What is using your electrical units and costing you money on your ELECTRICITY ACCOUNT Before considering ways and means of reducing your electricity account one should first consider the cost of operating the various types of domestic appliances. (Check electricity consumers) Hot Water Cylinder / Geysers Most geyser elements are either 3.0 Kw or a 200 Liter geyser could have a 4.0 Kw element.
Due to the geyser having an element of relatively high rating and this element being energized for long periods each day, depending on the usage of the hot water the water heater is the largest user of electricity of all the equipment in a normal house. (Check geyser On or Off)
The next largest users of electricity are the electric stove and any item that heats up e.g. tumble dryer, kettle, oven, iron etc. as well as space heaters in winter.
Therefore, by reducing the use of the hot water cylinder, stove and space heaters, an appreciable reduction in total overall consumption can be made.
1. Encourage all household members, particularly your helper/domestic worker as well as children to use hot water economically. 2. When bathing, use as little water as possible, or better still, have a shower 3. Do not wash one cup at a time under the hot tap but rather stack the dirty dishes and wash them together in the sink at the same time or all together at once in the dish washer. 4. Do not allow hot water taps to drip. 5. Have the hot water cylinder thermostat set as low as the household’s hot water demand will permit. 6. Do not switch off the geyser when not in use, as once it reaches the temperature the thermostat is set at, it will automatically switch itself off and will be ready for when you need hot water later.
Note: - A geyser that is cold takes a lot longer to reheat itself once switched on and costs more to reheat, compared to a geyser that has been on all day and may only have to top up the heat occasionally. It will however save money and is important to switch of the cylinder when away for relatively long periods, such as when on holiday.
Money saving points. 1. When boiling water, only boil the amount you need to save electricity usage period. 2. Do not cook food with the controls set higher than absolutely necessary. 3. It is more economical to heat water in a kettle than to heat it in a pot on the stove. 4. Do not cook food for longer than necessary. 5. Make sure that the bottoms of pots and pans are flat so that proper contact is made on the stove surface. 6. Stoves with solid plates retain their heat; switch off the plate a few minutes before removing the pot. 7. Small pots should be heated on the stove’s small plates to avoid unnecessary heat loss. 8. A microwave oven is cheaper to operate than a stove.
Refrigerators and Deep Freezers 1. Open the refrigerator or deep freeze door as little as possible and for as short a period as possible. 2. Do not place hot food in the refrigerator or deep freeze. Allow it to cool externally first. 3. Ensure that door seals are in good condition.
Space Heaters and Air Conditioners 1. If a heater must be used close the door of the room you are sitting in to allow the heater to warm the room up quicker, once the room is warm and if a two element heater is being used switch one element off just to maintain the heat and save electricity. 2. Switch off the heater when leaving the room for a length of time. 3. When using heaters of air conditioners, limit or restrict as far as possible the opening of windows. 4. Curtains help retain the heat in a room. Draw the curtains early in the evening especially during cold weather. 5. It is cheaper to use an electric blanket than to heat the bedroom with a heater.
Other Electrical Appliances and Lights 1. When using a kettle, do not fill it right to the top if you only intend making one cup of tea. 2. Store excess hot water from the kettle in a vacuum flask for the odd cup of coffee or for washing up later 3. Dishwashers and washing machines should only be used when one has a full load to wash and not just a few items. 4. Do not leave lights on unnecessarily. 5. LED lights are cheaper to run and give a better light. 6. Solar security lights use no electricity.
Swimming Pools 1. Operate the filter pump for minimum periods mainly between the hottest times of day as that is when the algae builds up and the water should be circulating to prevent the buildup. 2. During winter algae growth is restricted and the use of the filter cleaning system can be limited to once every few days.
