Watch your bills: to reduce your electricity consumption, you can use a few tips

Electricity is a resource and service that we cannot do without: we need it to power the lighting and heating systems, to use our household appliances and electronic devices of all kinds. Without electricity or electrical services, we could really do very little in our everyday lives.

Of course, this dependence means that we make constant use of electricity, and consumption increases at certain times of the year due to colder temperatures or hours of sunlight. It is therefore in our financial interests to take some measures in our daily habits to make sure we save as much as possible on our consumption, and hopefully, we will find the results of these measures being reflected in our electricity bills. 

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1. Invest in energy-saving, low-consumption light bulbs: these cost more at the time of purchase but it is an expense that falls when accounting for how long they last and the fact that they use less energy for their power. In fact, they can have an extremely long life: some LEDs, for example, can last from 5 up to 20 years depending on the model and use.
2. If the heating in our home is managed by an electrical system, consider using systems that can be adjusted remotely and, in any case, carefully plan the operating times in order to activate them only for when it is strictly necessary during the night or day.
3. Install shower heads that are water-saving: for use in showers, there are models of spray heads that control the amount of water supplied, so as to use only the amount of hot water you absolutely need and without an unnecessary waste of energy on heating water which is surplus to our needs.
4. Insulate the water pipes: especially in areas where low temperatures are a factor, the water that passes through these very cold pipes creates a need for a greater consumption of energy in order to become heated. Adequate thermal insulation, on the other hand, allows you to gain 1 or 2 degrees in heat which, in turn, makes the heating systems strain less (and uses less electrical power).
5. The most advanced of electrical water heater models are compact in size and can help a lot in reducing overall consumption. These modern heater units save on the amount of water to be heated, they have excellent thermal insulation that does not disperse heat and therefore they are very efficient.
6. The rubber balls for the dryer (also known commercially as “dryer balls”): since the dryer is a very energy-hungry household appliance, it is sensible to use it only when it is really impossible to dry our laundry in any other way. And in any case, the operating times can be reduced with the use of special rubber balls, which help the garments to remain separate and therefore allow the air to pass through more efficiently, thereby speeding up the process. The balls also help reduce static electricity.
7. Use a multi-power outlet with a switch: for all electronic devices that do not need to remain in operation continuously, use a single power outlet with multiple sockets and with a switch, so as to turn everything off when not needed, and to avoid a continuous consumption of current.
8. Consider installing an air-to-water heat pump, which uses energy from the outside air to heat water in the heating system.

What are the methods you use that you find the most effective in reducing your overall energy consumption?