2. TV, Hi-Fi & RadioTurn off the TV or video and hi-fi rather than leaving it on standby. Always use the television’s on/off switch. Leaving the television on standby wastes energy.

3. Cooking Microwave ovens reduce cooking time by 15% to 20% and save energy. When boiling vegetables, use just enough water to keep them covered. Use a jug kettle that has a water level gauge to ensure you only heat the amount of water you need. Cover saucepans with lids whenever possible to reduce the cooking time.

4. Home Laundry & DishwashersSave electricity by using old-fashioned clothesline for clothes drying. Avoid drying clothes on radiators as it lowers the room temperature, making your boiler work harder. Shut off dishwasher for dry cycle. Let your dishes “air dry”. Don’t use dishwasher or laundry equipment until you have a full load.

5. Fridges & Fridge Freezers Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seals are airtight. Let hot foods cool before placing them in the refrigerator. Defrost refrigerator regularly – when about 1/4 inch of ice has formed. Place your refrigerator in the coolest part of the kitchen – away from cookers, heaters and out of direct sunlight.

6. HeatingTurn off electric water heater when going away for vacations or weekends. Turn your heating down rather than opening a window to reduce the room temperature. Never cover radiators with curtains or furniture as this reduces their efficiency and wastes valuable heat. When going on long holidays, remember to switch your water heating off.

7. Work Tools Use hand tools in your workshop instead of power tools.

8. Appliances When shopping for new appliances, ask about energy-efficient models. Buy appliances on the basis of cost plus operating costs, not price alone. Limit the use of appliances that use over 1,000 watts. Keep appliances clean and in good working order. They’ll use less energy.

9. Bills Check all energy bills closely. Errors can be costly.

10. Insulation & Air conditioningInsulating your attic will save on operating air conditioning (also heating). If your walls are suitable, cavity wall insulation will substantially reduce heat loss. Keep air conditioning condenser shaded from sun or on north side of house. Turn off air conditioning when no one is home.

About the Author
Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for The Guide to Cheap Electricity website at: http://www.cheap-electricity-guide.org.uk/ and he’s also a regular contributor to the Ways2Save website at: http://www.ways2save.org.uk/

©2010 Cheaper Gas and Electricity. All Rights Reserved.

At the time of writing this article, I sit and think back of my childhood days when I grew up on a farm without electricity. I still remember the days when my mom cooked on the big black coal stove in the kitchen that also served as a heater during the cold winters. As kids we used to get dressed in the kitchen as we warmed up our clothes on the doors of the coal stove trying to fight the 0 and sometimes sub zero temperatures outside.

We also used an anthracite stove in the living room, which worked overtime in winter. Flipping a switch for lights did not exist. We used paraffin and gas lamps alternated with candles in the bedrooms. Television did not exist and we listened to stories on the radio after dinner as a family with quality conversations and lots of laughs before it was bedtime. Our fridge/freezer also used gas.

Having grown up in the Bushveld, a place of extremes, we did not only face minus 0 temperatures in winter, but had to deal with extreme heat in summer. I clearly remember the days when we, as kids took an afternoon nap on the cement floors in our house, as it was the only cool place (Bushveld summers easily reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom could cook breakfast on the gas stove.

It was only around 1980 that we first got electricity. All of a sudden we had the luxury of lights, deep freezer and Television.

I think the energy crises in Cape Town and other cities in South Africa came as a big shock to many people as they never experienced having to cope without electricity. Whether we are hot or cold, we just flip a switch and do not suffer any discomfort. One thing that remained from my childhood days is a saving awareness, which I think many modern children and even Adults lack, and this brings me to the following points in this article.

There are some basic things, which we all could do to save electricity:

1. Switch off lights when you leave the room.

2. Use energy saving light bulbs where possible (this will also cut your electricity bill)

3. Turn off the TV and Hi-fi when you are not using it. Leaving it on stand-by uses energy.

4. Rather use the microwave than your stove. Did you know that microwave cooking saves up to 15-20% energy?

5. When cooking on the stove ensure that vegetables are covered in water and cover saucepans with lids to reduce the cooking time.

6. Use a jug kettle with a water level indicator to boil only the amount of water that you need for that cup of coffee / tea. It is a waste of energy to boil a full kettle when you are going to use only part of it.

7. In South Africa we still enjoy fairly warm winters (compared to Europe and America). Hang clothes on the line outside to dry rather than drying everything in the tumble dryer.

8. Switch the Dishwasher off when it comes to the drying cycle and allow dishes to air dry.

9. Wait until you have a full load before using the Dishwasher and or washing machine.

10. Ensure that your fridge/freezer door seals work properly.

11. Cool food down before storing it in the fridge.

12. Defrost your freezer regularly – every time around 0.5 cm ice has been formed inside the freezer. Place your fridge in the coolest part of the kitchen if space allows– not right next to the stove or in direct sunlight.

13. Turn off your geyser when going away for week ends or extended periods of time.

14. Use hand tools rather than power tools in your workshop if and when you could. Nothing wrong with a bit of elbow grease at times especially when there is an energy crises.

15. Appliances – ask the sales person whether or not an appliance utilizes energy-saving. Avoid the use of appliances that use over 1000 Watt energy. It is also a good idea to keep all appliances clean and in good working order as it will ensure that no energy is wasted.

16. Depending on the area where you live and minimum/maximum temperatures, it might be a good idea to insulate your roof.

17. If you have both a shower and bath, rather take a shower as you do not only save water but save the geyser from having to heat up large amounts of water all the time.

These are a few simple points where each of us could make a contribution towards reducing the use of electricity in our daily environment.

In conclusion we should view the availability of electricity as a luxury and not a right. That way when we are all of a sudden left in the dark during power black-outs we could enjoy the silence and close family relationships with quality conversations that dinner at candle light or gas/paraffin lamps bring versus the rushed 2006 lifestyle with dinner in front of television with no conversation.

About the Author
Justin Kitson is manager at http://www.engines-forestry.co.za, generator distributor in Southern Africa. This division also distributes outdoors equipment, ride on lawnmowers, engines, pumps and high pressure piston pumps.

©2010 Cheaper Gas and Electricity. All Rights Reserved.

Electricity4Business, an electricity supplier dedicated to providing cheap energy to small and mid-sized companies, does not pretend to be a green company, but it does believe in helping businesses conserve energy. “We are not powered by windmills or solar power – there simply isn’t enough green energy produced yet. At present, the electricity we provide is made from burning fossil fuels just like everyone else’s,” says Graham Paul, Sales & Marketing Director of E4B. “But by encouraging our customers to cut unnecessary consumption, we can save them money and help protect the environment.”

So how do electricity costs mount up? Not so long ago, you could walk into a shop or small business and the only equipment you would find was a telephone, a cash register and possibly a computer. Now there are dozens of gadgets and appliances sucking up energy almost everywhere you look – printers, fax machines, air conditioning units, promotional pieces, laptop and mobile phone chargers, refrigerators, ventilators, modems and routers, coffee machines, power tools, machinery, and the list goes on and on. Many of them are never disconnected from the mains and buzz, whir and generate heat even when not in use. Now is the time to consider their cost to you, and to the environment.

The good news is that there are many ways to conserve energy and not even notice it, except when you look at the bill at the end of the month. And with increasing awareness of the impact our actions have on the environment, staff may no longer dismiss the boss as a penny pinching miser for insisting on turning the lights out after work. All it takes to make a difference is a little awareness and some positive thinking.

The most important way to reduce electricity consumption is to instil a culture of energy saving in your company. Typically, electricity is not so much used inefficiently as wasted, leaked and lost. Solving this problem begins by asking some simple questions about how equipment is used and maintained. Is the photocopier used often enough to justify it being on all day? Is the refrigerator door properly sealed and opened as rarely as possible? Are the computer’s energy saving settings on? When was the last time that ventilator was cleaned? Why are the windows open if the heating is on?

Then there is the equipment itself. Replacing 38mm (T12) fluorescent tubes with 26mm (T8) tubes uses around 8 per cent less energy, while compact fluorescent lamps use 80 per cent less energy than tungsten GLS lamps. And for office equipment, look for energy saving devices with stand-by features that bear the Energy Star logo. And if your employees are wearing T-shirts in November, remember that each extra degree can put up to 8% on your heating bill.

There are many more ways of saving money on your electricity, whatever your line of business. Electricity 4 Business has compiled all the information you need to get started in a single document available for download absolutely free. The ten-page of Energy Efficiency Advice has everything on how to identify and rectify bad energy habits, where to get advice and how to claim energy related tax benefit and loans.

About the Author
Graham Paul is the Sales & Marketing Director of Electricity4Business Limited. E4B is an independent commercial electricity supplier.

©2010 Cheaper Gas and Electricity. All Rights Reserved.