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Electricity Saving Tips
Light Bulbs
- Replace conventional lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs where possible. They give off the same amount of light as a 60 watt bulb while using only a fifth of the power and they last 10 times longer.
- Always switch off lights when you leave a room.
Refrigerators and freezers
- Do not overload your refrigerator or freezer! It uses a lot more power.
- Do not set the freezing temperature lower than is necessary.
- Defrost your freezer at least twice a year.
- Let hot foods cool to room temperature before refrigeration.
- Empty these appliances and turn them off at the wall socket when you on an extended holiday.
Microwave ovens
- Use microwave oven to cook small to medium sized portions. For larger portions, use an oven.
- Wrap foods in plastic to hold in steam. This will speed up the cooking process.
Washing Machines
- Front loaders use less power than top loaders.
- Use warm and cold water settings.
- Save dirty clothes until a full load has accumulated before turning on your washing machine.
Geysers
- Did you know your geyser accounts for over 40% of your overall electricity consumption?
- Ensure that your thermostat is set to no more than 55° Celsius.
- Wrapping your geyser in an insulating blanket can cut power consumption by half.
Steam / Dry Iron
- Organise your ironing so that you iron low temperatures fabrics first, ending off with high temperature items.
- Iron large batches at a time.
- Use only distilled water in steam irons. This will assist in the iron working more effectively and prevent the steam vents from clogging up.
- Switch off before finishing your batch and complete your ironing using the stored energy in the iron.
Air Conditioner
- Clean and inspect filters regularly.
- Set your air conditioner to re-circulate already cooled air in the room instead of continuously drawing in warm air from outside.
- Protect outdoor cooling units from the sun.
Electric Stove
- Use cooking utensils with flat bottoms and tight covers.
- Keep oven doors closed until food is cooked.
- Do not use grill compartment to make toast. Electric toasters use far less energy and work much quicker.
- Plate reflectors must always be kept clean.
- Never use you stove or oven to heat the kitchen.
TV / DVD / Stereo
- The standby button on all your electronic equipment consumes enormous amounts of energy.
- Switch these appliances off at the wall socket.
Computer / Fax / Printer
- Never leave your computer, fax or printer on overnight.
- Set the screensaver on your computer to come on after five minutes of non-use.
Kettle
- Only boil as much water as you need.
- Keep your kettle's element clean of chlorine build up by covering it with vinegar and boiling the kettle until all the build up is removed.
Cell Phone
- Only recharge your cell phone’s battery when it is completely drained.
- Never leave your cell phone charging overnight.
- When your cell phone is finished charging, unplug the charger from the wall socket.
Water Saving Tips
- Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily and use toilet paper as much as possible.
- Plant water-wise indigenous plants in your garden.
- Water gardens only in the early morning or in the evening and only when necessary.
- Install garden drip irrigation on flower beds and sprayers on lawns.
- Collect rainwater to use on your garden or for washing your car.
- Use a broom to cleaning driveways or patios instead of a hosepipe.
- Insulate hot water pipes so that not too much water is wasted when waiting for water to get hot once you’ve opened your hot water taps.
- Cover your swimming pool to reduce water evaporation.
- Stop the leakage of water from taps. Up to 30 litres of water can be wasted over a 24 hour period by a slow dripping tap.
- Use the minimum amount of water needed when bathing.
- Don’t waste dirty water. It can be used to water your plants.
- Wash vegetables and fruits in a bowl instead of washing them under a running tap.
- Don’t leave the tap open while brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Wash clothes only when there is a full load.
- Consider using a car duster to remove dust instead of pressure hose.
- Avoid installing fountains and other ornamental water features in your garden.
- Use a broom instead of sprinklers to clean your sidewalks and streets.
- Use the drip irrigation method for irrigation purposes.
- Teach your children to close taps tightly after each use.
- One leaking tap can waste more than 2,000 litres of water a month.
- The tastiest and most water efficient methods for cooking vegetables is steaming or using a pressure cooker. You can also cut down on water loss by using tight fitting lids on pots and to simmer food instead of rapid boiling.
- Put the plug in the sink when washing your hands instead of holding them under running water.
- Keep a container of water in the fridge so that you won’t need to let tap water run until it’s cool enough to drink.
- Rinsing your dishes in a plugged sink rather than under a running tap saves water and is just as easy and effective.
A bath uses an average of 160 litres of water; a five-minute shower uses 60 litres. Shower rather than bathing, but if you have to bath, run a smaller bath or share your bath water.
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