Home Energy Saving Guide

We talk about the importance of saving electricity in the home, how to do it and give you some practical tips to make it easy for you to do so. 

We want to help you to make this new year a little more economical for you and, in addition, you can take care of the planet, because going green at home What more could you ask for?

How important is saving electricity in households?

Nowadays we use electricity for almost every activity we do at home. Whether it's cooking, reading a book, watching TV or simply using the computer to work, surf the internet or play a game. 

However, we seem to be unaware of this dependence and do not apply tricks or tips to improve household energy savings, without considering further alternatives. There are ways to make responsible use of electricity and learn everything you need to know in order to saving electricity in your home. 

How can you save energy at home?

How can we save energy at home? The easiest way to do this is to start by knowing what we spend our money on. 

According to studies carried out by the IDAE (Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy) Spanish households spend an average of €1000 per year on electricity.

Of this amount: 

• Approximately 50%, which is equivalent to about 5300 kWh per year, is spent on heating and cooling our homes. 
• Hot water and household appliances are the next biggest expense item, and one of the ones that cause us the most headaches. The consumption of both is around 1900 kWh per year. 
• Lighting is perhaps the most modest expense compared to the rest, accounting for about 400 kWh per year.

Now that we know where each part of the expenditure goes, it is clear that we should focus our greatest efforts on improving air conditioning in the home. However, this does not mean that we should forget about the other items, since, if we adjust them, we will be able to stretch our budget even further. 

Tips for saving energy at home

Among the best tips we can apply to saving energy at homeThese are, without a doubt, the real must-haves. Let's take a look at them below:

Let's close the doors inside the house

Yes, you read that right. As simple as it may seem, a basic way to create air chambers is to close the doors. This way the heat (or the coolness in summer) will not escape from one room to another and we will achieve a more cosy temperature. We must get into "grandma" mode and recover the old habits of turning off lights and closing the rooms we don't use! 

Going for energy-efficient appliances

Nowadays, new technologies are improving by leaps and bounds in a very short time. This means that our small and large household appliances, if they are a few years old, become obsolete very quickly. And we are not referring to their performance, which is also true, but to their energy efficiency. To give you an idea, a standard size refrigerator in class A+++ has an annual consumption of about 150 kWh per year. The same model, but in class D, can consume up to 700 kWh per year. Learn more about energy saving in the kitchen.

Ecological and economical hygiene habits

We are sure that more than one of you has turned your bathroom into a sauna by spending more time than necessary in the shower. It is very relaxing...

...but we have some bad news: if you want to have a efficient energy consumption you will have to say goodbye to these little vices. From now on, bubble baths should be a thing of the past. Instead, the ideal is to take showers that are not unnecessarily long. Remember that every minute in the shower consumes between 8 and 15 litres of water. 

On the other hand, if you are one of those who believe that you save more by washing dishes by hand, this is not the case. According to the Canal de Isabel IIIn the Community of Madrid, we save up to 30 litres a day by using the dishwasher instead of washing by hand. With these tips we will make a double saving, since, in addition to consuming less energy to heat water, we will use less water. 

Sol que te quiero sol

Nowadays, there are few households that have not already made the switch from light bulbs to LED lights. The energy savings with these luminaires are staggering, but we can go even further if we we make the most of sunlight. 

But don't forget what we explained at the beginning of the article: the greatest energy expenditure in Spanish homes is associated with air conditioning. When summer arrives, we must protect our home from the heat and, therefore, from sunlight. There is nothing easier to achieve this than by lowering blinds and closing doors and windows during the hottest hours. This will make it much easier to keep the house cooler.

Batch cooking: becoming great cooks

The kitchen is undoubtedly an ideal place to saving energy at home. To do so, it is only necessary:

• Putting us in tupper. From now on it is best to prepare the weekly menu during the weekend. Preferably on Sunday, so that the food lasts longer. By using only one stove to cook all the menus, we will make the most of the residual heat. 
• Better to have too much than too little. The best thing to do is to get used to cooking several portions, even if you live alone, as consumption is practically the same. batch cooking it is fashionable!

By applying these simple tips to save electricity at home you will notice a considerable change in your electricity bills at the end of the year, and without even realising it. In addition, you will improve your health, your habits and all in a sustainable way for the planet. Make 2022 the year of energy savings in the home.