This year, Halloween is coming in strong. To make sure the scares only come when a group of little monsters knock on your door saying “Trick or treat” and not when you get your bill at the end of the month, we have created this guide with simple steps to ward off the real energy vampires.
Through small everyday actions related to technology, any family can help reduce pollution on the planet while, at the same time, saving money.
- How to reduce heating consumption in winter without stopping its use?
On average, it costs each Spaniard more than 300 euros to keep the house warm throughout the winter season, a figure that, according to studies, can even exceed 500 euros in the coldest areas of Spain. To lower this amount, it is recommended to set the temperature in our homes to 20ºC during the day and 16ºC at night. In this regard, we suggest incorporating smart valves that allow setting each room to a different temperature. These devices enable precise temperature management in every corner of the house, which, in the long run, will lead to lower energy consumption and considerable savings.
This way, rooms that are used less can be kept at a lower temperature, while providing greater comfort to the ones used most. In the case of the smart valves SPC VESTA STARTER KIT, they can be managed from the SPC IoT app, turning them on or off whenever we want, or changing the target temperature from anywhere using our smartphone or tablet.
- Does keeping the home heating on at a low temperature save money?
There is a false belief that it is cheaper to keep the heating on at a low temperature all the time, when the reality is quite different. This practice does not actually save money on the bill in the long run. It is more advisable that, once a comfortable thermal sensation is reached in a room, the heating is turned off for a while.
Also, if you spend most of your time in just one room of your house, consider using a smart heater like SPC CALIDUM that you can conveniently control from your smartphone and regulate the temperature you want that room to stay at without having to turn on the heating for the whole house. You can even choose to activate it remotely as you are arriving home to make sure that when you enter your home, it will be at a comfortable temperature suited to your needs.
- Did you know that proper furniture arrangement can reduce energy consumption?
It may seem obvious, but furniture placement not only affects the design of rooms but also has a big impact on how warm or cool a room feels. For example, when placing a sofa or other seating, it is better to position it against an interior wall rather than an exterior one, since the heat accumulated inside the home will reduce our dependence on heating.
- How much energy does the red standby light on the TV use when I turn it off with the remote?
The “phantom consumption” of appliances, known as standby mode, also affects energy savings. The red light on the TV is the most well-known case. This happens because some devices, when turned off, remain in standby to be quickly activated when turned on again. This system accounts for between 7% and 10% of the total energy consumption of each home throughout the year, according to data from the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy, which in practice is like having another high-consumption appliance active in the home, such as a dishwasher.
One way to fix this is by using smart plugs, so you can control the electrical consumption from anywhere or even turn them off automatically. Thanks to IoT technology, we can schedule the activation of our appliances to suit the best electricity rates we have contracted, either through a mobile app or voice assistants available on some models. This way, these smart devices can monitor the consumption of the plugged-in appliance, allowing for much more efficient use.
- Can we improve our consumption by paying attention to energy labels?
When choosing home appliances, energy efficiency is essential for responsible energy consumption. In 2021, the scale changed and is now measured from A (highest efficiency) to G (lowest), with stricter criteria. Thus, an appliance that was very efficient in 2020 might be considered class B under current standards. When purchasing high-consumption devices like refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, it is essential to consider the energy label to anticipate the electricity cost they will generate.
- Why is it recommended to buy smart LED bulbs?
LED models offer widely proven energy savings compared to traditional bulbs, and they also guarantee a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours, which is equivalent to having them on continuously for five years. This way, we avoid buying more bulbs than necessary and reduce the production of conventional models, decreasing the emission of pollutants caused by their manufacturing.
If we apply IoT technology to LED bulbs, we can find smart models that can be managed from a smartphone via an app, giving us the option to turn them on and off remotely or even control their brightness and color. Additionally, we can check if we left any lights on and turn them off from wherever we are to avoid “surprises” at the end of the month. There is even the possibility to turn on or off several lights simultaneously through smart switches.
