Electricity conservation at home

Energy conservation means to reduce the quantity of energy that is used for different purposes. This practice may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national and personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic, political and environmental sustainability. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximize profit. On a larger scale, energy conservation is an important element of energy policy.

In general, energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita.

This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production. By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important method to prevent climate change. Energy conservation makes it easier to replace non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages.

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DOMESTIC SECTOR AND THE APPLIANCES

The Domestic Sector accounts for 30% of total energy consumption in the country. There is a tremendous scope to conserve energy by adopting simple measures. This information is a guide, which offers easy, practical solutions for saving energy in Home Appliances. It would be useful to know which gadget consumes how much electricity. Economic use of home appliances can help in reducing electricity bills. The following table shows the energy consumption of various appliances normally used at home: APPLIANCES

RATING
(WATTS)
OPERATING
HRS/DAY
UNITS/
MONTHS
Incandescent bulbs
40
6
7

60
6
11
Fluorescent tube light
40
10
12
Night lamp
15
10
4.5
Mosquito repellent
5
10
1.5
Fans
60
15
27
Air coolers
175
8
42
Air conditioners
1500
6
270
Refrigerator
225
15
101
Mixer/blender
450
1
13.5
Toaster
800
0.5
12
Hot plate
1500
0.5
22.5
Oven
1000
1
30
Electric kettle
1500
1
45
Electric iron
1500
1
45
Water heater-instant
Type
(1-2 litres capacity)
3000
1
90
Water heater-storage
Type
(10-20 litres capacity)
2000
1
60
Immersion rod
1000
1
30
Vacuum cleaner
700
0.5
11
Washing machine
300
1
9
Water pump
750
1
22.5
Tv
100
10
30
Audio system
50
2
3

USEFUL TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY

By following these simple tips one can save energy to a large extent. Lighting
Ø Turn off the lights when not in use
Ø Take advantage of daylight by using light- coloured, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room. Also, decorate with lighter colours that reflect daylight Ø De-dust lighting fixtures to maintain illumination

Ø Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it Ø Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting Ø Use electronic chokes in place of conventional copper chokes

Fans
Ø Replace conventional regulators with electronic regulators for ceiling fans Ø Install exhaust fans at a higher elevation than ceiling fans

Electric iron
Ø Select iron boxes with automatic temperature cut off
Ø Use appropriate regulator position for ironing
Ø Do not put more water on clothes while ironing
Ø Do not iron wet clothes

Kitchen Appliances
Ø Mixers
§ Avoid dry grinding in your food processors ( mixers and grinders) as it takes longer time than liquid grinding Ø Microwaves ovens
§ Consumes 50 % less energy than conventional electric / gas stoves § Do not bake large food items
§ Unless you're baking breads or pastries, you may not even need to preheat §
Don't open the oven door too often to check food condition as each opening leads to a temperature drop of 25°C Ø Electric stove

§ Turn off electric stoves several minutes before the specified cooking time § Use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the cooking coil Ø Gas stove
§ When cooking on a gas burner, use moderate flame settings to conserve LPG § Remember that a blue flame means your gas stove is operating efficiently § Yellowish flame is an indicator that the burner needs cleaning § Use pressure cookers as much as possible

§ Use lids to cover the pans while cooking
§ Bring items taken out of refrigerators (like vegetables, milk etc) to room temperature before placing on the gas stove for heating Ø Use Solar Water Heater – a good replacement for a electric water heater Electronic Devices

Ø Do not switch on the power when TV and Audio Systems are not in use i.e. idle operation leads to an energy loss of 10 watts/device Computers
Ø Turn off your home office equipment when not in use. A computer that runs 24 hours a day, for instance, uses - more power than an energy-efficient refrigerator.

Ø If your computer must be left on, turn off the monitor; this device alone uses more than half the system's energy. Ø Setting computers, monitors, and copiers to use sleep-mode when not in use helps cut energy costs by approximately 40%. Ø Battery chargers, such as those for laptops, cell phones and digital cameras, draw power whenever they are plugged in and are very inefficient.

Pull the plug and save. Ø Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Start-ups and shutdowns do not use any extra energy, nor are they hard on your computer components. In fact, shutting computers down when you are finished using them actually reduces system wear – and saves energy

Refrigerator
Ø Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers; frost build up increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running. Ø Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the walls so that air can easily
circulate around the refrigerator Ø Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold.

Ø Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight
Ø Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Ø Do not open the doors of the refrigerators frequently
Ø Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape. Ø Use smaller cabinets for storing frequently used items
Ø Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge

Washing machines
Ø Always wash only with full loads
Ø Use optimal quantity of water
Ø Use timer facility to save energy
Ø Use the correct amount of detergent
Ø Use hot water only for very dirty clothes
Ø Always use cold water in the rinse cycle
Ø Prefer natural drying over electric dryers
Air Conditioners
Ø Prefer air conditioners having automatic temperature cut off Ø Keep regulators at “low cool” position
Ø Operate the ceiling fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively throughout the room and operate the air conditioner at higher temperature Ø Seal the doors and windows properly

Ø Leave enough space between your air conditioner and the walls to allow better air circulation Ø A roof garden can reduce the load on Air Conditioner
Ø Use windows with sun films/curtains
Ø Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower will be energy consumption. Ø Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling. Ø Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat.

The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary. Ø Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

Roofing
*Reduce the strain on your AC by applying reflective coating. This will help you save by decreasing the amount of heat coming into your home. *Keep your roof lasting longer. Reflective roofs not only reduce heat buildup, they also prevent the expansion and contraction that degrade roofs. *Replace the roof with one with an ENERGY STAR® label. It will save energy and help protect the environment through superior energy-efficiency.

Conclusion
Thus if we use the home appliances judiciously,there will be minimum consumption of electricity,thereby conserving energy.