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Accommodation Tips by Value Vera
Saving electricity is not only about saving costs, it’s about everybody playing their part to help save the environment for future generations. Just by switching off the lights when you leave a room and plugging out appliances rather than leaving them on standby when not in use, you can reduce your consumption considerably.
Lighting:
Ordinary candescent light bulbs are incredibly wasteful - 90% of the electricity they use produces heat instead of light. CFL (A-rated) lights are the most energy efficient and Halogen are the second most energy efficient. See table below for a savings comparison per bulb per year.
|
Ordinary bulb |
Nearest equivalent in CFL wattage |
Annual Saving per bulb |
Equivalent Halogen wattage |
Annual saving per bulb |
|
100 watt |
20 watt |
EUR16.30 |
70 watt |
EUR 6.11 |
* Please note that savings indicated relate to electricity costs as of April 1st, 2009 and light bulbs switched on for 3 hours daily.
Click here for ESB's Energy Saving Wizard
· Turn off all the lights when you’re leaving the room. It sounds simple and it is, but it is something that you need to make a conscious effort to do.
(if you leave a 100 watt light on for 4 hours every day for a year, it will cost you an extra EUR16.87 per year)
· Use a lower wattage light bulb where possible. Do you really need a 100 watt light bulb? You don't want your living room to be so bright, it's like sitting in the college canteen. For the most part a 60 or 40 watt bulb will be sufficient, so be conscious of this when you're buying light bulbs.
Timers:
· Use the timer on your immersion heater. This should supply you with enough hot water as and when you need it. Also if you're turning it on and off, the chances are someone will forget to turn it off and it will end up costing you a lot more.
Electric Shower:
· Take a shower rather than a bath. A typical shower uses only one fifth of the energy of a full bath.
Computer:
· Configure your computer to "energy saving" mode which will automatically change to the state of low consumption when left idle.
· Turning your computer off at night instead of leaving it on will save on average 25% on your annual energy bill. Remember you should turn off your computer whenever you are not going to use it for more than an hour.
Television:
· A television in standby mode can use up to half as much electricity as when it is switched on.
Fridge/Freezers:
· Don't let frost build up in the freezer compartment as this increases energy consumption. Remember to defrost and clean the inside of your refrigerator and freezer at least every 6 months and make sure they are positioned in a cool place, not next to the cooker or boiler or where possible not in the path of direct sunlight.
· Don't put warm or hot food straight into the freezer - let it cool down first, as it uses up more electricity to cool the food down.
Cooking:
· At a certain point in cooking, turn off electric rings and use their residual heat.
Microwaves:
· A microwave is more efficient than a cooker for reheating food.
Electric Ovens:
· The oven is expensive to use - try to use it as sparingly and efficiently as possible. Where possible use it for more than just one item and remember you can cook at a higher temperature at the top of the oven and simultaneously at a lower temperature at the bottom.
· Do not open the oven door to check cooking - every time you do so you lose 20% of the accumulated heat.
Toasters & Kettles:
· The toaster is more energy efficient than the grill for toasting bread.
· When making tea or coffee, boil only the amount of water required (but make sure the heating elements of electric kettles are covered!)
Did you know?
67% of people boil more water than is actually required for their cup of tea. This would mean that we are wasting around 105.6 tonnes of CO2 a day from electricity use, the equivalent to about 14,900 cars, or an annual .636kg of CO2 per capita.
Tumble Dryers:
· Don't use the tumble dryer unless you absolutely need to- it's one of the highest consumers of electricity in the home.
Washing Machines:
· Most washing detergents will wash clothes perfectly at lower temperatures. By changing the temperature of a wash from 40 degrees to 30 degrees, you will save EUR16.02 a year (based on 3 washes per week).
Dishwashers:
· Stop the dishwasher before the drying cycle and open the door to let the dishes air dry and always use the economy button where possible.
Electric Blankets:
· Switch on electric blankets no more than half an hour before you go to bed and switch off just before you get into bed.
The electricity vampires - Mobile Phone Chargers:
· Don't leave your mobile phone charge in the socket if it's not charging. The average power usage can be around 3 watts. (That's 3 watts per hour or 72 watts per day.). This equate roughly to EUR12 per year.
How to check the usage and cost of appliances in your home
Here's a calculator:
Click here for the ESB calculator
Did you know?
If you use a hair dryer for 1 hour per week (4 x 15 mins) its costs EUR2.51 over a 2 month period, whereas a vacuum cleaner uses only EUR2.37 for 1 hour over a similar 2 month period. Or a 32 inch LCD TV used for 10 hours a week costs EUR1.81 over a two month period, whereas a microwave used for 1 hour per week costs EUR1.88 over a two month period. (It's interesting as I thought a vacuum cleaner would use more than a hairdryer and a TV would use more than a microwave (for 10 times the number of hours!)
Important / Regulatory Wording
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