escaping in winter and cool in summer. It is always recommended to do it first thing in the morning, in winter before lighting the heating and in summer because the temperatures are cooler.
Bet on the dishwasher and the washing machine
The use of the dishwasher is up to 40% less water and 10% less energy than washing the dishes by hand. Of course, as with the washing machine, you should ensure that they are always full, to save the maximum possible energy.
All these tips to save energy are small changes in our day to day that will translate into great benefits for the environment and for our domestic economy.
