086 111 5612
|
010 010 0180
info@themeterman.co.za
Product has been added to your basket.

Wise Ways to Reduce Electricity Consumption

By using energy wisely, you’ll help to keep your monthly utility costs down – this is called demand-side management. In addition to the cost implications, the growing population and accompanying demands on our energy resources have a severe impact on the country’s natural resources.
Every kilowatt hour of electricity saved also results in one less kilogram of carbon dioxide emitted by a power station, which benefits our environment at the same time. 

 30+ ways to save power and lower the impact of Eskom’s tariff hikes. 

We have listed our useful power-cutting tips below in sections for your easy reference.

Lights

  • Switch off the lights when they are not needed.
  • Use fewer bulbs with higher wattages. For instance, one 100 wattbulb produces the same light as two 60 watt bulbs. 
  • Dimming switches reduce electricity consumption. 
  • Use compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) instead of ordinary bulbs. 
  • Use low-energy lamps for exterior lighting.
  • Paint the walls of your home in a light colour. Dark colours tendto absorb light, requiring you to use more energy from lightbulbs to achieve the same effect.
  • Set your electrical geyser’s thermostat at 55 ° C to 60 ° C. To saveenergy, make sure the geyser and all hot water steel pipes in theroof are well insulated with fibreglass or newspaper.
white screw in lightbulb

Heating

  • Use the correct heaters. Infrared electricity heaters are the mostenergy efficient heaters available while oil heaters are the safest. 
  • Insulate the ceiling and seal air gaps in the home. Ensure thatheaters have thermostats. 
  • Use electric blankets but turn them off when in bed.
black fin heater

Stoves

  • Use pressure cookers when preparing food that takes a long time to cook.
  • Match pots and pans to stove plates. Small pots on large plates waste electricity. 
  • Do not use pots with distorted bottoms. 
  • Switch off the plates or oven before food is fully cooked. This allows you to finish your cooking without using energy.
  • Keep oven doors closed until food is cooked.
  • Do not preheat the oven. It isn’t necessary to preheat the oven except for food requiring high temperatures and slow cooking times.
  • Make use of the oven’s leftover heat. Your oven retains heat for15 to 30 minutes after it is turned off.
  • Use that free heat to warm up desserts, rolls or freshen crackers and cookies.
  • Glass and ceramic pans retain heat better than metal pans.
  • Don’t open the fridge door unnecessarily and make sure the seal is intact.
silver oven with black door

Cold Storage – Refrigerators & Freezers

  • Don’t open the door unnecessarily and make sure the seal is intact. 
  • Turn off an empty refrigerator when going on holiday. 
  • Let hot foods cool down before placing them in the refrigerator. 
  • Defrost fridges regularly. A build-up of ice reduces operating efficiency and increases running costs.
  • Defrost the freezer regularly. Freezers work harder to remove heat and have to use more power. Only 90% of a freezer’s capacity should be used for freezing.
silver fridge

Microwave Ovens

  • When you defrost food, leave it in the fridge overnight. You’ll use less electricity than defrosting food in the microwave.
  • Use the microwave to cook small to medium quantities of food. For larger portions of meat, it’s better to use a conventional oven or pressure cooker.
a silver microwave

Other Appliances

  • Do not buy larger or more powerful appliances than are actually required.
  • Do not buy an electric appliance when a hand-operated one will suffice.
  • Use the correct appliance for the job e.g. do not make toast on the stove or in the oven.
  • Do not fill a kettle if only a small quantity of boiling water is required. It is sufficient to put in only enough water to cover the element.
  • You can avoid ironing clothes by removing clothing promptly from tumble dryer and folding them carefully.
  • It is more economical to boil water in a kettle rather than in a pot on the stove.
  • Operate swimming pool filter pumps for minimum periods. 
a clear empty kettle

Our last tip is an important one: By installing a prepaid electricity or prepaid water meter in your home, you can easily track your electricity consumption and see where and when you are using excessive power, so contact The Meter Man to discuss the best metering option for you. We hope these tips help to reduce your electricity bill and save you money! If you have further tips for saving power please do share them with us! Drop us an email via our contact form.

Article Categories