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2.2. Energy consumption and energy efficiency monitoring

Video: Energy Conservation vs. Energy Efficiency (1 min and 32 sec.)
https://youtu.be/lqJ3ckBncyY
Video: What is energy efficiency? (1 min and 3 sec.)
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-196319?&lg=EN
Video: Energy efficiency? (3 min and 14 sec.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D11iFUw_ImU

Conservation is the decision and practice of using less energy. Turning off the light when you
leave the room, unplugging appliances when they are not in use and walking instead of
driving are all examples of energy conservation. The two main reasons people conserve
energy are to gain more control over their energy bill and reduce the demand on the earth’s natural
resources.

Energy Saving Tips
1. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for as much as 13.7% of the total household
energy use. To increase energy savings, set your fridge to 3-4 Celcius degrees and your freezer to
-16 Celcius degrees.
2. Use energy-efficient light bulbs. Install energy-saving CFL or LED bulbs in your lighting fixtures to
use 25-35 percent less energy, compared to regular incandescent bulbs.
3. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. The air conditioner and heater are the biggest
energy users in most homes, and these appliances have to work even harder with dirty air filters.
4. Do full loads. Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to
get the most energy-saving use from each run cycle.
5. Use smart power strips. Even when not in use, household electronics still draw power from
outlets (Energy vampires). This phenomenon is called “phantom load”. Energy-saving smart
power strips, which shut down appliances that have gone into standby mode, help you cut down
on phantom-load costs, potentially resulting in money and energy savings.
6. Air-dry dishes and clothes. Instead of using your dishwasher’s drying feature, consider letting the
dishes air-dry. And instead of using the dryer on a nice day, hang your clothes outside to dry.
7. Bake with glass or ceramic pans. You can set the oven’s temperature 25 degrees lower than
indicated in the recipe when you do this.
8. Cook using the right-sized burner. Conserve energy by using your stove’s small burners for small
pots and large burners for large pots.
9. Cut down on air leaks in your home. You’re paying for warm air in the winter and cool air in the
summer — don’t let that money escape! Check your windows and doors for cracks and gaps, and
seal them up with new weather stripping or caulk.
10. Keep your house a little hotter in the summer and a little cooler in the winter. Opt for wearing
lighter clothes in the summer and wearing a few extra layers in the winter in exchange for those
few degrees’ change in temperature. A good rule of thumb is to set the thermostat to 20 - 21
Celcius degrees in the winter and to 25 - 26 in the summer.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.
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