Electricity Use Down 50%

11.8 Tons Of CO2 Saved

Tip Of The Day: Switch off broadband routers at the same time as the computer

We all take electricity for granted, a flick of a switch and there it is. It seems convenient to leave things plugged in and switched on twenty four hours a day but most of us ignore the fact it costs money to leave things switched on and it is getting more expensive all the time. In addition very few people have much idea how much electricity individual items use, manufacturers markings rarely tell the whole story. After several years of significant reductions in electricity use we have reached the point where the scope for saving without major investment is becoming more and more limited all the time.

While following the simple tips will save money, to achieve the biggest saving a structured approach works best. A large percentage of the savings were made with minimal investment. One of the biggest problems encountered even now is the lack of information from manufacturers and shops about the standby current consumption of appliances. It is also sometimes difficult to compare items directly for energy efficiency as I found out when purchasing a dishwasher and a washing machine, this wasn't helped by the lack of knowledge and total lack of interest of the salesman each time. The only way I have found around this problem so far is by measurement which is not practical for everyone. For those who are interested you can purchase a simple power meter from Maplin for only a few pounds.

Before embarking on expensive measures to reduce costs make sure all the simple and easy to implement changes have been done, the savings obtained may make the expensive changes uneconomic since the pay back time of big changes may be longer than the expected life of the equipment.

These pages are split into two main sections: General Information and the process I use to identify and implement savings plus a summary of the results which are updated as information becomes available.

To help work out the real savings or otherwise of changes try EnCalcE an electricity saving calculator. To find out if the savings predicted are actually being achieved try using EnCalcEU a calculator for checking and predicting electricity bills. Both of these calculators are free for personal non-commercial use.

Caution: Electricity can be dangerous. Modifications to any electrical apparatus or wiring should only be carried out by a competent person.