By using electricity wisely you will not only teach your family responsible energy habits, you will also save substantially on your electricity bills.
Here are some easy-to-do tips that will get rid of those electricity vampires:
Dishwasher
· Fill the dishwasher completely before operating. Partial loads waste electricity and water.
· Connect your dishwasher to COLD water supply unless otherwise directed.
· Keep the dishwasher filters clear of debris. A blocked filter reduces efficiency and wastes energy.
Refrigerator
· Remove all heavy wrapping from food before storing it in the refrigerator.
· Foods should be placed slightly apart on refrigerator shelves to allow the cooling air to circulate.
· Switch off, empty or clean your fridge, when taking an extended holiday.
Freezer
· Defrost your chest type freezer once or twice a year. For upright models, defrosting should be done two or three times a year. NEVER allow frost build up to exceed 0,6 to 1,3 cm.
· Open your freezer as little as possible and for short periods only to prevent the loss of cold air.
· Keep your freezer as full as possible to prevent heavy icing.
Electric stove
· Use a pressure cooker to conserve energy when cooking foods that take a long time, such as pot roasts, stews and steamed puddings.
· Bring foods to the boil quickly on the “high” setting, then turn the heat down to simmer to finish cooking.
· Do not use the grilling compartment to make toast or use your oven to heat the kitchen.
Microwave ovens
· Defrost your food in the refrigerator instead of the microwave oven: it is more economical.
· Use your microwave oven to cook small to medium quantities of food. To cook larger portions of meat, it is better to use a conventional oven.
· Keep the edges of your microwave door and its hinges clean. To wash the inside of your oven, boil a cup of water in it and then wipe the sides with a damp cloth.
Small appliances
· Using small kitchen appliances instead of the stove can save energy. Toasters, electric grills and skillets, slow cookers, electric coffee pots and bottle warmers usually require less energy than the stove when used correctly.
· Use an electric kettle to boil water, not a sauce pan or a microwave.
· When vacuuming, empty or replace the dust bag frequently.
Lighting
· Fluorescent lamps are more economical, give five times the light and last up to 10 times as long as ordinary bulbs.
· Clean your lamps and bulbs regularly because dirt decreases the amount of light given out.
· Dimming switches allow you to regulate the light level and reduce electricity consumption to some extent.
Washing machine
· A front loading washing machine uses less water and costs less to operate.
· An automatic washing machine uses the same amount of electricity for a full load or a single item. Save dirty clothes until a full load has accumulated.
· Never overload your automatic washing machine. Overloading will reduce the cleaning action.
Tumble dryer
· Clean the lint filter on the dryer after each operation to maintain full air flow and to maximise the drying efficiency.
· Clothes should never be placed in the tumble dryer dripping with water. They should have as much moisture as possible removed beforehand and should never be folded before being placed in the dryer.
· On sunny days take advantage of good weather and dry your clothes outside.
Iron
· Clothing promptly removed from the dryer and carefully folded often requires no ironing or just a quick press.
· Iron low temperature fabrics first to reduce warm up time.
· Iron large batches of clothing at one time to avoid wasting energy reheating the iron several times.
· Use only distilled water in steam irons.
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