We can all contribute to the environment and make our own small contribution to achieving a more sustainable and friendly world. Day by day, we make decisions that either deepen the carbon footprint we leave behind or help transition towards a society that produces fewer emissions and avoids depleting natural resources.
Here are some actions you can take:
Energy efficiency
One of the factors to contribute to the environment and that most help save energy is to have appliances that use electricity efficiently. Technological advances have helped to require less energy to perform the same tasks. For example, new compounds are used in refrigerators to maintain cold temperatures or designs are improved to prevent heat loss in kitchens.
However, you don’t have to be an expert to know which appliance is the most efficient. The European Union introduced a labeling system that shows the most important information about consumption, as well as a classification from A to G. Each appliance is compared with others in the same category. The most efficient appliances are more expensive than others with a worse label, but in the long run, contributing to the environment, energy savings also translate into savings on the electricity bill, so buying an efficient appliance can be seen as a good investment. If you cannot buy all the appliances at once, these are the devices that consume the most energy and, therefore, where savings can be seen more easily.
Refrigerators and freezers
In most cases, both appliances go hand in hand. Their consumption is not very high, but it is usually constant, making refrigerators the appliances that consume the most energy, around 18% of the bill. In very efficient models, annual consumption is usually around 300 kWh. However, being constantly on to contribute to the environment, small changes in energy efficiency can translate into significant increases, reaching almost 650 kWh per year.
Ceramic hobs
Another of the appliances that consume the most energy are ceramic hobs, especially in absolute terms. Many models can consume up to 2.3 kWh when using the largest burners. Such power means that many households may need to have more power contracted to avoid supply interruptions. Although their use is very limited in time, on average it represents more than 15% of electricity consumption.
In this case, the technology used is of paramount importance, even more so than the energy label. Induction cooktops are the best choice since they use a system that heats only the surface of the pans and pots in contact with it. This prevents heat dissipation. In addition, energy transmission is also faster and more direct.
Air conditioning
The electricity bill skyrockets both in winter and summer when we try to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors. Air conditioners need to use a lot of electricity, especially to generate heat. However, once again, the technology used will be key. The consumption of a heat pump and devices using Inverter technology can be up to 5 times lower than that of conventional air conditioners.
Responsible consumption
Taking care of the environment not only depends on having efficient appliances but also on knowing how to use them properly. It is pointless, for example, to have low-consumption LED bulbs if we leave the lights on unnecessarily at home. Here are some tips for consuming electricity responsibly:
- Take advantage of sunlight: the sun not only provides light but also heat for the colder months. Make the most of daylight hours and squeeze every last ray before turning on the lights at home.
- Make the most of windows: windows are essential to prevent temperature losses. They are responsible for creating good thermal insulation. Keep them closed to prevent heat or cold from escaping, use tilt-and-turn functions to ventilate the house, and use blinds in summer to maintain a cool and pleasant shade.
- Invest in home automation: more and more aspects of a home can be programmed. Lights, blinds, kitchen robots, cleaning robots… many models can be configured to use energy as efficiently as possible, such as adjusting the intensity or activating at the right time of day. This avoids, for example, not being able to make last-minute changes and leaving food prepared in advance or unnecessarily turning on the heating.
Choosing the right moments
One of the latest ways to care for nature in our homes is, at the same time, a way to save a lot of money. It is about taking advantage of the times of day when light is cheaper. The price of electricity is determined by the price of the most expensive energy that needs to be used to meet energy demand at any given time. The most expensive prices are usually related to the use of fossil fuels, as renewable energies are much cheaper. Therefore, by consuming electricity at times of lower prices, such as at night, we will be promoting the use of more energy from renewable sources instead of having to produce more energy in plants that use gas, coal, or oil.
To find out when to do the laundry today, various mobile applications connected to the wholesale electricity market price can be used.
