Data Science shows us how we use energy at home. Students of the Le Wagon Data Science Course in London gathered data regarding energy use per household. From the saved data, the students were able to tell the consumption of each household. With this data, planning and strategizing can be done in the most efficient manner in order to save energy use and, at the same time, contribute in the effort of helping the environment.
5 Aspects of Energy Consumption At Home
Consumption in our homes represents approximately 20% of the total final energy consumption and is mainly generated by the domestic equipment we own, be it electrical and/or thermal. But there are some criteria that imply higher levels of consumption, which implies greater spending, or less.
The difference between being more efficient and paying less on our bills or being less efficient and paying more is, in most circumstances, a matter of personal decision-making. For this reason, in this article, we are going to see in a simple and clear way what are some of the aspects that we must know and take into account about energy consumption in our home.
1. How is consumption measured?
Energy consumption is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours) which means that when using our equipment we must take into account: the power (watts) they require and the time (hours) we use them.
Our energy consumption will be: Power multiplied by Time.
2. Consumption has various forms.
The energy consumption in our home with respect to the equipment that we have can have different forms:
Equipment that requires a lot of power in its use but that we use very little time. That is, those small appliances that produce heat quickly, such as fryers, toasters, irons, etc. If we use them very often, they can significantly increase our bill.
Equipment that we use for many hours but that requires little power, such as lighting and the refrigerator. eye! But depending on their degree of efficiency they will have higher or lower consumption. In any case, these are computers that we use on a daily basis or that are continuously connected. In them, efficient consumption habits have a high impact on the savings that we can achieve.
Equipment that we use regularly and, in addition, demands a lot of power. These would be, for example, washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, electric water heaters, etc. And, like the previous ones, depending on their degree of efficiency they will have higher or lower consumption. They are pieces of equipment that need special care and apply efficient consumption habits in addition to controlling their use.
3. How do we save energy (and money)?
To reduce our consumption and thereby save energy and money in our pockets, we start from two key concepts: power and time. On the one hand, the most efficient equipment requires less power and therefore has a much lower consumption compared to the less efficient ones. On the other hand, by changing our consumption habits we will improve our efficiency in the use of this equipment. As we can see, there are two issues: energy efficiency and energy saving.
How do we improve our energy efficiency? Applying practices that reduce energy consumption without reducing comfort levels in our home and using technologies that require less energy to perform the same function, among others. These measures have lasting and long-term effects.
What do we have to do to achieve energy savings? We must apply practices that limit the use of energy, reduce unnecessary or excessive benefits and, at the same time, make our own the information related to consumption habits that cause changes in our behavior and that we maintain daily.
Read also: Saving The Planet
4. Avoid simultaneous loads.
It is very important to avoid simultaneous loads when we want to use our home equipment. In our electricity bill, power is a fixed cost, that is, whether we consume it or not, we will always pay for it.
To avoid having high expenses due to high power, it is much more efficient to distribute the use of domestic equipment throughout the day, avoiding connecting all of them at the same time in a certain time slot. Thanks to this, you will need to have a lower power contract at home, saving on your bill.
In addition, depending on your access toll (rate), you could have a wide time slot where the cost of electricity is much lower.
5. And what else does the energy consumption of our house depend on?
In addition to the degree of energy efficiency of the equipment we have in our home and how we use it, energy consumption also depends on:
The climatic zone where our home is located.
- Your orientation.
- The construction quality.
- The level of isolation.
- The degree of equipment.
- The number of people who inhabit it.
These are just some of the essential aspects that we must know to start reducing our energy supply bills and pay less for them. Also, remember that your degree of involvement contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the fight against the Climate Emergency.
