How To Save Electricity (And Money!)

Households in Singapore are advised to conserve electricity as costs are set to rise following the doubling of fuel prices, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong on 5^th Oct 2021. In fact, according to previous surveys conducted by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, air conditioners, refrigerators and water heaters account for more than half of the electricity consumption in Singapore households.

On top of that, as the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, it also speeds up work-from-home culture in Singapore. Since more and more people have to deal with home office life currently, by turning on the air-conditioning and using a computer all day long, the electricity cost will naturally rise.

Here are 7 power-saving tips to help you reduce your household electricity consumption!

1. Regular cleaning of air conditioner filter

If the filter is cleaned regularly every month, it will reduce the operating load of air conditioner. In addition, closing the doors and windows when the air conditioner is on will effectively keep the room cool at lower electricity consumption.

2. Air Conditioner Setting

Other than that, manage the setting to automatic mode is the best choice. In the automatic mode, the most appropriate air volume and direction are selected according to the room conditions. After the room is cool, it will control the power consumption while maintaining the set temperature. Besides, it is also not advisable to set to very low temperature. According to state’s recommendation, it is best be set at 24 to 26 degrees, and every 1 degree increase in the air conditioner can reduce the electricity load by 7% to 10%. Another interesting fact is, from health concern, the best temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is 5 to 6 degrees Celsius as large temperature difference may cause body discomfort.

Furthermore, people should utilize sleeping mode or sometimes defined as economic functions, which is available in most air conditioners. During sleep, our body emits less heat and is insensitive to temperature changes. Sleeping mode of air conditioner will automatically increase the indoor temperature after certain period of time, thus achieve approximately 20% power saving roughly.

3. Clear Your Refrigerator And Organize Your Food

The greater the capacity of a refrigerator, the greater the power consumption is. You must carefully consider the size you need before buying a refrigerator. For old refrigerator, do check the sealing strip on the side of the door. If the sealing strip is not tight enough, cold air will escape resulting in higher operation load. Besides, it is advisable to always clean up your fridge space and organize the items in it. Good air circulation amongst food in fridge will improve cooling effect thus reduce electricity consumption of refrigerator.  

4. Use Washing Machine To Fullest Capacity Possible

Many people misunderstand that reducing the load of the washing machine can help saving electricity. In fact, it is totally opposite. Washing a lot of clothes together actually saves more power than washing them separately. Besides, some people may also direct hot water to washing machine, which is totally unnecessary. It is good enough to wash with water at room temperature.

5. Turn On Fan Instead of Air Conditioner

Do you know that the electricity consumed by an air conditioner is equivalent to 11 fans? Imagine how much money can be saved if you switch to an electric fan? Choosing a fan with an energy-saving DC motor does not only promote the circulation of healthy air, but it also produces cool air without much noise. However, these products are relatively priced high. Nevertheless, it is still worth to take in energy saving DC motor fan in the long run. If switching on air conditioner is necessary, you may consider to switch on fan at the same time to make the room cooler. With this simple act, it actually helps to send a signal to an auto-mode air conditioner to adjust to lower load.

6. Turn Off Heater Switch

Turn off this small switch after taking a hot shower. This small move can save $110 in electricity bills in one year! Since no one is taking a shower, why bother to leave it on?

7. Turn Off Main Power Of Electrical Appliances When Not In Use

Are you aware that electrical appliances such as TV, laptop, router etc, even though they are not turned on, they will still draw electricity continuously from socket. The only way to stop electricity consumption is to turn off the socket. According to statistics, turning off socket can potentially reduce household energy consumption by 10%.

If it is too troublesome to turning on and off socket manually, you may consider to get yourself a smart power strip. User can name each power outlet in the application, such as “screen” or “printer”, set the usage time to turn them on or off automatically. No only that, certain smart power strips can actually cut power off and save energy since they are able to detect when a device is in standby mode. Alternatively, you can also get a power strip which supports voice assistants, then you can switch on or off your electronic devices even though you are distance away. Isn’t it convenient?

Last but not least, experts recommend choosing more energy-efficient appliances, and consider installing smart home appliance trackers to understand electricity consumption, so as to adjust lifestyles and reduce electricity consumption.

If you’re thinking to upgrade to LED lighting to save more energy, contact the professionals at Winway Home Services for consultation and installation.