10 tips for saving energy at home

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Energy prices are skyrocketing, presenting us all with new challenges. We’ll show you how to save energy with 10 simple tips.

#1 Avoid standby

Close the laptop or turn off the TV with the remote control: It’s convenient, but devices in standby mode continue to consume power, and not in short supply. For example, an LCD TV consumes an average of 112 kWh per year. Depending on the electricity tariff and the number of devices in the household, this alone results in annual costs in the mid to high double digits.

Tip: Energy-saving power strips are a convenient way to save energy in the home: The strips automatically detect when you switch off a TV set using the remote control, for example. The power strip then cuts off the rest of the power supply and automatically avoids standby mode.

If you don’t want to spend money on energy-saving power strips, simply turn off devices such as TVs and laptops manually to save power.

#2 Heat properly

This may sound strange, but in fact there are many ways to make mistakes when heating: For example, a classic wrong heating behavior in the home is to turn up the heat full blast and have the window on tilt at the same time. Such a waste of energy is not only wasteful, but also really expensive.

With these tips, you’ll heat properly and save energy:

Keep the temperature in the room constant

Keep your apartment constantly warm, but at least at a temperature of 18 degrees, otherwise there is a risk of mold. The temperature can be measured with an indoor thermometer, which you can buy for a few euros.

Ventilate regularly

Generally avoid tilting windows during the cold season. Instead, ventilate intermittently and several times a day for 5 minutes. This will give you a regular boost of fresh air without unnecessary heat escaping from the rooms. This significantly reduces energy consumption.

Another advantage is that the moist air you breathe is drawn out, which successfully prevents mold growth. Turn off the heating while airing the room to save even more energy.

#3 Save energy when washing dishes

Every wash-up consumes water and energy. You can save energy by reducing the number of times you wash dishes. So instead of washing each cup individually, you can wash once in the evening and put the dishes in the sink until then. Soak cups, plates, etc. during the day to prevent unpleasant odors. This also prevents food residues from sticking to the dishes, which makes washing up easier.

Tip: Get a mini dishwasher for your household. Also known as tabletop dishwashers, they save energy and time. You don’t even need a water connection; they work with a fillable water tank.

#4 Save energy when cooking

There is a lot of energy that can be saved when cooking at home. These tips for reduced energy consumption are easy to implement:

Cook with a lid

When cooking in open pots, a lot of unused energy escapes. Therefore, as soon as the pasta is in the pot, put the lid on and let it simmer at a low heat setting. Of course, this is also recommended for other foods such as rice, vegetables, etc.

Article Tips: 5 Healthy Recipes for Students & Five Refreshing Trendy Recipes for Summer Drinks

Use a kettle for support

It often takes forever for the water in the pot to boil. Using the kettle not only speeds it up, you can save a lot of energy that way. Fill the pot with a small amount of water, about enough to cover a little more than the bottom of the pot with water. Then place the pot on the hot stove top and heat water in the kettle in parallel. When the water in the kettle is hot enough, add it to the water in the pot.

Use the residual heat of the hotplates

You can save a lot of energy in your household by using the residual heat of your hotplates. In our apartments, this works wonderfully with the Ceran double hobs, which still give off residual heat above 60 degrees even after they have been switched off. You can use this residual heat, for example, to heat up leftovers from the refrigerator or to finish cooking your pasta. Try it out! You’ll save a lot of energy with this forward-thinking cooking.

Use the microwave

When it comes to heating food quickly and reducing energy consumption, the microwave is the way to go. Plus, it’s also faster to heat food in the microwave than on the stove. And did you know that you can even bake cookies in the microwave? Find out how in this article: Meeting Friends: Ideas for Corona Time.

#5 Washing clothes in an energy-saving way

At the Staytoo Washing Lounge, you have the option to wash your clothes for a fee right in the apartment building and dry them with a dryer.

We recommend that you use the 40-degree wash program instead of the 60-degree wash program as often as possible, especially for lightly soiled laundry. The reason for this: 40-degree programs save on average almost half the electricity compared to a 40-degree wash cycle. In addition, use detergents in moderation so as not to pollute the environment unnecessarily.

Article tip: Sustainable living as a student: 8 tips for everyday life

#6 Take a short shower

A certain warm-shower mentality is also allowed in times of crisis. As recommended, for example, by our Minister of Economics in the form of lukewarm lightning showers. You kill several birds with one stone: short showers are healthier for your skin and hair than long showers, and you also save energy and time. Try getting used to cold showers, too, as they boost circulation.

#7 Save energy with the refrigerator

You can do a lot of things right with your fridge if you want to save energy. For example, the trick is to let cooked food cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Otherwise, your fridge will use an insane amount of energy to cool down the still warm food. Also, you should open the door of the refrigerator as rarely as possible. Every time you open and close it, heat is exchanged, and the fridge has to make up for it with energy consumption.
Other tips to save energy when using the refrigerator:

Leave space between foods: The cooling effect inside a refrigerator works through air circulation – heat is removed from foods, but only effectively if there is enough space between them.
Pay attention to optimal temperatures: The colder, the better? This is a misconception that eats up a lot of energy. 7 degrees Celsius is the optimal refrigerator temperature. Place a small thermometer in your refrigerator to measure the ideal temperature. It is best to place the thermometer on the upper level, as this is the warmest. It should be at least 7 degrees there.
Defrost the freezer regularly: You should defrost the icebox at least twice a year. In this way, you avoid a layer of ice that is several centimeters thick, which in turn saves energy. The more ice there is in the freezer compartment, the more energy is needed to keep it cold. Regular defrosting can save up to 45% energy.

#8 Consume more consciously

Spoiled food, electronic waste, unnecessary clothing purchases: In your own household, there are many ways to save energy by living more consciously. The production of goods consumes energy, as does their disposal. Therefore, we recommend you to develop a sustainable lifestyle, where you are mindful of your environment. In this article you will find some inspiration: Living sustainably as a student: 8 tips for everyday life.

#9 Conserve batteries

The more carefully you use the batteries of your laptop, tablet and smartphone, the less often you have to charge them and the lower the energy consumption. Logically, but many people don’t know how to draw less power from the battery and thus save energy.

Just about every device now has a power-saving mode. This usually reduces the biggest power guzzler, namely the screen brightness. In addition, the CPU’s performance is throttled so that the battery lasts longer. But don’t worry: nowadays, the power-saving mode on most devices is so effective that writing messages, surfing, video streaming and working still go without a hitch.

#10 Leave the car

Driving a car has become really expensive, especially during the crisis period. You can do many ways differently, for example, by bike or by train. This is one of the most effective ways to save energy. Especially on foot or by bike you move and do something good for your body.