Using electricity smartly can help you reduce your utility bills effectively. Not just that, smart use of energy is also a great to keep the planet clean and green. Households are now laden with appliances to make life easier; saving on electricity does not mean not using these appliances at all but using them smartly to save energy.
Here are some ways you can use your electronic items and save up to 40 percent on your utility bills.
Smart switches
Getting smart switches that have motion sensors are a great way to ensure that you don’t leave the lights on when not needed. Smart switches have motion sensors that detect movements and turn the lights on and off automatically. Getting smart switches that need to be turned on manually are a preferred choice of many as it helps avoid the chances of the lights coming on with the slightest of movements during sleep time.
Energy efficient appliances
Buying appliances and refrigerators that have an energy star rating is yet another way to save money on your utility bills. Appliances with energy star ratings help cut the bills by 20 to 30 percent. If you are planning on getting any new appliances and refrigerators, then make sure you look for models with an energy star rating. And if you have old appliances without an energy star rating, scrap the models instead of reselling to contribute towards keeping the environment cleaner in your way.
Regular maintenance of air conditioners
Air conditioners can perform well regarding energy efficiency if they are in the best condition. Service your air conditioning units to keep them performing well at all times and reduce your utility bills. You may even make sure that the maintenance affects your air conditioning system well by ensuring that their units are not placed in spots where there may be direct sunlight. Direct sunlight hampers the efficient performance of an air conditioner.
Regularly cleaned dryers
Your dryers cannot perform efficiently if there is any lint that may be stuck in its ducts. This results in the dryer using more energy and hence, increasing your utility bills. Try to clean the ducts as often as you can to ensure that these are lint free. There are brushes available that help you achieve this easily. Your choice of the kind of dryer will also affect your utility bills. A gas dryer is more energy efficient as compared to an electric one.
Smart meters
Getting smart meters help you reduce your electricity bills as these meters lets you track the amount of power the household is using. These meters also help in avoiding blackouts and overloaded grids. Smart meters allow its users to shut off the appliances in the home for fixed intervals as per the family’s convenience.
Refrigerator maintenance
Kitchen appliances and refrigerators contribute to a good chunk of the electricity bill. Maintaining your refrigerator and always keeping it in the best condition helps in avoiding consumption of unnecessary power that may be required to make it run efficiently. One of the ways to maintain your refrigerator to keep your utility bills low is by cleaning the coils once or twice a year. Clean coils help you to improve the refrigerator’s efficiency by as much as 50 percent. Other than that, ensuring that your refrigerator has a well-functioning door seal is also important to increase the energy efficiency of your refrigerator.
Use these tips to save hundreds of dollars on your utility bills, and you can also contribute towards keeping the planet safer and cleaner.
Ever wondered what you would do without your cell phone? Or how you will reach work on time without your car or the public transport? Well, almost everything you see around you and every piece of machinery which has played a major role in making your life simpler and easier is the outcome of progress in the field of technology.
With changing times and varying demands, some of these technological innovations that were earlier considered a luxury, have now become a necessity. This is applicable to the air conditioners as well. Air conditioners were once considered to be a luxury, but the fact that the weather has started getting warmer and warmer each year, air conditioners have become quite necessary. Even schools and workplaces have acknowledged the fact that they cannot function without air conditioners since smoldering heat can leave everyone distressed.
There are various things to be considered when one sets out to buy an air conditioner. For instance, you have to determine how much should be the air conditioner’s capacity, the price, the air quality, the type of air conditioner, and lastly, the after-purchase services offered by the company. After coming to a conclusion about which air conditioner will meet your demands, you need to figure out where to buy it from.
Air conditioners can be bought from stores or even online. Online shopping has become a rage since all you have to do is select the item you wish to purchase and add it to the cart, pay for it online, and it will be delivered to your doorstep within the given date.
Here are some amazing online stores where you can order your air conditioners from.
Wall ovens are one the great cooking appliances that every individual should have in their kitchen. From cooking meats to baking cakes, you can carry out most functions with wall ovens very effortlessly.
Wall ovens are a great alternative to standard all-in-one ranges of ovens, especially if you have the budget and the kitchen space that can accommodate the same. These types of oven are placed high on the wall and do not occupy too much of space on the surface of the kitchen floor. Unlike with other ovens, you do not have to bend over during cooking. Movement of heavy food items is much more convenient with wall ovens.
A wall oven is a big investment and you should make certain considerations when choosing one. There are many factors that will determine the final purchase and here are a few:
Cost or price-range: It comes as no surprise, wall ovens do come at an exorbitant price. You can not expect to find a very cheap option as the appliance is a heavy commodity. Wall ovens are available in a range that is anywhere between $500 to $4000 depending on the brand and the features that it packs. The models that are available in the below $1000 bracket are entry-level single wall ovens that do not come with extra features. The cost of the appliance will determine the kind of quality and features it packs.
Fuel: Wall ovens are either powered by gas or electricity. However, it is the electric wall ovens that have taken over the gas-fuel variants. While gas ovens are still popular among cooking-enthusiasts, they are much more expensive and come at a higher maintenance cost. Electric wall ovens come in a broader range and more function controls.
Size: Wall ovens are available in different inch sizes. The size you decide upon should abide by the kitchen space or slot that you have available. Usually, wall ovens are available in standard sizes that range from 24-inches, 27-inches and 3–inches. However, the size does vary from brand to brand, and it is advisable to stay loyal to a brand if you are considering a change in the model a few years down the line.
Controls: Today, most wall ovens in the market come with controls that let one set the time and carry out cooking functions with much ease. The settings that come with this appliance vary from model to model. Electronic displays are the most common control panels, and they make user-experience extremely great. Wall ovens with a good control panel will cost a price above $1000.
Convection: Convection is a system that uses an internal fan which efficiently circulates the hot air through the oven compartment. The circulation of hot air in the oven compartment is believed to allow better cooking due to evenly distributed heat. This also consumes less time for cooking. Wall ovens with convection do cost a higher amount, and you have to decide if you wish to spend the additional premium. In case of high-end models, they are fitted with ‘true convection,’ this is an additional heating element that surrounds the fan.
Cleaning-system: Wall ovens are left with a lot of after-cooking mess that has to be cleaned regularly to avoid damage to the appliance. There are self-cleaning wall ovens that allow for the bottom to be cleaned. You can also consider manual-clean wall ovens if they suit your liking.
Considering the above factors very carefully will help you make the right choice. After all, a wall oven will stay with you at least for a few years.