Energy is still very expensive and we still spend a lot of money on everyday things. What can you do to limit your expenses?
Hob or microwave?
Microwave meals are easier, but we often heat up leftovers in the pan. Yet the microwave is really more economical than the hob. So, even if you swear that your leftovers taste better from the pan, the microwave (meal) is more economical. At least, for the environment.
Unplugged?
This is no surprise to many people, but we sometimes forget it out of laziness. You can save tens of euros if you unplug your phone charger every morning. It is even better to only plug it into the socket when you charge your mobile phone. This means: charge your phone during the day, so that you can disconnect everything as soon as it is full. Research shows that 23 percent of energy is lost to energy-guzzling devices. This means that they remain plugged in or on standby. The coffee maker and TV cabinet can also operate without electricity when you are not using them. By the way, there is a word for these devices: the British call them vampire devices.
Bath or shower?
Of course, it depends on your bathroom habits: how long do you stay in the shower? Do you use water with hotter temperatures or do you prefer lukewarm (or even cold)? When you take a bath, you use an average of about ninety liters of water, of which sixty liters are warm water and thirty liters are cold water. During a normal shower we use approximately nine liters of water per minute. If you turn off the tap within ten minutes, showering is cheaper than bathing. But if you take a long shower session to wash your hair or shave, for example, you are often already over ten minutes. In that case, you might want to take a bath (although you probably wouldn’t want to shave or wash if you have to sit in it for a while).
Constant temperature or turning heating off and on every time?
You may have never thought about this, but the answer is certainly important to save money. What is more economical: having one fixed temperature inside the house as standard, or allowing the room to be heated and cooled again and again? The long-awaited answer is: heat and let cool again and again! Of course, it takes extra energy to heat your home again, but if you want to save on your energy bill, it is really wiser to turn off the heating when you leave. Think of all the warmth you would otherwise miss out on! If you have a water pump it is different: a constant temperature is recommended. That saves energy.
