Electricity during washing
| Benefits of the eco program The eco program uses water and electricity particularly sparingly. This can save a lot of energy when washing laundry. | Lower the washing temperature More than three quarters of the energy required for a wash cycle is used to heat the water. This means that if you wash at 30 °C instead of 60 °C, only a third of the electricity is used. | Drying laundry in the air A tumble dryer is faster, but air dries the laundry free of charge and without using energy. |
| Wash without pre-washing With modern washing machines, pre-washing is unnecessary. By dispensing with a prewash, you can save 35 kilograms of CO2 per year with just three washes a week. | Fill the washing machine to the brim Whether the washing machine is full or not, the water consumption and the energy used to heat the water are the same. It is therefore best to fill the machine to the brim. |
Saving electricity with lighting
| Switch off the light when you leave the room Light does not have to burn unnecessarily, so switch off the light when you leave the room and no longer need it. | Replace incandescent lamps with LEDs Incandescent lamps mainly generate heat, only 5% of the energy is used to produce light. If you replace all incandescent bulbs and energy-saving bulbs with LEDs, you can save up to 90% of the energy used for light. Another bonus point is that LEDs can last over 20 years with average use. | Solar lights for outdoor use Outdoor and garden lighting does not require electricity from the socket. With solar lights, they are automatically powered by solar energy. Independent of fossil power sources. |
Independent of fossil fuels
PV system on your own roof Having your own PV system on your roof makes you less dependent on fossil fuels and electricity price trends. The solar potential register of the city of Hof will help you to get an initial overview of the suitability of your roof and the costs involved. You can find the solar potential register under the following link. | Purchasing green electricity By switching to a green electricity tariff, you will become less dependent on fossil fuels and reduce your CO2 emissions. |
Saving electricity in the kitchen
| Do not leave the fridge open unnecessarily To prevent cold from escaping from the refrigerator, it should only be opened briefly and then closed again immediately, even if food is taken out several times in succession. Allow warm food to cool down to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. | Fill the dishwasher to capacity and use it in energy-saving mode The dishwasher should be used in energy-saving mode and the machine should really be full. | Defrost the freezer regularly Icing of 5 mm already increases electricity consumption by 30%. The fridge and freezer should therefore be defrosted regularly. |
| Convection instead of top or bottom heat The convection function works at lower temperatures and makes it possible to use several levels in the oven at the same time. Compared to top/bottom heat, you save around 20%. | Use energy-efficient appliances Old appliances such as dishwashers, ovens and fridges consume a lot of energy and should be replaced with more energy-efficient models if possible. The energy efficiency of refrigerators and freezers, for example, has improved year on year. A new appliance can save up to 50% or more electricity compared to a 15-year-old appliance. | Keeping the fridge and freezer at the right temperature The temperature in the fridge should be 7 degrees. For chest freezers or freezers, a temperature of -18 degrees is sufficient. As a rule of thumb, a temperature that is 1 degree higher saves around 6% electricity. |
| Cooking with a lid As the heat from the stove cannot escape unhindered with a lid, you use up to 50% less energy. |
Save electricity with electrical appliances
| Using switch socket strips This makes it easy to ensure that appliances only run when they are needed. Remove the charging cable from the socket after charging. After charging your smartphone, tablet etc., remove the charging cable from the socket. | Use efficient electrical appliances When buying electronic devices such as televisions, laptops, printers or PCs, you should also pay attention to the efficiency class and, if possible, replace older devices with more energy-efficient models. | Switch on energy-saving mode Tablets and cell phones usually have an energy-saving mode that ensures low power consumption and should therefore be switched on. |
| Adjust the brightness of the display A large proportion of the power consumed by consumer electronics is used to illuminate the display or screens. If the lighting conditions allow, the brightness should therefore be adjusted and turned down. |
