Many people have had to save electricity at home and decide between turning on the stove and eating. In fact, it is very common to request a personal loan to pay an electricity bill that has come in higher than usual along with many other expenses that families and companies face these days. For all these reasons, saving electricity has become one of the most important priorities.
The average price of the electricity bill has been around €96.95/mWh.
The situation becomes even more serious if we analyse it in January 2023: on the 31st of that month, the megawatt hour (Mwh ) reached €135.37 and the figures tell us that this amount could continue to rise.
According to data managed by REE (acronym for Red Eléctrica de España ), in December 2022 electricity bill records were broken again by surpassing the €300/MWh barrier and maintaining this level for several days.
If you are also desperately looking for ways to save electricity at home, but nothing works, we can help you here. We have prepared a list of 4 tips and tricks to save on your electricity bill that you can apply, although they will only work if you are consistent:
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The best tips to save electricity at home
Energy saving is an increasingly important topic in today’s world. Not only is it a way to save electricity and money , but it is also a way to take care of the environment , but it also allows you to save money on energy bills.
Did you know that electricity consumption through light bulbs accounts for 20% of the electricity bill? With this in mind, one of the easiest ways to save electricity at home is by managing the light efficiently. Here you can see how to save on your electricity bill:
1. Use LED bulbs
LED bulbs are more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer.
They also consume much less energy and generate less heat. Therefore, replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs can be an easy and effective way to save light and money.
It is estimated that the investment in this type of lighting can be around €200 per household (this amount will depend on the size of the house, as well as the exact model of light bulb purchased). And it is precisely this approximate amount that we can save per year.
This means that we can recoup the investment within just one year. Considering that their useful life is much longer, it is worth making the change as soon as possible.
2. Take advantage of natural light as much as possible
Taking advantage of natural light is an effective way to save energy and money.
- Open your curtains and blinds during the day to let natural light into your home . The colour of your curtains also plays a role in saving light . If you choose curtains in a soft colour, you won’t always need to open them to let in sunlight and you won’t need to turn on the lights in your home for as long. However, darker shades will cast a shadow over your home and make it difficult to see.
- Close the curtains and blinds at night to prevent outside light from filtering in. This won’t help us save electricity as such, but it is a good idea to help us fall asleep. Any light or stimulus in the middle of the night can alter the quality of sleep, so we should eliminate it.
3. Turn off lights and devices when not in use
This is an obvious way to save energy, but it’s easy to forget. Make sure you turn off the lights when you leave a room and unplug electronic devices that aren’t in use.
At this point, it is worth mentioning energy vampires and their devastating effects. They are the main obstacle to saving electricity, so we cannot forget them.
We can define ourselves as that set of bad daily habits that make us waste light every day unconsciously.
Many devices stay on when we are not using them. We are talking about that TV that leaves the red standby button on, the microwave that shows us the current time, the mobile phone that stays charging all night just in case , among other components.
This residual consumption seems harmless… but if we add up everything we are spending we can realise that it is throwing away hundreds of euros a year. If you want to start saving electricity for real, start by disconnecting everything that you are not using .
4. Install motion sensors
Motion sensors are devices that detect movement in a room and turn lights on or off accordingly. These sensors are an effective way to save energy and money by preventing lights from being left on when no one is in the room.
It is a good idea to place them in places where there is a lot of traffic, as they really help to save money and will not harm us. It is not advisable to place them in places that are difficult to access, such as on a staircase; they could turn off at the worst possible moment and the possibility of an accident would increase.
In addition to these four tips, it is also important to consider energy efficiency when purchasing new appliances and electronic devices . Look for appliances with an energy efficiency label and research how much energy they consume before purchasing.
These 4 tips will help you save electricity for real. However, there are many other actions you can take on a daily basis. It is important to prepare yourself and start changing your habits as soon as possible.