Source: www.all-energy-solutions.com
Every
little effort can add up to huge savings, especially when you multiply
the savings by months and years. Plus, with the inevitable rising cost
of living, it literally pays to be prudent with your energy usage. These
savings could amount to a nice holiday or, better still, go towards the
down payment for your next property purchase or investment!
Here are a few ideas that you could try out.
1) Harness the Power of Solar
The
most effective way to lower your electric bill is by going solar. While
you have to pay for those solar panels, they earn back their worth in
the long run. It is something to consider if you plan to stay in your
current home for long. For those living in high-rise buildings, propose
this option to the management.
Solar panels generate energy by
converting the energy in sunlight into usable electricity which you can
use to power your appliances or any devices of your choice. The amount
that you can save will depend on your average electricity usage and the
size of your system.
The Sustainable Energy Development Authority
of Malaysia (SEDA Malaysia) is a statutory body formed under the
Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act 2011 [Act 726]. Its key
role is to administer and manage the implementation of the feed-in
tariff (FiT) mechanism. Under this scheme, homeowners can sell home
solar electricity to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB). The FiT incentive
provides a fixed rate to the electricity generator (e.g. house owners)
for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated and exported to
the grid.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology
and Water (Kettha), on a cumulative basis, FiT can help Malaysia slash
some 46 million tonnes of CO2 from the power generation sector by 2020
if the country manages to generate at least 3,000MW from renewable
energy sources by then.
Source: http://www.mesym.com/en/articles/the-renewable-energy-fund-according-to-seda-malaysia/
As
illustrated in the above figure, if you install a solar panel on your
rooftop, you can sell the generated electricity to TNB. What you sell is
priced at RM1.75/kWh and what you buy is priced at RM0.31/kWh. Those
who participate still pay their electricity bill every month based on
what they consume but TNB then reimburses them the total amount of money
for the electricity sold back. When TNB claims money from SEDA, it
deducts the prevailing displaced cost and can only claim the positive
difference of the two.
Read more about FiT here.
2) Energy-efficient Appliances
The
main electricity guzzlers at home are the refrigerator and air
conditioning unit. The ideal temperature range for air-conditioners is
24-26°C – a comfortable temperature which does not necessitate sweaters
and blankets – and all the room’s windows and doors should be closed
when they are in use. They should be installed away from direct
sunlight, serviced regularly and be of a horsepower suited to the size
of the room.
Where refrigerators are concerned, check that their
door gaskets are in good condition. To test this, close the door with a
sheet of paper in the way; if it can be removed easily, the door gasket
needs to be replaced. The same goes for the door gaskets of ovens and
microwave ovens – inspect them regularly for signs of wear and tear.
Last
but not least, dirt and other substances may affect your appliances’
performance so be sure to clean them regularly to ensure that they are
operating at their optimum levels.
3) Turn It Off
Turn
off all electrical appliances and devices when they are not in use.
This is one of the easiest and often the most overlooked things you can
do to reduce energy waste. Indicator lights and digital displays are all
signs of electricity being drained and more charges being added to your
bill.
You can also take it one step further by unplugging these
machines as they use stand-by power amounting to as much as 5-10% of
your home’s energy consumption as long as they are plugged in.
4) Invest In Smart Lighting
Install
automatic light sensors or timed sensors for your outdoor lighting,
which is a great way to improve the security of your home especially
when it gets dark. Relying on manual switches for your home’s exterior
lighting may result in you accidentally leaving the lights on during
daylight hours, thereby wasting energy.
Additionally, you can
replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
which provide the same amount of light but use less energy. If you can
afford it, change your bulbs to light emitting diodes (LEDs) as they
last much longer, consume less energy, are eco-friendly, durable and can
be switched off and on frequently without affecting its lifetime or
light emission.
5) Do Your Own Energy Audit
Find out
how much electricity your home appliances use. Once you know which of
your appliances the guzzlers are, you can then take the necessary steps
to reduce your usage of said appliance or even switch them out for a
more energy-efficient model. All you need to know to calculate the
electricity consumption of a certain device are:
a) Power rating / energy usage of the appliance
b) Number of hours you use the appliance
c) The electricity tariff
Electricity consumption (kWh) =
Power (watts) x Hours of Operation x 30 days
---------------------------------------------------------------
1,000
Then use the result and multiply it according to TNB’s tariff rates.
Source: http://www.tnb.com.my/residential/pricing-and-tariff/tariff-rates.html
Alternatively, you could visit this site to use its Energy Audit Calculator.
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