Economical house
A lot has already been written on this topic, because rational energy consumption is a burning issue. And rightly so. Saving electricity is beneficial not only for the environment, but also for ourselves, because thanks to this we can save a lot of money throughout the year.
Cooking
When cooking with electricity it is best to use pots with a flat, non-deforming bottom and the size corresponding to the one of the cooking rings of the electric stove.
It is worth to turn off the cooking rings just before cooking is finished, because they remain hot for still some time. The same principle applies while baking in the oven.
The fast frying pan saves between 40 and 70 percent of electricity. You can fry faster on it thanks to which you can preserve not only vitamins, but also better food taste.
Cooking in pots with a closed cover you can consume three times less electricity. The same rule applies when cooking in a small amount of water.
A microwave is twice as economical as a classic oven or an electric stove, but only when cooking or heating small amounts of food. It should not be used to defrost food.
A small amount of water boils faster and in an energy-saving way in an electric kettle. It is best to pour only as much water as you need in order to avoid to unnecessarily boil more.
Microwaves and electric stoves often remain in stand-by mode, which often consumes up to 35 kWh per year! To avoid this, it is best to cut off the power supply using a plug with a switch.
Washing in a dishwasher
Dishwashers consume less and less water and electricity. Nevertheless, manual dish washing still remains much more energy-efficient, provided that the water is heated by gas, mazut or solar energy. Avoid washing dishes under running water.
If the dishes are not too dirty, choose an economical or an "eco" programme. However, due to the lower temperature, the length of the washing cycle will be longer. In this case the most economical appliances consume about 1.1 kWh and 13 litres of water for each washing, which means nearly 40 percent of energy consumption less compared to a standard programme. When buying a dishwasher, it is worth choosing one that offers better washing results with this programme.
The dishwasher should only be used when it is full. A double activation of the "half full" programme leads to more electricity and water consumption than when washing at full speed.
Remove food leftovers and sauces with a spatula or a paper towel and pick manually large food pieces from heavily soiled frying pans.
Do not regularly rinse dishes that are not too dirty before putting them in the dishwasher.
It is best to use an intensive washing programme only for heavily soiled dishes.
It is advisable to leave the washed dishes to air dry and thus eliminate the use of the drying function in the dishwasher.
It is also worth to regularly clean the dishwasher filter and follow the instructions for its maintenance to prevent the formation of scale.
Other devices
If you want to keep coffee hot it is better to use a thermos than a hotplate coffee machine.
Regularly remove scale from the electric kettle and the coffee machine. The efficiency of these appliances is significantly reduced in the case of scale settling in.
Freezing and defrosting
It is worth to place the refrigerator in a cool place, far from the stove, the washing machine or the radiators, where the sun will not shine on it. It is best to place the freezer in an unheated room, e.g. in a basement.
Frosting and freezing can count for as much as 20 percent of our electricity consumption. More efficient appliances are not much more expensive, but thanks to their average life span of 15 years they can help us save 750 euros on electricity bills. It is worth replacing appliances older than 10 years with newer models A + or A ++.
It is necessary to leave some free space (at least 5 cm) between the fridge or the freezer and the wall. As a result, the condenser pipes located at the back will have adequate heat transfer capability. Not leaving any space between the wall or furniture increases electricity consumption.
Open the fridge and freezer as little as possible and take out the products in a way not to leave the door open for too long.
The ideal temperature for refrigerators is 5°C and for the freezer -18°C. Lower temperatures cause higher and unnecessary power consumption. You should regularly check the temperature inside, e.g. using a special thermometer, which you can buy for as little as 5 euro.
Never put hot dishes into the fridge or freezer.
Do not fill the refrigerator too much as it limits air circulation and makes it difficult to maintain the right temperature.
It is best to defrost the freezer regularly, because a 3 mm layer of ice increases electricity consumption by as much as 30%.