11 ways to save electricity for your family

Using your refrigerator wisely and economically is a way to control your budget.

1. Turn off the stove a little early

According to the California Energy Commission, electric stoves will still produce enough heat to cook food if you turn them off a few minutes early. While this tip works for most dishes, there are exceptions, such as stews and slow-cooked dishes.

2. Use ceiling fans

If you live in a tropical climate with year-round sunshine or hot summers, use ceiling fans to cool down instead of relying entirely on air conditioning. Ceiling fans can lower room temperatures by up to 10 degrees and use only 10% of the electricity of air conditioning.

3. Use energy-saving light bulbs

The US Department of Energy says LED lights save about 75% of energy and last 25 times longer than conventional incandescent lights. Therefore, to save electricity, it is better to use LED lights. In addition, you do not need to worry about the size of LED lights because there are many types of lights on the market that have the same shape and size as incandescent lights.

4. Use motion detectors to avoid wasting electricity

If your family members are not in the habit of turning off the lights when not in use, a motion detector is a suitable solution for you. The mechanism of this device is that only when it detects movement in the room, the lights will be turned on. You can find it at specialized electrical stores and the installation is also very simple. The US Department of Energy says that using a motion sensor can cut down on wasted electricity by up to 30%.

5. Use a dimmer

Adjusting the brightness appropriately helps reduce the power of the bulb and thereby helps us save energy. Currently, some devices can also be adjusted through the accompanying application, which is very convenient. This application allows you to adjust the brightness of the light no matter where you are. However, a small note is to check the compatibility between the bulb and this device to avoid the case of not working as expected.

6. Use smart switches

This device allows users to easily turn on or off household electrical appliances from anywhere in the house without having to go to the power outlet to unplug it thanks to a wireless connection to a smartphone via WiFi. In addition, you can also schedule it to automatically turn off the device after a few hours and report on the current electricity consumption status as well as estimate the amount of money to be paid for the month.

7. Use home electrical equipment monitoring tools

This tool is designed to help you better control your home’s electricity usage by monitoring your electrical appliances. It also helps remind you of household tasks and alerts you when you forget to turn something off, and shows you how much electricity your appliances have been using. It can also detect the most energy-hungry appliances in your home and estimate how much electricity they’re using in total.

8. Wash with cold water

If it's not too cold, you can wash your clothes and dishes in plain water instead of hot water. This can save you a significant amount of money each year on your energy bill.

If not really necessary, turn off the water heater when not in use.

9. Minimize leaving electrical equipment on standby

Many people think that leaving electrical appliances on standby will save more electricity, but the reality is that this still consumes electricity and can account for up to 10% of your total electricity consumption. For that reason, if you do not need to use the device for a long time, it is better to turn it off completely to save energy.

10. Use the dishwasher

Dishwashers use electricity, but they save energy, money, water, and time compared to washing by hand. According to the California Energy Commission, using a dishwasher saves an average of 5,000 gallons of water and 230 hours of your precious time each year. Plus, instead of using the automatic drying function, you can let your dishes air dry to save electricity.

11. Adjust the shower jet mode

If you adjust to a smaller, slower stream and shower for 15 to 20 minutes, this will save a significant amount of clean water and electricity each month.