Would you like to know how you can easily Save energy can? Then you've come to the right place. Digitalization means that we are using more and more technical devices. But energy has to be generated - and as long as our electricity mix only consists of just under 40% renewable energy, wasting energy unnecessarily is really harmful to the environment.₁ What's more, energy is expensive - and using it sparingly offers an opportunity, save money sustainably.
This article therefore provides you with the best tips for saving electricity in everyday life. From the hob to the TV to the smartphone. Let's go!
The best 28 tips for saving energy at home
In January 2020, one kilowatt-hour of electricity cost about 31 cents.₂ For every kilowatt, around 474 grams CO2 emissions.₃ The average electricity consumption per capita in Germany is around 7,176 kilowatt hours.₄ Both for the fight against the climate changeand for our own wallets, it's worth being conscious of how we use the juice from the socket. I won't waste too much time and will now give you the best tips for saving electricity in everyday life.
Tip 1: Boil water in the kettle instead of on the stove
Boiling the water in a kettle is much more energy efficientthan putting the pot of water on the stove. So if you only want to boil 1-2 portions of pasta, you can simply pre-boil the water in the kettle and then add it to the pot. This way you can easily save time and energy.
Another tip: Only ever heat as much water as you really need!
Tip 2: Cooking with a lid
If you want to cook large quantities of pasta - or other dishes for which you need water - then you should use the saucepan and definitely put a lid on it. This will also save you a lot of time and electricity costs, as less heat escapes from the pot can.
Tip 3: Use residual heat from the hob and oven
You can also simply switch off your kitchen appliances a little earlier to make use of the residual heat, which has already used up money and energy. So turn the oven off towards the end of the baking time and simply leave your cake in a little longer. The heat doesn't disappear at the touch of a button.
Tip 4: Use timers
The lighting of the Christmas decoration on the tree or balcony doesn't have to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By using a timer, you can conveniently determine when it should and should not light up. This usually allows you to save more than half of the energy consumed.
Tip 5: Defrost the fridge & freezer regularly
The thicker the layer of ice in your freezer or in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator becomes, the higher the energy consumption of the appliance. That's why you should defrost them regularly - ideally every 6 months. Incidentally, the ideal time to do this is during the cold season, as you can store your food on the balcony or terrace.
Tip 6: Switch off unnecessary light
This energy-saving tip is self-explanatory. Electric light sources consume electricity. Whether it's your ceiling light or the small light from the power strip. So if you don't need a particular light or technical device, you should switch it off completelyto reduce energy consumption and thus also CO2-emissions and reduce your electricity costs.
Tip: Do you already know the Solar glass? This is a solar-powered, light-emitting preserving jar. It charges in the sun and can then be switched on in the dark. Pretty cool!
Tip 7: Do without the air conditioner
Whether in the car, at home or on vacation - air conditioning systems are often pleasant, but also enormous energy guzzlers. And besides, they often run even though no one is in the room. You can save yourself a lot of money and the environment a huge CO2-emissions by avoiding the use of air conditioning altogether. This will be much easier for you, for example, if you let in the fresh, cool air from outside in the morning and keep windows and blinds closed when it's warm outside. Even a fan is still more economical than an air conditioner.
Tip: If you want to know how you can travel in a more environmentally friendly way by car, take a look at the article on sustainable driving.
Tip 8: Place the refrigerator in the right place
Your refrigerator should of course not in the vicinity of a heater and certainly not at the sunlit window stand. Otherwise it will only need more energy to generate cold. Place it in a shady and preferably cool place, with some distance from the wall. And refrain from placing boxes or other items on top of it so that the heat dissipates properly.
Tip 9: Turn the fridge temperature down a little
It doesn't have to be freezing cold in the fridge. Food can also be kept at slightly less cold temperatures and then taste just as good. So you can save energy by turning the temperature control down a little - i.e. warmer.
Tip 10: Leave hot meals to cool outside the fridge
Please do not put hot or lukewarm dishes in the fridge, but let them cool down on the kitchen counter first. This means your cool buddy doesn't consume an unnecessary amount of energyto cool the dish down and maintain an appropriate temperature in the refrigerator.
Tip 11: Think first - then open the fridge
Try to only open the fridge for as short a time as possible. The less warm air that enters from outside, the more energy and electricity costs you can save. Just be aware of what you want to eat beforehand and don't spend minutes pondering in front of the open fridge door.
Tip 12: Switch off devices instead of standby mode
Unplug instead of standby! This energy-saving tip applies, for example, to televisions, computers and even power strips. You should switch off their lights so that none of your devices are running on standby - a mode in which they still consume electricity unnecessarily.
Tip 13: Use LED and energy saving lamp
LEDs produce the same luminosity as halogen bulbs, but are much more energy efficient. Personally, I also find LED light much more pleasant. Energy-saving bulbs are always worthwhile!
Notice: In the first versions, the light from energy-saving lamps was not so pleasantly warm white. Nowadays, however, they can provide this light, which is why nobody needs to worry when switching to energy-saving lamps.
Tip 14: Use water saving shower
After heating, hot water is the biggest energy consumer in German households. A shower with a water-saving shower head helps to save around 20,000 liters of water per year in a 2-person household.₅ This means less water has to be heated for you - and your lifestyle consumes less energy. The math is very simple.
Tip 15: Reduce hot water temperature
In addition to the energy-saving shower head, it is of course also worth taking less hot showers. Have you ever thought about a cold shower thought about it? I know, it's a bit ice cold down your back down. But after a week, you get used to it and you also get used to it personally. more energy in everyday life. Save electricity, promote health and protect the environment. It's at least worth a try, isn't it?
Notice: Of course, saving energy by lowering the temperature also works for washing machines! Not only can you usually do without pre-washing, but you can also wash your laundry more often at 30° instead of 60°.
Tip 16: Invest in better insulation
With good planning, wall insulation lasts a good half century. The Investment pays offas less energy can escape, so electricity costs are reduced and less CO2 will be emitted for energy production.
Notice: Radiator niches in particular should be insulated, as the wall is thinner there and the heat producer is closer to the cold outside air.
Tip 17: Always fill up the dishwasher and washing machine
The more laundry you have accumulated, the more worthwhile the water and, of course, electricity consumption for a wash cycle with the washing machine. So collect your laundry for a few days longer and reduce the number of wash cycles.
The same applies to the dishwasher and the fridge. The more there is in it, the more electricity costs you can save.
Tip 18: Stream less!
Due to the growing spread of the Streaming platforms, like Netflix or Amazon Videoaround 200 billion kilowatt hours of electricity are now consumed worldwide every year. With some players, you can reduce the resolution quality slightly to save energy. But if we're honest, it's worth questioning the frequency with which you use streaming services in general and cutting back a little to do more sport or read interesting books instead, for example. Just an idea 🙂
Tip 19: Manual instead of electric toothbrush
To save electricity, you can also do without an electric toothbrush and use an electric toothbrush instead. environmentally friendly Wooden toothbrush use. In general, it is worth questioning the use of appliances that consume an unnecessary amount of energy. There are even battery-operated salt and pepper shakers. These are not absolutely necessary either, as spices can also be ground using manual devices and a hand twist.
Tip 20: Laptop instead of desktop PC
The Switching from a large computer to a laptop. The latter generally requires much less energy to ensure the longest possible battery life. So if you don't necessarily need a PC that is constantly connected to the power supply, just think about switching.
Tip: You can also surf the internet sustainably! For example, by making a environment friendly search engine or search directly in the search engine and not indirectly via the browser search bar.
Tip 21: Use your laptop, PC and smartphone for as long as possible
Energy consumption in the manufacture of technical appliances is enormous. What's more, they usually rare earths such as cobalt, which are mined under questionable conditions. So appreciate the technology you haveeven more than usual. And make sure that you maximize their useful life, for example by Repairs or Used purchases completely in the sense of the Zero Waste Lifestyle, drag it out.
Tip: In the article Dispose of electronic waste correctlyyou can find out how to properly recycle the natural resources of your technical devices.
Tip 22: Turn down screen brightness
To save power, you should turn down the brightness of screens. You probably know this trick from your smartphone when the charging bar is only at 1-5 percent. However, you can also use this energy-saving tip on laptops and other devices with screens. even if the battery is not about to give out.
Tip 23: Pay attention to energy class when buying new equipment
When buying a new appliance, be sure to check its energy efficiency. This applies in particular to large household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers - and, of course, televisions!
The energy classes range from "G" - "A+++". Make sure that all your new appliances are at least "A+"to save energy in the long term.
Tip 24: Shock ventilation instead of tilt windows
A classic among the tips for saving energy! Open your window wide for a few minutes every few hours rather than leaving it permanently tilted. Shock ventilation is enough to freshen up all the air in the room within a short time. You can also reduce electricity costs again in the simplest possible way.
Tip 25: Air dry laundry
A tumble dryer is not really necessary. Laundry also dries wonderfully on the Laundry rack on the balcony or in the Laundry room. Both in summer and in winter. However, make sure that the ventilation or moisture can escape in other ways to prevent mold growth.
Tip: The same applies to your hair! You don't always have to use a hairdryer, you can simply let it air dry to save electricity.
Tip 26: Use hand-operated kitchen appliances
This phrase automatically makes me think of old tractors that you had to crank by hand. But hand-operated kitchen appliances aren't that old-fashioned after all. One Lemon can, for example, also be applied by hand or with a Stainless steel juicer squeeze. And one Salt tax with batteries is also not necessary, as the mechanical movement of the hands is usually sufficient.
Tip 27: Save energy indirectly as well
You can save electricity not only directly in your household, but also indirectly! Here are a few examples:
- Zero Waste Lifestyle - Save energy consumption for waste collection and recycling.
- Seasonal shopping - Give preference to foods that are also in season that month to reduce energy costs and CO2-emissions for cultivation in greenhouses.
- Buy regionally - The more regionally you shop, the lower the energy consumption for transporting your food.
- Vegan lifestyleNo cows, pigs or chickens have to be fattened for you in factory farming with high feed and energy consumption. This is morally justifiable and energy-saving!
Tip 28: Measure and check your electricity consumption regularly
Set yourself the goal of slowly but steadily reducing your personal energy consumption. To achieve your goal, it is important to have clear comparative values available at all times. To make this less complicated, I can offer you Energy savings account.com recommend. This free tool gives you a direct overview of your electricity consumption in all areas of your household. You can also see where there is potential for improvement and how you compare with the national average.
Saving energy at home is not complicated!
Nobody is forcing you to do everything at once. That's the beauty of sustainable life - You learn at your own pace day by day, but you are constantly improving. If energy is still being generated from destructive coal and nuclear power, we should at least ensure that it is consciously saved. The Switch to a green electricity provider is, in my opinion, the most important step that you can take directly and in just a few minutes. But I'm sure there are also some other energy-saving tips for you in this article!
Do you have any questions or suggestions about the article on saving energy? And can you think of any other tips for saving energy? Then simply write me a comment.
Stay sustainable,
PS.: In the Technology Blog you will find many more tips on how to use energy in an environmentally friendly way. For example, find out how you can sustainable telephony can!
References:
₁ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Green electricity share in Germany exceeded 40 percent for the first time in 2018 (as of 03.01.2019). https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/oekostrom-anteil-in- deutschland-2018-erstmals-ueber-40-prozent-15969940.html. [09.08.2019].
₂ I. Rutschmann: Why the energy transition has saved you little so far (as at: 04.02.2020), available at https://www.finanztip.de/stromvergleich/strompreis. [31.03.2020].
₃ Statista GmbH: Development of the CO2 emission factor for the electricity mix in Germany in the years 1990 to 2018 (as of April 2019). https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/38897/umfrage/co2-emissionsfaktor-fuer-den-strommix-in-deutschland-seit-1990. [31.03.2020].
₄ Statista GmbH: Per capita electricity consumption in Germany in the years 1995 to 2018 (as of March 2019). https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/240696/umfrage/pro-kopf-stromverbrauch-in-deutschland. [31.03.2020].
₅ Öko-Institut e.V. (2013): Shopping aids for climate-friendly products, available at https://produktinfo.blauer-engel.de/uploads/raluz_shopping/TOP100_UZ157.pdf. [31.03.2020].
