Electricity prices have been widely talked about, and day-to-day prices and electricity contracts have become common topics of coffee table discussion. Suddenly, everyone knows what kind of prices top deals and worst options are made of. If looking for positive aspects of the energy crisis, people will at least be more aware of their electricity consumption. Heating is the biggest expense, but what other things affect your electricity bill? How can you save electricity easily when you can't give up using everything?
Electricity is used daily
Basic things about saving electricity have already been brought up enough that they are starting to be familiar to many people: lowering indoor temperature, reducing floor heating, changing lamps to energy-efficient LED lamps and making sure that the seals in the home are in good condition. But how to save electricity easily on a practical level in everyday life and activities?
Let's imagine a typical weekday in a family with two children. Family members may wake up at different times, and start preparing for the day. The first thing is to turn on the lights, make coffee and take a morning shower. After that, it's time for breakfast. Maybe it's cooking porridge on a kettle or toasting slices of bread.
The TV is on in the background and shows the morning news. The toilet is flushed several times. The children go to school or daycare, one parent goes to the office and the other stays home that day to work remotely. The washing machine runs twice during the day, and at lunch time the parent at home heats up lunch in the microwave. When the children come home, it's time for a snack. In the evenings, they cook using both the stove and the oven, watch TV shows and take a sauna. Phones need to be charged and the dishwasher must be turned on.
How could electricity be saved in that equation?
Electricity consumption is a lot about time and choices. You can wonder if there is really a need for a morning shower. Does it need to be that long or the water that warm? Would a cooler shower actually be more refreshing? Or would a little outdoor activity on the way to work wake you up just as effectively?
Then what about cooking? You don't have to leave the coffee maker on, even if it has a keep warm feature. You can prepare a large batch of food at a time, so the oven doesn’t need to be on as often. You can go to the sauna at a slightly lower temperature, and turn it off earlier. The sauna does not cool down in an instant, but electricity is saved enormously. If the whole family doesn't want to go to the sauna at the same time, you should at least schedule the shifts right after each other, so that the sauna doesn’t need to be kept warm that long.
Laundry and dishes should be washed in a full machine, and choose eco or quick programs whenever possible. The water temperature can be kept lower, and at the same time the electricity consumption can even be halved per wash. You can dry the laundry on a rack or use the common drying rooms, so that a larger amount can be dried at once.
Electrical appliances account for a large part of the total consumption
Did you know that about a third of the home's energy consumption comes from the use of various electrical devices, and that sleep mode corresponds to 20% of the device's total electricity consumption? An easy way to save electricity is to turn off all devices when they are not in use. The consumption may not be that big at one time, but over time it adds up to a significant amount.
However, few of us bother to unplug devices from the wall. Outlets are usually behind the cabinets or under the tables and not easily accessed. In general, everyone wants to hide sockets and wires, because they spoil the otherwise beautiful interior, but at the same time, managing electrical devices becomes significantly more difficult. A good solution is to get an extension cord with a power switch, to which you can connect several plugs at once and turn them all off with just one push of a button.
The problem with extension cords is, in addition to their ugly appearance, that they are not suitable for long-term use. Extension cords are intended for temporary use to bring electricity further away from the wall outlet. In practice, problems with extension cords are related to overloading and heating, which can result in electric shock or fire. In a word, they’re not designed to be safe enough.
An stylish way to reduce the consumption of electrical appliances
Fortunately, there are other options as well. MyNolla Strip is a Nordic design power strip that has been tested in Finland to be safe and durable for everyday use. MyNolla Strip is designed to be suitable for the 16 amp electrical current required by law in Finland (amongst the highest in all of Europe), which makes it as safe as wall sockets and suitable as a main outlet. The horizontal layout of the sockets enables the use of large and different plugs at the same time. Each outlet is equipped with a double child lock, and on top of that, this power strip is designed to match the interior.
In MyNolla Strip, we wanted to fix all the problems in standard extension cords. Modern living demands flexibility and the option to choose where to use electricity, which makes power strips especially handy. The stylish power strip can be left out in the open and easily accessed, which is why it is convenient to turn off the power and at the same time save unnecessary electricity consumed in sleep mode.
How you save electricity in your everyday life depends on your own choices. Examining your own consumption habits is worthwhile, because in addition to a lower electricity bill, the environment will also be pleased. However, many habits are ultimately just that - habits that can be changed. And at the same time, you will probably notice that the change was not at all a bad thing.
