I have recently decided to put my house on a diet - its consuming too much energy and the bills are getting fat.
So I came up with the ultimate diet - the e-Plan diet! - slimming down your household electricity consumption
Working from home, the house is occupied most days and the home-office activities consume a fair percentage of the total power.
Here is a suggested daily consumption plan based on realistically achievable targets:
Fridge and Freezer 1.5kWh
Office 2.0kWh
TV and entertainment 0.5kWh
Lighting 1.0kWh
Miscellaneous 1.0kWh
Total 6.0kWh
The miscellaneous includes occasional use of high wattage appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, toaster, kettle, microwave and the like. As the larger appliances are only used two or three times per week it should be possible to get by on an average daily allowance of 1kWh.
I checked the washing machine consumption by doing a typical full load at 40 degrees C. After an hour and a half of churning the energy used for the wash was 0.42kWh. I then made use of the sunshine to dry the washing on the line. Tonight I will check the dishwasher for its consumption.
Our lighting in the living-room is a 100W incandescent lamp on a dimmer switch. It's a bit stark, so I am going to arrange for a couple of low energy bulb table-lamps to help give some ambience and reduce the consumption in the evenings.
Fortunately in our house the cooker and oven are gas, as is the central heating so we have very few high wattage appliances.
With minor improvements, it should be possible to get the consumption down to just 5kWh per day.
Whether I can stick to this diet is yet to be seen!
The "200 Watt Office"
Desktop PC (3 GHz) 100W - use a laptop - only 40W
17" TFT Monitor 40W - not needed with laptop
Wireless DSL Router 8W
20W Low energy lamp 20W - evenings only
HP 2500 Printer, copier, fax 19W - only turn on when needed
Telephone 2W - use a conventional phone that needs no mains
Coffee Allowance 20W (0.2kWh in 10 hrs)
Total 209W
These are worst case figures, which assume winter working with the printer always on. By using the laptop on a wireless link, a conventional phone and turning off the printer when not being used, this could easily become The 100W Office, consuming only 1kWh in a typical 10 hour working day.
What is "dishwasher"?
ReplyDeleteI know about washing dishes. I run the tap after using something, squirt a little Fairy on it and use this thing called a brush.
There are two of you, yes? You're not washing up after tea at a cricket match.
Your house is half the size of mine. You can get it down to 3kWh if you really want to.
Incandescent lighting. Do they still make it? Thought it only existed in the Edison museum.
Remember only to put enough water in the kettle for whatver you need it for.
Though you use gas to heat water, remember that the pump is electric and prolonged use of that bumps the meter reading along too.
James,
ReplyDeleteThe dishwasher was not my idea, Apparently, I've got the wrong chromosomes to make such a bad choice of appliances.
I'm trying to save the planet whilst Elaine complains that a 20W CFL is too dark and 20 C is too cold for her to enjoy her drip feed of Coronation St., Eastenders, Millionaire, Spooks, Frost, etc etc etc......
TV uses 75W on a bright picture.
After doing some tests, the dishwasher used 0.93kWh and the washing machine was 0.42kWh.
I thought I was doing quite well to get the electricity consumption down to 6kW,a 40% saving from where I was last week.
I'll be sleeping out in the shed at this rate if I suggest any further cuts!
Ken
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ReplyDeleteReally amazed how you cutting down consumption of energy from every day use of electronics.
ReplyDeleteI am also looking for energy efficeint models of Wireless Routers or WiFi Access Points. So I could use them with a Solar charger with a battery backup.
Hey Ken IDEAs from you about a nice homemade gadget to power Wireless Devices with solar.
I am to buy single solar charger for more than my wireless device price.