Top 10 Simple Yet Highly Effective Ways to Save Your Monthly Electricity Bills

Nowadays, there is a wide range of electrical appliances in the market. The important thing is to choose suitable products with complete labels to avoid buying fake or counterfeit goods. The government has clearly stipulated that household electrical products must be labeled with energy labels. This label provides information about the energy consumption of the device, and through this information, you can identify the power consumption of the products.

In our country, there are currently two types of labels: the certification label (star-shaped) and the comparison label (rectangular shape). Depending on the power consumption performance of each device, the Ministry of Industry and Trade confirms the device with 1, 2, or 5 stars. This is the basis for you to choose.

Air conditioning and fans run continuously to ease the summer heat, but they will escalate your electricity bills. Here are ways to help you cut down on electricity consumption this summer:

• If you already have air conditioning, make sure it is placed in a shaded area. Otherwise, you can change its position or find ways to shade the area to cool the air conditioner. Air conditioners exposed directly to the sun use more electricity, around 10% more than when placed in a cool location.
• Keep hot objects away from the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Lights, TVs, and stoves placed near the air conditioner create a hotter feeling than reality, so the air conditioner has to work harder.
• Keep the air conditioner filter ventilated by cleaning or replacing it regularly. A dirty filter will reduce the cooling efficiency of the air conditioner, causing electricity waste.
• If you are considering buying an air conditioner, consider one that uses inverter technology. This type consumes less electricity, up to 50% less than conventional air conditioners.
• Make sure to buy an air conditioner suitable for the size of your room. An undersized air conditioner will not cool the room adequately, while an oversized one will consume too much electricity.

Many devices are left plugged in even when not in use, especially lighting devices. Partly out of forgetfulness, partly thinking that it doesn't consume much energy. However, imagine this, while consumption may be minimal in a day, multiply that by 30 days, and the difference becomes significant.

Moreover, there are cases where you haven't unplugged devices 'thoroughly'. Typically, turning them off with a switch may not completely cut off the power since there is still residual current flowing through. Therefore, the best way is to unplug the power cord from the socket to ensure cutting off the power.

You need to choose and purchase energy-efficient light bulbs. According to research, T5-28W fluorescent bulbs save 40% of energy consumption compared to T10-40W bulbs. Specifically, the cost for 10,000 hours of using T5-28W is about 330,000 VND, while for T10-40W, it goes up to 548,000 VND.

Turning off unused devices each year will save you a significant amount of money, approximately 5 million VND per year. So, pay attention to this small action that brings significant benefits, not only economically but also prolongs the lifespan of the device.

Start with the rice cooker. Many families are busy, often plugging in the rice cooker in the morning and leaving it until noon without realizing that prolonged reheating consumes a lot of electricity. So, only cook about 30 - 45 minutes before eating. Regularly clean the bottom of the pot and choose a pot with a capacity suitable for household usage.

Do not turn on the oven in the room when using the air conditioner; these two devices with opposite functions should not be used at the same time as it will directly affect their operating functions.

Refrigerator: Use a normal-sized refrigerator, suitable for your needs. Avoid buying one that is too large and not fully utilized. For example, if your family has 3 - 4 people, you should use one with a capacity of 150-250 liters. Research thoroughly before purchasing, regularly clean the hygiene inside and outside the refrigerator, and place it about 10cm away from the wall.

On hot days, we crave cold drinks. However, every time you open the refrigerator door, heat is lost, and it has to work harder (and consume more electricity) to cool the food.

Instead of keeping drinks in the refrigerator, freeze water bottles, then place them in an insulated container filled with water to thaw. This way, you and your family can have cold drinks without constantly opening the refrigerator door all day.

Before placing food in the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature and pack it in a sealed and dry container. Food stored in wet and non-sealed containers will release moisture, and the refrigerator has to work even harder.

If you often use a clothes dryer, let it rest during the summer months and air-dry your clothes outdoors. Not only does it save energy, but sunlight helps disinfect clothes and makes whites whiter. If you usually spin dry for 5 minutes, consider reducing it to 2.5 or 2 to cut energy consumption in half. In hot weather, you can hang wet clothes at noon, and they'll be dry by the evening.

As for ironing, do you really want to iron clothes in the hot season? Why not store (or sell) the items that need ironing and switch to those that are wrinkle-resistant or easy to conceal wrinkles.

You can learn a few tricks to avoid ironing clothes, even with the most wrinkled ones:

• Use fabric softener and simply smooth out wrinkles by hand.
• Before hanging clothes, straighten out folds and collar wrinkles.
• Fold clothes carefully.
• If the above methods fail, you'll realize that with most clothes, after wearing them for 1-2 hours, no one notices whether you ironed them or not.

You don't need a solar panel to harness free energy from the sun. Extend your water hose outside to get hot water. Open windows wide for natural light. Collect clean water in transparent plastic bottles, expose them to the sun for at least 6 hours to eliminate bacteria, and have safe drinking water.

Savings through solar power usage not only reduce electricity bills for households but also contribute to reducing the power load on the electrical system, easing the investment pressure on the power industry. However, during installation, households should pay attention to safety issues and seek advice and support from experts to maximize the efficiency of renewable energy sources.

Here, we're addressing devices that consume electricity even when not in use. If you have devices in standby mode, unplug them at night or plug them in when you can turn them off. Apply the same practice to phone chargers and adapters.

The voltage regulator of your computer and the uninterrupted power supply also fall into the category of causing electricity loss. Luckily, both have power buttons. Use them. Power down these devices when your computer is not in use.

Clean bulbs shine brighter, so you get more light while saving electricity. Cleaning your air filter helps your air conditioner cool the air more efficiently.

Cleaning the rice cooker core or the heating element (on the stove) enhances heating efficiency. Keeping electric fans dust-free prevents the motor from overheating and using more energy.