Bill Reduction Methods at Our Home

Our life consists of water, soil, air, energy, money, time etc. depends heavily on various sources.

Every person wants to have as much as possible goods and services that will meet his various needs, enrich his life, and increase his level of well-being. However, these resources, which individuals, families and societies can use to meet their endless demands and needs, are always limited.

Considering that families, the most prominent consumption unit of the society, affect the resources of the society with the way they buy and manage 80% of the goods and services produced in a country; resources such as money, time, energy, which are important and scarce resources; It should be used appropriately and in moderation, purchasing activities should be planned effectively and carried out according to this plan.

Therefore; The only way to ensure our security and high prosperity is to review our demands for goods and services used for consumption purposes and to ensure that the resources we have are in place. It is possible to use it in moderation and consciously.

ENERGY SAVINGS IN THE USE OF HOME TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

In terms of energy need and use, the group that should be emphasized the most is the family. Because families in society are one of the most important consumer groups that play a role in the use and consumption of energy resources as well as other sources.

In household activities, energy-consuming vehicles are used to a large extent. Families use energy resources for heating, lighting, cleaning, personal care, entertainment, resting and similar activities.

Today, the scarcity of energy resources and the increase in their prices negatively affect the families in the conduct of household activities, while limiting the sustainability of social resources. For this reason, it has become a necessity for families to pay attention to some savings points while purchasing and using these vehicles.

For example, the electrical energy consumed by a family of four living in a 120 square meter house for heating, cooling, cooking and storing food, washing dishes and laundry, using entertainment tools such as television and lighting is around 2 thousand Kwh per year. However, it is possible to save at least 30% energy in our homes by taking simple precautions.

An average of 80% of the electricity we use at home is consumed by electrical appliances. The energy label classifies a device in 7 groups, expressed with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F and G, on the basis of annual energy consumption. The letter A denotes the lowest energy consumption. Class A electrical appliances consume 45% less energy on average. For this reason, when purchasing our vehicles, we should choose the ones that consume the least energy.

Energy Saving in Refrigerator and Freezer Usage:

15% of the energy consumed at home is consumed for the operation of the refrigerator.

• Since large refrigerators will consume more energy than smaller ones, only a cooler of the size needed should be selected, and those that consume less energy should be preferred.
• In closed cases, the flexible plastic strips between the cabinet body and the door must be kept clean and replaced if they are damaged.
• The recommended temperature in the refrigerator is 4-5 °C, and the freezing temperature is -20 °C. In this regard, the manufacturer’s instructions must be followed.
• The refrigerator should be placed in such a way that there is a flow of air. The more easily the air circulates, the more efficient the coolers will be. For this, the distance between the wall behind the coolers and the wall must be at least 10 cm.
• The refrigerator should be placed away from places that will receive sunlight and near the radiator. Hot air from the oven and other heat sources causes the refrigerator to work harder to stay at the set temperature. will be. If the refrigerator is placed in the warmest part of the house, the total energy consumption increases by 25%. When a bowl of ice cubes is placed in the refrigerator, 5% less energy is consumed for 3-4 days.
• Refrigerator models that make ice and give water through the door are more comfortable, but they consume more energy.
• Food should not be placed in the refrigerator while hot. Putting a hot food in the refrigerator without lowering it to room temperature will cause the refrigerator to work longer and consume energy.
• All food placed in the refrigerator should be placed in closed containers. Otherwise, the humidity in the cabinet will increase and this will cause the coolers to work more.
• Food should be placed in the refrigerator after removing unnecessary packaging. As the thickness of the protectors increases, the refrigerator; It will work harder to keep the food inside cool.
• There is a significant loss of cold air during the opening and closing of the freezer and body door of the refrigerator. Therefore, care should be taken to keep the doors open as little as possible. The most used materials should be placed in the closet so that they can be easily taken. The bottom and back of the cabinet should be cleaned twice a year with a vacuum cleaner. This measure will provide 25% less energy consumption.
• Chest type freezers consume 10-15% less energy than others.
• Food should be placed in the freezer in such a way that it does not block the air flow in the cabinet and if possible, there is no space on the shelves. Foods keep the cold more than the air. For this reason, the cabinet should be filled as much as possible, but care should be taken not to obstruct the air circulation. Models designed with the freezer at the top or bottom are more efficient than side-by-side models. This is because the area to be isolated is less.
• Regular maintenance is essential for the efficient use of both refrigerators and freezers. Regular maintenance increases the efficiency of the system and extends the life of the vehicle.
• Taking the material from the deep freezer to the refrigerator a day before and leaving it to thaw there will make the refrigerator consume less energy as it will cool the refrigerator.
• An A+ refrigerator only consumes as much energy as a 44-watt light bulb.
• The efficient working life of the refrigerator is 20 years. Old cabinets consume twice as much energy as new cabinets.

Energy Saving in Cooker and Oven Usage:

• In the cooking process, containers with a flat bottom should be preferred. The bottom of the pot should be clean, and it should be placed right above the fire.
• Cooking in pots and pans with the lids closed both speeds up the process and reduces energy consumption. Thus, it will be possible to save 60% with the steam energy to be provided.
• Using pressure (pressure cooker) and steam cooker during cooking not only saves energy but also preserves the nutritional value of food.
• You can turn off the electric stoves and ovens a few minutes before the end of the cooking time and benefit from the heat of the container and the vehicle itself.
• Preheating should not be done in the oven unless necessary, and even if it is, this time should not exceed 10 minutes.
• If possible, the door should not be opened until the end of the cooking time, as there is 20% heat loss at each opening of the oven door.
• If there is more than one oven at home, the smaller one should be preferred.
• Using a small oven at full capacity instead of using a large oven at half capacity saves a lot of money.
• Cooking frozen meat takes 20 minutes more than cooking thawed meat. For this reason, frozen meat must be thawed before cooking.
• Microwave ovens use energy more efficiently than conventional ovens. In these ovens, cooking takes place in 2-10 minutes and heating takes place in 10-30 seconds. Using microwave oven as much as possible in heating food saves 60-65%.
• Stoves and ovens must always be kept clean to ensure efficient combustion.
• When purchasing an oven, air and heat-tight insulated and less energy consuming ones should be preferred.

Energy Saving in Washing Machine and Dryer Usage:

• A machine that consumes less water, energy and detergent should be purchased.
• Care should be taken to ensure that there is at least 5 cm of space around the washing machine.
• Do not use more detergent than recommended. Detergents that clean at low temperatures should be preferred. Excessive foaming or the use of too little or too much detergent means inefficient cleaning.
• The cost of laundry washed in the washing machine largely depends on the amount of hot water used. Laundry should be washed in warm (30-40 °C) or cold water instead of washing at high temperatures unless necessary. 90% of electrical energy is spent on heating water.
• Washing machines should not be operated until they are fully loaded in accordance with the washing programs.
• Pre-wetting heavily soiled and stained laundry or removing the second wash by using the soaking function in the automatic washing machine, if available, provides significant savings.
• Laundry should be separated according to their type and soiling, and the right washing programs should be selected.
• The strainer of the washing machine should be cleaned from time to time.
• Do not over-dry the laundry. In addition to the energy expended, excessive drying makes the laundry fluffy and wear out.
• Drying the laundry in the dryer causes both more energy consumption and faster wear of the laundry. If possible, the laundry should be dried outside using the sun and wind. Dryers should not be used unless absolutely necessary.
• The strainer should be cleaned after each drying process in the dryer. Otherwise, laundry fibers and threads fill the air channels and prevent the blown dry air from passing through. This causes the drying process to be prolonged and more energy consumption.

Energy Saving in Dishwasher Usage:

• According to the “Turkey’s Energy Efficiency Awareness” Research, the rate of hand washing in Turkey is 62%. The amount of water consumed by washing dishes by hand varies from 35 liters to 200 liters. However, when the same amount of dishes is washed in the machine, 15 liters of water is wasted. A water temperature of 55 °C is sufficient for disinfecting dishes, unless high-temperature washing is desired.
• After the machine has made the final rinse, opening the door and allowing the dishes to air dry by themselves saves around 10% in energy costs.
• Never operate the machine half full or over full.
• For lightly soiled dishes; Select a short or economical cycle, low temperature program.

Energy Saving in Ironing:

• Unplugging the iron five minutes before the end of the ironing process, and the remaining work can be completed with the heat inside the iron.
• Care should be taken to ensure that the laundry is damp while ironing.
• When ironing, choosing the ones with low dryer power and high steam capacity provides less energy consumption.

Energy Saving in Using Vacuum Cleaner:

• The dust bag of vacuum cleaners should be emptied frequently. It should be used as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Worn brushes should be replaced.
• At least once a year, the engine compartment should be opened and the dust and thrush in it should be cleaned.

Energy Saving in Television, DVD/VCD, Computer and Radio Usage:

• When unused computers are left in stand-by and unplugged, they continue to consume 10 percent of electricity. Unplugging is required. Small screen televisions consume less electrical energy than large screens.
• TV, radio etc. The sound level of the vehicles should be at a level that can be heard. Keeping the sound level low reduces electrical energy consumption.
• TV and radios should not be kept on all the time, and energy waste should be prevented by turning them off except for programs that will not be watched or listened to.
• If possible, a laptop should be used instead of a desktop. Desktop computers consume 5 times more electricity.

Energy Saving in Using Hair Dryer:

• Hair drying should be done with a towel as much as possible. After drying the hair with a towel, a hair dryer should be used. Thus, less energy is consumed. A hair dryer’s 10 minutes of operation consumes electricity equivalent to three hours of reflection from a 60-watt lamp.

ENERGY SAVING IN LIGHTING

• When leaving the room, even for a short time, the lights should be turned off.
• Daylight should be utilized as much as possible, and lighting devices should not be used unless necessary.
• Light-colored walls, furniture, curtains and carpets reflect light, reducing the need for lighting in the room.
• Low-power lamps should be used at the building entrance and hall. Exterior door lamps can be replaced with halogen lamps.
• Instead of using many low-power lamps in areas where more light is needed, more efficient lighting is provided by using a single higher-powered lamp. sewing, reading, etc. The use of work lamps instead of lamps that illuminate the whole room in activities such as
• Controlled lighting with timers, photocells or proximity sensors also saves energy.
• By using light adjusters in lamps, the level of light should be increased or decreased when desired.
• Saving bulbs make great contributions to the economy and the environment, consume 5 times less energy than normal lamps and last 10 times longer. By replacing only two 100-watt old-style light bulbs with efficient light bulbs in each house, an annual energy saving of 750 TL can be achieved. In addition, it will be possible to prevent the emission of 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, which can only be cleaned by 52 million trees. A 15-watt energy-saving light bulb uses 80 percent less electricity than a 75-watt light bulb. While 12 old-style light bulbs are needed for 6 years, only one energy-saving light bulb will be sufficient for the same time.

ENERGY SAVINGS IN HEATING THE HOUSING

• Wearing thick clothes during the winter months contributes significantly to energy savings in heating the house.
• Radiators must be kept clean. This prevents dust from absorbing heat.
• The covers on the radiators prevent air circulation and collect the heat on itself. For this reason, radiators should not be covered. Radiators should be bled at least once a year. Furniture and curtains should be arranged in such a way that they do not hinder the flow of heat around the radiator.
• Laundry should not be dried on radiators. Radiators of rooms, hallways and stairs that are not used, and bathroom radiators should be turned down on days that do not take a bath.
• Insulation should be done to prevent heat loss from doors and windows. Windows and doors cause a quarter of the heat in homes to be lost. 20% of the heat loss in an uninsulated house is due to single glazed windows. Using double glazing cuts this loss in half.
• During the winter months, the curtains should be kept closed unless necessary and not getting sunlight.
• By choosing curtains made of thick materials, heat loss from windows can be reduced. Windows should not be left open for a long time to ventilate the rooms.
• In dry weather, cold is felt more. Therefore, rooms should be humidified in winter.
• Radiator thermostats that adjust the room temperature to the desired level should be used in order to save money in buildings that are heated with a central system.
• Walls should be insulated with the knowledge of a specialist. The expenses to be incurred for this process can pay for itself between 2-5 years.
• It is necessary to periodically check the heaters by authorized services and check the settings.
• Roofs should be insulated with a suitable insulation material.
• A room temperature of 20 °C instead of 22 °C in the house reduces fuel costs by 12%.
• Combi boilers should not be turned on and off constantly, instead they should be kept running at low settings.
• The filters of the natural gas stove should be cleaned or changed once a month.
• If possible, trees should be planted around the house.
• Unused chimney holes should be closed. Chimneys should be checked and cleaned before entering the winter months.
• Vented natural gas appliances should not be placed in the cabinet. This prevents the device from getting air from the environment and reduces its efficiency.
• Natural gas installations should be protected and controlled. Beware of leaks.
• Apartment doors must be kept closed.

With rational consumption and energy saving practices, natural gas can be used much cheaper and more economically. So it goes down on the bills. Measures to be taken, such as thermal insulation, device selection, complete combustion, and periodic control, reduce natural gas bills by up to 20-30%.

SAVING ON WATER

In houses, 35% of the water is used in the bathroom, 30% in the toilet, 20% for washing, 10% for cooking and drinking water, and 5% for cleaning purposes.

• Dripping faucets should be repaired. The water dripping from the taps means that an average of 12 liters of water per hour is wasted. It must be repaired immediately. Less dripping causes an average of 100 lt (approximately 5 buckets) water loss per day, while heavy dripping causes an average of 1600 lt (approximately 80 buckets) water loss per day. 9088.8 lt of water is lost per year from a faucet that drips 1 drop per second. This means that the dishwasher runs every day for about 6 months. Many homes may have hidden water leaks. To detect this, turn off all your taps and read the water meter. So you can find out if there is a water leak.
• Shower heads and faucets that consume less water and drain less water should be used. Classical shower heads pour 15-20 liters of water per minute, while economical, low-flow shower heads pour 9-10 liters of water. Water consumption can be reduced by 25%, especially by replacing the faucets that are opened and closed at frequent intervals with economical ones.
• Taps should be turned off when there is no need for water while brushing teeth and shaving. Thus, 15 to 35 liters of water can be saved per day. A glass of water should be used to rinse the mouth before brushing teeth. With this process, 9100 liters of water consumption per year can be prevented. Brushing teeth without turning off the water for 1 minute once a day causes 8 tons of water wastage per year.
• If possible, take a shower instead of filling the tub. During the shower, the water should not be kept open while soaping or shampooing the body and hair. Thus, 8% water savings can be achieved. As a result of the researches, it has been determined that if a bathtub is used for washing, three times more water is consumed than a shower. By shortening the shower time of each member of a family of 4 by 1 minute, 18 tons of water will be saved per year.
• Toilets should be flushed to a minimum. This will prevent excessive water consumption. Water loss can reach 700 liters per day due to leakage of toilet cisterns. A few drops of dyed water are added to the reservoir to see if there is a leak. If dyed water forms in the toilet within 5-7 minutes, this indicates a leak.
• Washing machines and dishwashers should be run at full capacity.
• The amount of cleaning agents used with water must be in accordance with the instructions for use. Using too much will cause more water consumption for rinsing. Waste such as toilet paper, napkins, cigarette butts should not be thrown into toilet bowls and toilets. Thus, you will not have to use more water, you will not cause blockages in waste water systems and you will not have to cover the heavy costs of removing these blockages.
• The water valve should be closed for long periods of leaving the house. When the hot water tap is turned on, while waiting for the water to heat up, the water flowing must be filled into a container so that it is not wasted. This water can be used in different works such as watering flowers, washing the balcony.
• It can be used for similar purposes in the water we use to wash vegetables and fruits. Your dishes should be washed in the dishwasher, if any. If the daily dishes of a family of 4 are washed by hand, 84-126 liters of water is used. However, the dishwasher washes the same dishes with 12 liters of water. It saves 26-40 tons of water in a year.
• The machine should be started when it is full. It is enough to have the cars washed once a month. If it is necessary to wash frequently, it should be washed with a bucket and sponge, not with a hose and brush. Washing the car with a hose requires about 150 liters of water.
• Cool times of the day should be chosen to water the flowers in the garden. Plants suitable for the climate of the place where you live should be planted. Sidewalks and doorways should be swept or wiped instead of washed with water.
• Only as much water as needed should be heated. Thus, electricity and gas costs can also be reduced.

About Author