November 2021
Each room is equipped with electrical appliances. But how do I handle them so that they work for as long as possible?
How do I look after my electrical appliances? How do I measure my electricity consumption? What do I do with broken electrical appliances?
In this manual entry, we provide answers to those and related questions.
SMART HANDLING OF YOUR HOME APPLIANCES
Our everyday life functions smoothly because many small and large electronic helpers make our daily lives easier and take work off our hands. However, we often do not use them in a resource- or energy-saving way. Here are a few simple tips for implementing immediately:
REFRIGERATOR
If your refrigerator is well into its years, it might be worth an upgrade. When looking for an energy-efficient model, you must look at its physical and technological features.
To give an idea, newer models use about 350 kWh per year compared to the 1400 kWh used by models made before 1986. As an indication, you can always refer to EU energy labelled models like these will be about 20% more efficient than standard models.
WASHING MACHINE
Avoid using dryers. Dry outside in wind and sun.
If you need to use your dryer, set the sensor dry mode instead of timed dryer cycles to prevent overdrying.
Get more tips on Handling your Fashion Sustainably →
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
What would we do without them? Desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones are an integral part of our daily life. Here are a few tips on minimising power consumption while using your electronic devices.
Here are more tips on how to be a sustainable Laptop →, and Smartphones → consumer.
SUMMARY
Extend the life of your devices instead of replacing them. For example, you can buy a new smartphone battery or equip your PC with additional central memory or a second hard disk.
Watch out for phantom energy. This type of energy is commonly defined as the energy consumed by devices while you are unaware that it’s being consumed. Portable electronic devices are well-known for using phantom energy. Chargers for power tools, laptops, cameras or cell phones will suck power from the grid if left plugged in even after they are fully charged.
Charge during off-peak times; you will be saving money every day.
Don’t use standby mode. Standby mode offers convenience to the user by enabling them to shut off their device without having to fully restart it. If you want to reduce your electricity costs, shut down and unplug your device when it’s not in use
Avoid overnight charging. Even if your smartphone is fully charged, it will continue to use energy if it remains connected to the power source.
LEAKING ELECTRICITY IN HOME APPLIANCES
Did you know your electronic devices still use electricity, even in standby mode?
Standby power, or off mode, refers to the energy used by our appliances or electronic devices when plugged into a power source but not ‘in use’. This so-called “low-level consumption” costs you 2 euros annually per watt.
HOW TO DETECT ELECTRICAL LEAKAGE AT HOME?
Use an energy meter! The energy meter shows you the energy consumption in real time.
HOW TO REDUCE STANDBY ENERGY COST
Here are a few tips to reduce standby electricity wastage.
Unplug the appliance from the wall socket. The easiest way to save on energy and ensure your energy bill is not inflating. Do it with appliances you are not using over long periods!
Use a power strip designed with an on/off switch. One press of the button will stop all the devices powered by this power strip.
Use a standby biller for your TV. After turning off the TV, this intelligent device will automatically go out of power after one minute. These switches fully interrupt the electrical current when you switch the appliances to standby using your remote control.
Adjust standby settings. You can modify the settings on some intelligent televisions and smart consoles to minimise their standby functionality. Use this to stop them from scanning for Wi-Fi when on standby.
Use a standby killer with a timer. Very practical for charging smartphones or electric toothbrushes. Once the preset time has lapsed, the device completely cuts the power supply.
Get a smart board. Smart boards can detect when an appliance is on standby mode and will cut its electricity feed entirely. This same board also detects when you’re trying to turn the same device back on and will start its electricity feed.
Replace adapters that use a lot of electrical power with more energy-efficient models.
Measure your energy consumption - or HOW To CALCULATE THE CONSUMPTION OF AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE?
Calculating energy consumption is no big deal. Doing the math by hand is one way to get familiar with the factors to consider when calculating the energy consumption of the desired appliance.
WHAT DO ‘WATT’ AND ‘kWh’ MEAN?
The watt (kilowatt, megawatt, etc.) measures the electrical power of a device, whether it is a motor, a machine or the heating capacity of a boiler or wood stove. You will find the information for each device in its technical description.
Watt is usually depicted in how many watts your device consumes per hour, i.e. kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The more powerful a device is, the higher the number of watts.
CALCULATE YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Do the math - to calculate the consumption of electrical appliances in kWh you have to consider the capacity and the length of use. For example, we calculate the annual energy consumption of a radio alarm and a vacuum cleaner.
To calculate the consumption of an electrical appliance, you have to take into account three factors:
The capacity of your electrical appliance is expressed in watt.
The number of hours that the appliance is in use in one day.
The number of days per year when the appliance is in use.
Here are examples of the energy consumption calculations of some everyday home appliances:
ELECTRICITY USAGE MONITOR
You can also use an electricity usage monitor to get specifics regarding your energy usage. It will tell you exactly how many kWh a device or appliance draws. You just need to plug the monitor into the electrical outlet the device uses and then hit the device into the monitor. It will display how many watts/kWh the device uses.
THE AFTERLIFE OF YOUR UNWANTED APPLIANCES
Do your best to find a way to get rid of your old appliance without harming the environment.
Here are some options you have:
Donate
Your appliance is in relatively good working condition Give it away to a charity.Fix and Sell
If you have DIY skills, use them and try to repair any broken parts of your appliance. Once (almost) brand new, you can either sell it or give it away to people in need!Recycle
More options are entering the market. Check if a recycling centre is in your area. Does your local electronics dealer offer recycling options? Ask your local nature conservancy for information about recycling points.
WATCH OUT FOR BLACK MARKET DEALERS
Please always make sure that your equipment goes into reputable hands. Some private dealers cannibalise the equipment, sell individual parts, and improperly dispose of what cannot be sold at a profit.
A public recycling centre or a dealer who takes back used or broken equipment should be your first choice.
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