Clever: 5 tricks you can use to save energy at home

The heating is running at full speed, the window is open? Absolute no-gos if you want to save energy in the household. And that’s not that difficult. These five simple tips and tricks not only save energy in everyday life, but also money.

If you want to save a lot of energy at home, whether for the sake of the environment or your bank account, you can achieve a lot with small changes. It doesn’t always have to be completely new insulation for your home (although new insulation also helps, of course). And one thing is for sure: at the latest when the next electricity and heating bill flutters into the house, even the most skeptical of savings newcomers will see the light.

Just relax

Admittedly, this is a fairly obvious step, but many underestimate the effect of switching off altogether. In many households, several devices are constantly on stand-by. In this case, the following applies: simply pull the plug, because even the switched off television, console or smartphone charging cable constantly consume electricity. If you don’t want to be constantly handling plugs, you should Get a power strip with an on/off switch.

It also means turning off the light. Open the curtains during the day and take advantage of the natural daylight instead of sitting in the electric dim light every day. It is also worth replacing the simple incandescent lamps with LED lamps, as these save between 70 and 90 percent electricity compared to the old incandescent lamps.

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Replace power guzzlers

The old refrigerator and the rickety washing machine have had their day. Buy efficient electrical appliances with classes A to D. Although they often cost a little more to buy, they pay off in the long run because they can save energy over several years.

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Wash smart

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30° instead of 60° and eco wash cycle: A lot of energy can be saved when doing laundry.

Image: © Pixabay/moerschy 2017

Do you heed some? Doing laundry tips will reduce your energy consumption even further. Thanks to modern detergents, the laundry no longer has to be washed at boiling temperature to eliminate all germs and unpleasant odours. Washing at 30 instead of 60 degrees often already fulfills its purpose.

The pre-wash is often also superfluous. Both new machines you can also use the Eco programs, which work slower but also save a lot of energy because the water does not have to be heated as much as in normal mode. In order to be able to save even more electricity and money afterwards, you should let your laundry dry in the fresh air when the weather is good. The dryer is worthwhile in the dark season.

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Save energy when cooking

Energy can also be saved in the kitchen with simple means. It already helps not to place small pots on large stovetops and to always cover the pot with a lid so that the heat cannot escape unused. If you want to boil water for pasta or the like, you should also go to the Grab the kettle, because it’s not only quicker, it also uses far less electricity than heating it up in a pot.

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Heat sensibly instead of a tropical climate

No matter how tempting it is to turn up the heating in winter, a constant temperature of 21 degrees in the living room is completely sufficient. It can even be a bit cooler in the kitchen and bedroom, 18 degrees are appropriate here. Only in the bathroom and in the children’s room can it be a little warmer. A room temperature of 23° Celsius is often recommended here.

Basically, every degree less can save money. So if you’re just feeling a little chilly, you’d better slip into your favorite sweater. It also makes sense to turn down the heating a bit when you leave the house. However, you should not switch it off completely, lowering it to 16° Celsius is much more efficient. With smart thermostats you can create individual heating plans.

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