How to best save energy: Tips for tenants

You’d like to save energy at home, but don’t know where or how to start? We have compiled some useful tips that might help you reduce your energy consumption in general, and save electricity in particular. Not only will the environment be grateful, but also your purse …

How to save energy in the kitchen

Most of the time it isn’t necessary to preheat the oven – you can switch it on after you’ve put the baking tray in. And don’t be afraid to switch the stove off a few minutes before the instructions tell you to: It’ll still be hot enough to properly cook your food. Also make sure to put the right lid on the pot.

As a rule of thumb, smaller kitchen devices use less energy. For example, microwaves or kettles can also help you save electricity. Use them for heating up smaller quantities rather than switching the stove or the oven on. The right fridge can also help you be more energy efficient, since fridges are responsible for around 25% of your total energy consumption. A new device rated A+++ needs roughly half the amount of energy that older models do. Regularly defrosting your fridge and freezer (twice a year if you have an older model) is important, too: While a little frost is perfectly normal, the amount of electricity used goes up significantly if there’s a thick layer of ice. (By the way, setting your fridge to 7 degrees Celsius is cool enough to store food.)

How to save energy while doing the washing

Newer washing machines don’t need as much hot water as older models, and using eco mode can also help you save energy, since the water doesn’t get heated up to such high temperatures. Instead, your washing is simply left to soak in soapy water and spinned longer. Also: Have you tried washing at a lower temperature? If your clothes aren’t too dirty, this works just as well.

How energy efficient devices help to save energy

Whenever you buy new fridges, freezers or washing machines, make sure to buy the right size. A refrigerator with a capacity of 100 to 160 litres and a washing machine with a capacity of 8 kg are ideal for 2 people.

Exchanging your desktop computer for a laptop will also save electricity, since laptops use roughly 130 kg less CO2. Most computers, laptops or tablets have an energy saving mode, which means that your device is automatically sent to sleep if you’re not using it. This can save up to 90% of the electricity used and extends battery life at the same time.

Whenever you buy a new device, always check the energy label. Dishwashers and washing machines should ideally be rated A+++. As for television sets: Energy consumption varies considerably between CRT TVs and flatscreens. New models can also have different levels of electricity consumption depending on the size and the gadgets they come with. It pays to check the energy label before buying a new TV.

How to reduce your daily energy consumption

Saving energy and therefore reducing energy costs is definitely possible. If you switch to renewables, for instance, you could also reduce CO2 emissions at the same time. Here’s an example: If a 3-person household uses green energy, around 1,990 kg of CO2 could be saved per year. (To illustrate this: It takes around 160 trees to absorb this amount of CO2.)

Leaving devices on standby makes up roughly 10 percent of your energy bill, so it pays to unplug devices at the mains. Whenever you buy new devices, make sure they can be switched off completely or at least have an energy saving mode. Unplug leads after the battery is fully charged, otherwise they’ll just keep using electricity. If you decide to get a power strip, go for one with switches, so you can individually turn electronic devices on and off. If you buy new batteries, make sure they are rechargeable. By far the easiest way to save energy is by switching off all the lights when you leave a room. For hallways, you could think about getting lights with motion sensors. Using the right kind of light bulb – switching from halogen light bulbs to LEDs – can also make a huge difference: Although LEDs are more expensive, they use up to 80% less electricity and last five times as long.

iDWELL can help you share these important tips with your tenants in no time by using the Digital Newsboard. Would you like to benefit from all of iDWELL’s smart features and digitise your customer support using property software?

Are you a tenant or owner and would like your pmc to get a property management platform like iDWELL? Then don’t hesitate to contact us at contact@idwell.com.