6 Unusual Energy Saving Tips for Filipinos
I’ve read a lot of electricity saving tips but few that really felt like they were written for Filipinos, so I decided to write the small things I do in hopes that it reaches people who want to cut down their electricity costs further.
1. If you work in an office, charge every reasonable thing you can there before you go home. The three most practical (and reasonable) things to charge are your cellphone, laptop, powerbank. With Manila traffic, you should be prepared for long trips, possible MRT breakdowns and not being able to book a ride home. Besides not having to charge them at home, It’s always good to be fully charged in case you need to stay out late.
2. Utilize your appliance timers. When using appliances like air conditioners that have residual cold, you can turn them off a few minutes or an hour after you’re expected to be asleep and have an electric fan turn stay on to keep the room cold. You can also buy digital timer controls or auto switch timers on Lazada or some hardware stores to turn on your devices only on the hours you want them to be on.
An example of a timed switch you can buy online
3. Opt for gas instead of induction cookers. While most condos require induction cookers for safety reasons, if you can manage to have a gas cooker where you live you’ll definitely be able to save a lot. Induction cookers, as with anything that generates heat, uses a lot of electricity. If you’re someone who enjoys your time in the kitchen and really have to use an induction cooker, try avoiding recipes that require a lot of slow cooking, using the oven or cooking anything for extended hours. Using appliances like microwaves and toasters to reheat food often are still more energy efficient than having to heat up the induction stove every time.
4. Be smart about your laundry. I have an entire separate article about how getting a washing machine is a good investment versus just getting it done in a laundry shop or using coin operated laundry, but part of maximizing a washing machine is knowing how to use it properly. I talked about downsizing my closet using color palettes to help do laundry before so that you can assure that you’ll almost always be able to wash with full load as it consumes the same amount of electricity to run a half or full load. My next piece of advice is to as much as possible wash with cold water as to not have to utilize the machine heating function and to use the quickest cycle option. If you have a dryer, be sure to clean your lint as often as you can to keep the machine efficient and increase the airflow. You should also shake out your clothes before putting them in the dryer so that it has more surface area for the heat to penetrate and will allow it to dry faster.
5. Take care of your refrigerator. We often ignore this appliance because it’s just there but trust me that not taking care of it will eventually add to your bills. If you’re lazy to defrost, too much ice build up forces fridge to use more energy. If you’ve had it for a while, be sure to clean the coils behind it to improve efficiency and make sure that it isn’t too close to the walls so the heat doesn’t get trapped. Be sure to always keep it closed and try wiping or vacuuming the seal area where food bits might have been caught, allowing the heat to get out.
6. Invest in black out curtains or blinds. It’s often more expensive to cool down an already hot room. If you want to lessen the cost of using airconditioning on a particular room where it’s afternoon sun, you can buy black out curtains that lessen the heat from the outside coming in. They’re also really good to keep the room cold in the morning and for people who work late nights and want to sleep in without being woken up by the sun. On this line of thinking, keep in mind your room’s position when choosing a condo to live in — the difference between the morning and afternoon sun will show on your electricity bill.
At the end of the day, you can go a little more extreme by eliminating the use of appliances such as the washing machine, dryer and airconditioners but if that’s too much for you, you can practice the tips above to improve your electricity usage without compromising too much of your lifestyle. Do you have any other weird tips that have worked for you? Let me know!
While you’re here, feel free to drop by my other article about unusual tips to save water as well!
