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Electricity
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Electricity
Unplugged
Lights
Incandescent lights vs
energy efficient lights
Appliances
Kitchen & Laundry
Energy Efficiency
Ratings
Washing machine
Tumbledryer
Dishwasher
Fridge/Freezer
Stove
Microwave
Iron
Kettle
Toaster
General Household
Temperature Control
Heating
Cooling
Geysers
Electronic Appliances
Hairdryer
Sewing Machine
Dustbuster
Vacuum Cleaner
Lamps
Pool Pump
Electric doorbell
Solar Power
Solar Water Heating
Solar Lights
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Water
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Transport
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Paper
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Purchasing Decisions
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Decreasing Consumption
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Decreasing Food Waste
Energy is measured in joules (J). A joule is the amount of work done by a mass of
one Newton moving a distance of one metre (one Newton metre).
One kilojoule (kJ) is equal to one thousand joules.
Every kilowatt-hour of electricity saved means one less kilogram of carbon dioxide
generated by the power station and released into the atmosphere.
Notwithstanding the issues Eskom has with the lack of power, as our population
grows and the demand for electricity grows, so will there be a need for more power.
More power stations, which do not provide sustainable energy, will need to be
built.
Also the cost of building power stations is immense and this cost will be carried
by us, the consumer.
Keep track of your electricity bill. See if you can bring it down!
Unplugged
Plug TVs, VCRs, DVD, video games and other entertainment equipment
into a powerstrip and then you only have one switch to unplug or turn
off.
Turn off your computer when you won't be using it for 20 minutes or
more.
Switch off you computer at your office when you leave for the day.
Turn off all stand-by modes every time you leave the house and before
going to bed.
Switch off lights, fans, computers and other energy consuming appliances
when you leave the room.
Switch off your heater, fan or air conditioner while ventilating the room.
Lights
Our home and office use of lights leads to heat-trapping pollution, and
tons of carbon dioxide being let off into our atmosphere each year.
Our use of lights is one of the many electricity uses that lead to global
warming pollution.
We leave lights on for security reasons - turn off those that are not
essential.
Turn off one light that you would normally leave on.
Lighten the Load. Start with changing just one light bulb
What we typically refer to as light bulbs are in fact small heaters that produce
light!
If you've touched a bulb that's been on for a while you'll know how hot it gets.
A lot of energy is wasted in creating the heat - which isn't needed. These are
known as incandescent lightbulbs. There is a move internationally to ban these
lightbulbs because of the amount of energy they waste in creating light.
Although CFLs may be five or six times more expensive than incan-
descent light bulbs:
They last much longer.
They save up to 80% more energy!
They reduce your electricity bill.
They emit tons less global warming pollution.
Prior to changing all the bulbs your home, try one to make sure it gives
the kind of light you want. (Include the buying errand when you do your
other errands so you don't create extra emissions by making several
trips). Also ensure that your light fixtures are able to house the new
bulbs.
If you are still using incandescent bulbs then select lower voltage lights
(60watts vs 100watts) if you don't mind less light.
Appliances
Fridges and freezer are generally your home's biggest energy consumers, after your
geysers and heaters, followed by other appliances. Together, they emit tons of
heat-trapping emissions per household per year.
Select the size of appliance that meets your needs. If an item is too
large or too small it wastes electricity and your money.
When purchasing new appliances, select appliance which offer the best
energy savings. (Many appliances have the Energy Star label.)
Energy Efficiency Ratings
Washing Machine
Do this before putting it back in your cupboard then it will be ready the
next time you need it.
Tumbledryer
Use the tumbledryer only once the laundry is dry or almost dry to
soften towels and linen.
Fold the linen neatly corner to corner as soon as it comes out the
dryer and while still warm to minimise or avoid ironing.
Wring excess water from your laundry before putting it into the dryer.
The wetter the clothes the longer the dryer needs to operate.
Separate light weight and heavy weight articles for drying, as drying
times vary. As light weight dry quicker, some of your loads can use
less electricity.
A clean dry towel placed into the dryer with your washing should absorb
some of the moisture and clothes should dry faster.
Dishwasher
Scrape your plates clean before loading into the dishwasher. This saves
you having to do a pre-rinse cycle.
Avoid using the pre-rinse cycle. It uses more water and electricity.
If you prefer to rinse your crockery and cutlery prior to loading the
dishwasher, then put a small amount of water into your basin and rinse
the tableware in this water.
Use the energy saver mode or cycle if your dishwasher has one.
Ensure your dishwasher is full before running it, but don't overload it.
Most models use as much water for smaller loads as for larger ones.
Overloading may result in some of the load not being cleaned
properly. A second wash would defeat the water and electricity
savings of a dishwasher, so make sure that the machine is packed
properly.
Overloading may also result in crockery or glassware breaking.
Having to purchase new products also goes against the reduce, reuse,
recycle principles.
Overloading of the cutlery basket may prevent the cutlery from being
cleaned properly. Try mixing the cutlery instead of grouping the same
type of instruments as this allows more space and therefore a better
wash.
Ensure that the filters are cleaned so it runs at its most efficient status.
Turn off the machine before the drying cycle. Open the door after the
final rinse. The hot water in most dishwashers is hot enough to evapo-
rate quickly if the door is left open.
Several studies have found that using the dishwasher uses less energy, water and
soap than hand washing the same amount of dishes. This is if the dishwasher is
full.
When buying a new dishwasher be sure to look for the most energy
efficient and water efficient machine.
Fridge/Freezer
When you have a power outage, the amount of time that the freezer will stay cold
varies. Keep your fridge/freezer door shut to preserve the cold temperature for as
long as possible. If it's a long outage, you can use newspaper around products in
your freezer to insulate it. But remember to remove the paper when the power comes
back on.
When shopping for a new fridge, check the appliance's energy usage.
Keep the fridge closed. (Not a diet rule but rather an energy rule!)
(A tough one for those of us who keep thinking something new and
exciting has found its way into the fridge.)
Close the door properly every time you take things out of the fridge.
Don't leave the door standing open because the cold air runs out and the
warm air rushes in. The warm air forces the appliance to run longer to
produce more cold air.
Close the door with a piece of paper between the sealing grubber and
the fridge/freezer. If you can remove the paper you have a problem.
Or place a torch inside and close the door. If you can see light with the
door closed, the seal needs replacing.
Bacteria trapped in the sealing rubbers eat away at them. Clean the
sealing rubbers with warm water and a mild detergent regularly and
dry them properly.
Dirt on the coils can result in higher operating costs. The coil is either
on the back or bottom front of your appliance. Check the instructions in
your manual.
Allow for air circulation around the fridge/freezer. Don't place bags,
brooms, trays, etc between the refrigerator and its surrounding walls.
Blocking the airflow will cause the compressor to overheat, and possibly
burn out.
Ensure that your door isn't warped or out of alignment, and that it seals
along its full length. If not call in the repairperson. Close the door firmly
(not slam) to temporarily align the door.
Keep the fridge level. If your refrigerator or freezer isn't level, the door
may not seal because the alignment is affected, allowing cold air to leak
out.
Set a glass of water on top of your appliance to check the balance.
Adjust the legs until the water is level.
Avoid overloading door shelves. If the weight is too heavy it can pull the
door away from the fridge.
Let hot food cool down before packing it in the fridge. Less energy is
required to cool down the food.
If you are going away don't leave food in your fridge that is likely to go
off.
There's no point in refrigerating something you're going to throw away
anyway.
If you're going away for longer than a month, and there is nothing in
your fridge then turn it off at the plug.
Freezer
Don't put hot food into a freezer as it has to use more power and work
harder to remove the heat.
Defrost regularly.
Manual defrost units are cheaper to run than automatic defrost units
provided that you defrost regularly and keep the frost build-up to a
minimum. Otherwise, they may actually cost you more to run.
There are two types of stand-alone freezers: chest and upright
Chest models tend to lose less cold air when opening the door than an
upright model of the same capacity, but upright models offer easier
access and require less floor space.
Stove
Try not to open the oven door while the food is cooking.
Keep the heat in so that more power isn't needed to
reheat the oven.
Once you've got your food boiling on a high setting, then turn the
temperature down to simmer until your food is cooked.
Use the right size plate for the size pot - ensuring that the pot or pan
completely cover the stove plate.
Keeping the lid on the pot when you cook conserves heat and energy.
To save energy, time, money and hours of cooking, soak beans, samp
and other such dry food over night.
If you are going to buy an electric stove and oven select the most energy
efficient appliance.
It may be more expensive, but over time it will be more cost effective,
as stoves are heavy on electricity use.
Microwave
Iron
Remove clothes from the dryer before they get over dried and
straighten or fold them to avoid having to iron them.
Kettle
Only use an electric urn if you need water for lots of people at once.
Boil the kettle once and pour the water into a flask to keep hot instead
of boiling the kettle constantly.
With all the power outages this is also tip to have a hot water when
there is no power.
Toaster
General Household
Temperature Control
Heating
Wear socks, gloves, a hat and extra layers of clothing to keep warm.
Sock It To The Cold! Avoid getting cold feet. Wear socks even double
socks if you need to.
Sleeping in socks keeps your feet warm and means not having to
turn on the electric blanket.
Put socks or slippers on straight after your shower so your feet dont
cool down.
Keep your slippers next to your bed so that if you do need to get up
in the night you can keep your feet warm. Its so hard to warm them
up again!
Use a hotwater bottle to warm your bed - or yourself - and when you're
finished pour the cold water into your plants.
Rearrange furniture so you can get the benefit of the sun. (Especially
on weekends when you have a chance to soak up the rays.)
Close the curtains before it gets dark so the warm air is trapped inside.
Select the most energy efficient heater when purchasing a new heater.
Cooling
In summer, keep your curtains closed during the day to keep the cool
air in.
Open the doors or windows to let fresh air into a hot room.
Plant trees around your house to provide shade. (This is also a must to
offset carbon emissions).
Turn off the aircon when you leave the house. Keep the door closed so
that warm air doesn't come into the room.
Keep the doors and windows closed so energy isn't wasted when the
cool air escapes or warm external air comes into the room. The air in
the room will stay cooler for longer.
Insulate your ceiling and walls (especially if you are building a new
home).
Seal air gaps - especially gaps under doors, and between the door and
its frame.
Install rubber seals to close the gap between the door and the floor.
Put a towel or newspaper against the gap under the door if you don't
have rubber seals.
Regularly clean the air filter on your air conditioner. Replace it if needs
be.
Geysers
Hairdryer
Dry your hair with a hairdryer one time less per week than you normally
do. (Put it in a pony or clip instead of blowdrying).
Wash your hair and let it dry while you sleep. This way you'll need less
blowing time as your hair will be almost dry.
Sewing Machine
Dustbuster
Vacuum cleaner
Then use the vacuum cleaner. Your vacuuming will take less time using
less electrical power.
Lamps
Pool Pump
Turn the pump off for most of the day - particularly during peak
consumption times.
Most medium size pools only need the pump on for two - three hours
a day.
Install a timer.
Sweep the pool and use a net, so the creepy crawly has less work to do.
Electric doorbell
Solar Power
Solar power (or active solar energy) involves the conversion of sunlight (the
Sun's radiation) to thermal or electrical energy using technology.
a heat source
an energy source.
To generate useful power a number of cells are connect together to form a solar
panel.
A 150l solar water heater saves about 4.5kWh of electricity per day
which can stop about 2 tons of carbon emissions per year!
You will make back the cost of purchasing and installing a solar water
heater by the savings on your electricity bill.
With the power shortage, installing a hot water geyser will also ensure
that you have hotwater.
It also means that you are not drawing on the scarce power resources
to heat your geyser.
Geysers use the most power in your home - between 30 and 50 percent.
If you are building a new home or renovating a bathroom install solar
water heaters instead of electric geysers.
Insulate the hot water piping as this will minimise any heat losses, as
well as reduce the need for electrical back-up.
Solar Lights
Insulate!
Insulate!
Nothing
saves like
insulation.
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