Reducing electricity consumption is a common goal for many of us. Not only for cutting electricity bills, but also for environmental purpose. Household appliances are the main source of electricity consumption for us. HKdecoman will share the tips of choosing the best energy-saving home appliances and changing the habit of using electrical appliances to cut down the bills.
Washing machine
Washing machine is everyday household appliance with high water and electricity consumption. Generally, there are two types of washing machines, the front loaders and the top loaders. The Consumer Council stated that the energy rating of the two washing machines can differ by 80%. Thus, you should buy according to what you need.
Do you need to use hot water for laundry?
The major difference between these two kinds of washing machines is that the front loader washing machine can be washed with hot water or warm water, while the top loader washing machine usually has no heating function. Hot water washing can be used for disinfection and sterilization, while room temperature washing can protect the clothes to avoid fading and shrinking.
If you do not have the habit of washing clothes with hot water or you usually add laundry sanitiser in the washer, you can buy a top loader washing machine. The top loader washing machine without heating function consumes about 80% less electricity than the general front loader washing machine. At the same time, it has a lower spinning speed and a shorter washing process.
The cleaning power of top loader washing machine that uses room temperature water is not worse than that of the front loader that washes laundry at high temperature. Even some top loaders have a better cleaning effect than certain front loaders. Bear in mind that top loaders use relatively higher water consumption.
Make good use of the various functions of the washing machine
The washing machines are very advanced toady with different washing modes and functions. We should make the best use of the functions and choose the appropriate washing mode according to the type of clothes and the degree of dirtiness. Consider choosing the “energy-saving” mode to cut down the bill.
(Image description: Midea MW-FG70, the front loader washing machine uses less water than the top loader washing machine.)
Air conditioner
Air conditioner is a must-have appliance in summer. However, it consumes a lot of electricity. Therefore, people usually choose the energy saving inverter air conditioners. The price of the power-saving inverter air conditioner is 15-20% more expensive than that of the fixed frequency air conditioner. But in the long run, the electricity bills saved in 2 to 3 years will be enough to make up for the difference.
Find the right BTU according to the environment
You should choose the right BTU of an air conditioner based on the size and environment of the use space. When the cooling capacity is insufficient, the air conditioner continues to operate at a high level, that operating under the maximum load will consume a lot of electricity.
The suggested BTU for different room sizes:
| Room size (square feet) | Suggested BTU |
| 50-70 | 3/4 |
| 80-100 | 1 |
| 80-100 | 1.5 |
| 160-200 | 2 |
| 210-250 | 2.5 |
| 260-300 | 3 |
Refer to the energy efficiency label and seasonal performance factor of coolin
Hong Kongers are used to reading the “Energy Efficiency Label” when buying electrical appliances. Level 1 has the highest energy efficiency. In addition to the energy efficiency label, you can also refer to the seasonal performance coefficient of air-conditioner cooling published by the Consumer Council for reference. Even if the energy label of the product is level 1, the performance coefficient of cooling in different seasons can be different that affects the degree of power saving.
Pay attention to the GWP value of the air-conditioner refrigerant
We may be unfamiliar with the types of air-conditioners. However, you can refer to Global Warming Potential (GWP) to determine the impact of air-conditioning refrigerants on the environment. The larger the GWP value, the more likely it is to cause global warming.
At present, the most common type of air-conditioning refrigerant in Hong Kong is R410A. Its GWP value is 2088. There is a new type of refrigerant R32 recently, its GWP value is only 675. In terms of GWP value, R32 refrigerant is more environmentally friendly than R410A refrigerant. Those who are interested in buying a new air conditioner, you may consider buying one with R32 refrigerant.
(Image description: Rasonic RS-RE18SK, the air conditioner with R410a refrigerant is more environmentally friendly.)
LED light bulbs
LED light bulbs are very common to all of us as they are more energy efficient. In fact, the power saving degree of different LED bulbs also varies. Dim light does not mean using less electricity, yet strong light does not mean consuming higher power.
Luminous efficacy
“Luminous efficacy” refers to how much light can be produced per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The higher the luminous efficacy, the more energy-saving the LED light bulb is. Dim light bulbs (low luminosity) and bright light bulbs (high luminosity) can have the same luminous efficiency theoretically. The key lies in how much electricity they consume to produce the same luminosity.
You should check the lumen value (LM) on the package when purchasing. The higher the lumen value, the more luminous the light bulb is. When the output luminosity of the two is the same, you can choose the one with lower power, that is, with high luminous efficacy, which is relatively more energy efficient.
Light bulb
You should also consider the lifespan of a light bulb when choosing one. When the output luminosity of the LED light bulb drops to 70%, the service life is over. The claimed lifespan of a light bulb on the market can range from 15,000 hours to 25,000 hours. It is more environmentally friendly to choose a bulb with a longer lifespan.
If you choose the washing machine, air conditioner and light bulbs wisely, not only they are more energy efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. Saving energy is a lifelong job. Start by changing the details in life for our mother Earth.
(Source: Consumer Council)
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