What ideas have you had for reducing Electricity consumption

[Dibs-h]

I replaced all our bulbs with CEF when we first moved in 16 years ago, since then I've replaced these with LED. However, I've only just discovered that LEDs are energy rated and most are E to G! I then went round feeling each bulb after it had been switched on for a while and was surprised that many were hot! I then bought a load of A rated ones from Amazon and these run much cooler.

I've seen the same ones rated as A and E - the A ones were\are the older packaging and the E ones the newer packaging. Apparently the scales got changed in the last 12 months - or so Google tells me.

Might still look to see if there are A rated bulbs on the new scale & what their wattage\light output is.

 

[MARK.B.]

Check with your local council to see if they are running a warm home scheme , i have just had two lofts done(main house &extension)both had a little insulation already in place around 75mm and they have now been topped up to 270mm.The cost to me was only£99.00 and even though it has only been a few days the house already feels warmer and i expect it will save a fair few quid on heating bills in the future.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Everything is bigger in America?

so they saved 0.00146kW per day?

 

[Spectric]

The energy rating will be in watts, this is how much power it will use no mater what the energy rating. The energy rating tells you how much light in lumens you get per watt of energy consumed. A rating is the best at over 200 lumens per watt and an F is as bad as you want to go and still get light at 85 lumens, there is also the equivalent energy rating that compares the LED to filament bulbs. Ie a 10 Watt LED = 60 Watt filament .

 

[Dibs-h]

The energy rating will be in watts, this is how much power it will use no mater what the energy rating. The energy rating tells you how much light in lumens you get per watt of energy consumed. A rating is the best at over 200 lumens per watt and an F is as bad as you want to go and still get light at 85 lumens, there is also the equivalent energy rating that compares the LED to filament bulbs. Ie a 10 Watt LED = 60 Watt filament .

Just found this:

Most of the bulbs I am finding (and the ones I fitted recently) are around D. Finding B or C (let alone A) rated LED based on the above table - seems to be like finding rocking horse poo.

 

[Spectric]

This will really be down to the technology, getting more light for less power and it must also be effected by the temperature in Kelvins that the bulb emits.

 

[Dibs-h]

On a related note - energy saving - been using the washing machine only on cold washes. Not noticed any issues with how the loads have turned out. Will need to look at my leccy usage spreadsheet to see what the actual effect is.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

We metered ours between 30° and 40° - the lower temperature was near enough 25% less power.

 

[johna.clements]

I wash mostly at 30. 40 if it is a bit more dirty than normal. Once a month or two do the whites at 95 to clean the washing machine plus the clothes.

 

[rogxwhit]

Rush lights.

 

[pe2dave]

New one. Alone in a small room, I've used a fan heater for years. Just purchased an electric 'throw' (blanket). Running cost 1/4 - 1/3 of a heater.

 

[clogs]

disconected the water heater in our washing machine...
just use solar heated water......

 

[rs6mra]

o

 

[rs6mra]

I was wee concerned that our 15+ year old fridge freezer might not be running efficiently and was looking for a reason to replace it! So I bought a smart plug to monitor energy consumption and this was the outcome:

week 1= 19.4 kWh
week 2=16.5 kWh after having used my air compressor to blow out the dust at the back. This is something I now do annually after it suddenly gave up the ghost 5 years ago and a few days b4 Xmas!!! Somehow this seemed to get it going again and so far so good..........
week 3=14.8 kWh
week 4=12 kWh after having turned the freezer down to -18c
week 5= 11kWh

I wouldn't expect it to fall any further and I reckon it dropped to 11kWh because I was home alone all week.

I have satisfied my curiosity and it just goes to show how much energy was being wasted. My smart plug will now be used for the purpose for which I bought it which is to turn the heater on in my office outside early in the mornings.

 

[Stuart Moffat]

Whilst doing the hoovering this morning whilst symbols was doing the weekly shop, I had a brainwave. i do the hoovering every Friday morning, and if I were to do it only on the first Friday of the month I would save about 75% of the hoovering electricity costs. Genius?

 

[Dibs-h]

I was wee concerned that our 15+ year old fridge freezer might not be running efficiently and was looking for a reason to replace it! So I bought a smart plug to monitor energy consumption and this was the outcome:

week 1= 19.4 kWh
week 2=16.5 kWh after having used my air compressor to blow out the dust at the back. This is something I now do annually after it suddenly gave up the ghost 5 years ago and a few days b4 Xmas!!! Somehow this seemed to get it going again and so far so good..........
week 3=14.8 kWh
week 4=12 kWh after having turned the freezer down to -18c
week 5= 11kWh

I wouldn't expect it to fall any further and I reckon it dropped to 11kWh because I was home alone all week.

I have satisfied my curiosity and it just goes to show how much energy was being wasted. My smart plug will now be used for the purpose for which I bought it which is to turn the heater on in my office outside early in the mornings.

I had something similar - except 55 kWh in 2 weeks. Replaced it 3 days later. New one does about 10-12kWh a month.

 

[Spectric]

Hoovers, lets hope now we are out of the EU that we can forget the 900 watt limit because all that did was increase the time needed to do the job so saving nothing. Imagine if they applied that law to woodworking machinery, 900 watt max dust extraction or bandsaw.

 

[paulm]

Doesn't reduce power consumption but a useful gadget to make use of power tool batteries you already have, especially in any power cuts, available for most brands of batteries, clips on and adds a couple of usb slots and an led light to the battery.

 

[johna.clements]

Hoovers, lets hope now we are out of the EU that we can forget the 900 watt limit because all that did was increase the time needed to do the job so saving nothing. Imagine if they applied that law to woodworking machinery, 900 watt max dust extraction or bandsaw.

People who wish to will be able to buy nosier bigger vacuums. Others will still be free to buy smaller quieter ones with better designed motors that give more suck per watt.

 

[Droogs]

Or keep warm and save loads by using a stiff broom