En el último año, la sociedad ha tomado especial conciencia sobre la importancia de controlar el gasto energético para evitar que las facturas alcancen costes difíciles de asumir. Las oscilaciones del mercado, condicionado por factores diversos como la guerra de Ucrania, el papel de las renovables o el crecimiento de la demanda, nos obligan a medir muy bien toda nuestra actividad diaria —tanto en hogares como en negocios—, así como a informarnos puntualmente del precio que tiene la luz.

Naturally, as consumers, we have little say when it comes to prices. But at least we do have the ability to take steps that will allow us to use energy more efficiently, so that we use only the electricity we actually need. This will allow us to reduce our demand, save money, and, in the process, prevent energy prices from reaching prohibitive levels.

To help you achieve a more balanced and efficient energy use, we at Culmia have put together 10 tips for saving energy at home that you can start using right away in your daily life. Want to check them out?

10 Tips for Saving Energy at Home

Find out your contracted power and adjust it

The first tip is to be aware of two things: first, the power capacity we’ve contracted with our provider; and second, how much we consume—approximately—each month. It’s common to have a contract that provides more power capacity than we actually need for our home, which means we end up paying more than necessary at the end of each month.

To better tailor it to our energy usage, it’s essential that we know exactly how much power we typically need and that we try to adjust the power setting as much as possible. However, we should always leave some leeway for times when we need peak power, such as when we have several large appliances running at the same time—a washing machine, an iron, or a hair dryer, for example.

Keep in mind that it’s now possible to reduce your power usage in increments of one-tenth of a kilowatt (kW), and that each one-tenth increment can save you up to 5 euros a month. And if, on top of that, we opt for a time-of-use rate plan—where we pay based on the times of day we use electricity—we can see significant results almost immediately.

Use only the energy we’ll actually need

Do you have any appliances that are constantly turned on or in “standby” mode even when you’re not using them? Unplug them or turn them off completely until you need them, since it’s important that we learn not to waste energy out of carelessness or simply for the sake of convenience. Did you know that appliances in“standby” mode can account for between 7 and 11% of a household’s total energy consumption?

Buy energy-efficient appliances.

By law, household appliances sold in Spain—such as televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators—must include an energy label indicating their energy consumption. These appliances are classified into seven groups—from highest to lowest energy consumption, from G to A—so you can use this information to help you make your purchase.

And if you do, keep in mind that it will likely be more cost-effective in the long run to spend more money up front to buy an energy-efficient product than to try to save money initially and then end up paying more each month on your electricity bill.

Getting the Most Out of Your Appliances

If you turn on an appliance, try to make the most of it. In other words, if you decide to iron, instead of doing it every day with just a few items of clothing, do it every so often with a good number of items, because that way you won’t waste energy heating up the iron. Or if you run the washing machine, fill the drum as much as possible. You can even take advantage of the residual heat from your oven or stovetop after turning them off—it’ll let you finish heating your dishes before they cool down completely!

Take advantage of natural light and turn off the lights when they’re not in use

Perhaps there have been times when you’ve chosen to turn on the light in a room instead of raising the blinds to let in more natural light. Or maybe you’ve left the living room light on even while you were busy doing things in other parts of the house. Oversights like these lead to higher energy costs and put a strain on our budget, so we should try to make the most of the sun and use artificial light only when we’re actually going to need it.

Using LED Bulbs

LED technology is a must-have in an efficient and sustainable home. It uses up to 10 times less energy than an incandescent bulb, emits much less heat, and also has a much longer lifespan. According to a Eurostat study, this means that an average home equipped entirely with LED bulbs can save nearly 12 euros per month compared to one that uses only traditional bulbs.

A shower is better than a bath

When it comes to personal hygiene, there are also small steps we can take to help save money. The most obvious one is to take a shower instead of a bath, because it will significantly reduce water consumption. This can be combined with other small steps, such as installing aerators on faucets to better control water flow, using thermostatic controls that automatically adjust the temperature, or, of course, not leaving the faucet running when we’re not rinsing off.

Cold water for washing

Hot water is essential for washing our hands or taking a shower during the colder months. However, we don’t need it for doing laundry—even though, in theory, it might give us better results. Here, for example, they recommend adding a tablespoon of sodium percarbonate along with the detergent; and they guarantee great results even when washing at low temperatures.

Keep the temperature in your home at appropriate levels

It sounds simple, but in practice it’s more complicated. It’s best to keep our homes between 19 and 21°C in the winter and between 24 and 26°C in the summer. And the ways to achieve this vary widely: by properly insulating windows and doors, using rugs and curtains, or not covering radiators in the winter; as well as by ventilating well first thing in the morning or using plants during the hottest times of the year.

Let Home Automation Help Us

If we have a smart home, we’ll have a major advantage right at our fingertips. Having a self-regulating thermostat will save us from constantly having to worry about maintaining an optimal temperature; scheduling when appliances turn on or off will ensure they only consume energy when we choose; and implementing smart control of awnings and blinds will help us make the most of sunlight.

We recommend:

• How to Cool Your Home While Saving Energy
• How to Save on Heating: More Efficient Alternatives!