April 07, 2008	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

ONE can take some voluntary but mandatory steps within one’s home and work places to save on energy expenses. Many of us make use of the remote control to switch off the TV, AC, fans, stereo etc. leaving the appliances running on standby. This, in fact, means the appliance is still using up electrical energy and wastes a significant amount of power.

By switching off at the main power button, or even the socket, one could save both- energy for the nation and money for oneself .Items left on standby consume roughly 85 per cent of the energy they would, if switched on completely.

In a good number of homes, about 10-15 per cent of electricity bill is for lighting. So energy saving can cut your costs greatly. Conventional bulbs waste a lot of energy by turning it into heat but energy saving bulbs work in a similar way as fluorescent lights, the tubes coating glows brightly as an electric current pass through gas in the tube. They may be more costly to purchase than conventional bulbs, but they are worth the investment as last over 10 times longer and use up to four times less energy.

Where you would use a 100-watt ordinary bulb, you would only need 20-25-watt energy saving bulb. With saving like this, changing bulb through out your house or office cold cut your electricity consumption and cost. No matter what type of lighting one is using, always turn the lights off when you leave a room.

A washing machine is one of the appliances that consumes the most energy. You may not be able to cut down on how often you use it, but you can make some small changes in its use to save energy. The machine should be used when there is a full load, but if you have to do a smaller washing, use the half load function. The spin on the machine may indicate that additional energy is used.

The location of a fridge or freezer can make a difference in how energy-efficient it is. Make sure that it is out of direct sunlight and not close to oven. It is best to keep it against an outside wall so that the heat it generates can flee effortlessly. Also make sure that there is a few inches gap all around it so that air can circulate.

Make sure you defrost your fridge and freezer on a regular basis or whenever requisite. An iced up freezer or fridge will make the same work harder, wasting more energy than needed. Only set the fridge to as cold as you need it and avoid keeping the door open for long periods of time as the more cold air that escapes, the harder the fridge has to work. Check the seal regularly as well; as if it is damaged then cold air will be escaping also. Never put warm or hot foodstuff into the fridge or freezer as this will make them work further hard to try to keep it cold; always allow food to cool down first.

The fridge/freezer should be kept filled to capacity, but not overcrowded to the point where doors cannot be closed or air cannot move. Uncovered liquids should not be put in a fridge or freezer as they emit vapours that add to the compressor’s workload. One can reduce the electricity usage of fridge/freezer by 40 per cent by replacing a 12 years old or older unit with a new unit. When you go to buy a fridge or freezer, choose one that is big enough for your requirements. Also look for energy-saving features such as the power saver switch and improved insulation materials, etc.

In the homes, air-conditioner/air-coolers consume more electricity than any other item. In relatively warmer regions, an AC could contribute 60-70 per cent of a summer electric bill. Be vigilant enough in using air conditioning devices to save energy and money. Cooling puts the greatest pressure on an energy bill and power grid. Get your air- conditioning equipments maintained from a professional to save cost of inconvenience of a breakdown during the hottest days. Get filters of AC cleaned or replaced at least once a year. To cut the utility bills by 30 per cent, look for quality products when shopping for air-conditioning devices, major appliances, lighting and home electronics etc.

Certainly, most the money can be saved if one has learnt to live without an AC, if not required badly. A combination of ceiling fans and proper insulation can keep you comfortable and save your money also, every summer.

The single most imperative step in residential energy conservation is the fitting of insulation. To make sure, a home is appropriately insulated, check out current insulation levels. Ceilings, walls and floors, all should be insulated. Double-glazed windows (two panes of glass separated by a sealed air space) cut heat transfer by around 40-50 per cent. There are a lot of private companies which offer products for insulation, which saves money and electric energy required to cool a home or a workplace.

Remember that less use of water helps saving electricity. Using less water means a reduction in the electricity required to pump water from underground bores, tanks or pipes into tanks on higher floors of homes and offices.

The generally known ways of saving electricity at offices are: Turning off lights, fans, ACs and other equipments when not needed; switching off computers (including screens), printers and photocopiers at the end of the day, even if they have a power saving mode; Preferring the use of stairs instead of a lift; Shutting down tea-makers and other such equipments at the end of the day.

The uncomplicated ways of saving electricity at homes are: turn off televisions, videos, stereos and other appliances not in use; do laundry when you have full load and dry them in the sunlight instead of dryer; take a modest shower; turn of the unnecessary lights and appliances; reduce garden watering, car washing and house/window washing;

After all, if we were to misuse electricity, it would mean sending out precious energy to waste and also shelling out our hard-earned money on electricity bills.

We should also avoid arranging functions after the sunset and develop a habit of early to bed and early to rise. Market-timings must be adjusted from 8 am to 8 pm. Lights of bill boards must be switched off after 8 pm and we should take every possible step to save electricity.