HOW TO MAKE AN ELECTRICITY SAVING PLAN?

Analyze the consumption by seasons

Find out which devices in the home consume the most energy

Develop the plan with a combination of measures, with and without investment

Implement the plan, correct and upgrade if necessary

How to save electricity and have lower electricity invoices?

First of all, we have to calculate how much electricity the appliances in our home consume and develop a savings plan. The plan should include multiple measures with or without investment. With continous attention to the saving process we can achieve great savings and stay in the lower tariff blocks.

The saving plan begins with an analysis of the home devices consumption, as well as identifying the consumption history of the household by seasons. Then we should measure or estimate the consumption of appliances in the home, develop measures - with and without investment. During the implementation of the plan, it should be conctantly corrected and upgraded.

Measuring or estimating the consumption of appliances in the home can be done in two ways, with a device that will measure the consumption of each of the appliances or by reading the power rating of the device from the instruction manual.

By determining which are the largest home consumers, a saving plan can be developed, which can be a combination of measures for rational device use, adaptation according to the energy tariff (a low tariff device use), as well as savings investments.

The plan should be adapted to the available budget and on the place where there is the greatest savings potential - the most serious measures should be imposed to the most inefficient and largest consumers. In case the plan includes investments, they should not be one-time, yet gradual. Investments should also be prioritized.

The plan should be implemented by the whole household and, if necessary, to be corrected and supplemented in order to save more.

HOME DEVICES WHICH CONSUME THE MOST ENERGY

HEATING DEVICES CONSUME THE MOST ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Devices such as thermal furnace, electric panel and air conditioner are some of the biggest home consumers. The monthly furnace consumption can reach up to 450 kWh.

LARGER HOME DEVICES ARE ALSO BIG CONSUMERS

Oven, hot plates, water heater, refrigerator as well as washing and drying machines are part of the devices that drastically increase the monthly electricity consumption.

LIGHTING ALSO CONSUMES A SIGNIFICANT ENERGY AMOUNT

Lighting, depending on the number of home lamps, can be a serious consumer, especially when energy-saving or LED lamps are not used. Table lamps consume energy even when turned off.

MONTHLY CONSUMPTION IN PERCENTAGE

TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE ELECTRICITY

HEATING AND COOLING

Do not place objects near the heating element
Close the door to the room being heated/cooled
Clean the device filters regularly
Maintain an optimal home temperature. Optimal summer temperature 24°C, optimal winter temperature 20°C
Raise the temperature gradually

COOKING

Turn off the oven 10 minutes before the meal is ready
Use a lid on the pots while cooking
Clean the oven and the hotplates regularly
Use a hotplate that is the same size as the pot
Do not open the oven frequently while it is in operation, because with each opening, the temperature drops by 4°C
Use a microwave or toaster to heat food

BOILER

Clean the heater from scale regularly
Reduce shower time in order to reduce the need to reheat water
Set the thermostat between 50°C and 60°C

REFRIGERATOR

Keep the refrigerator temperature between 3°C and 4°C and the freezer between -15°C and -18°C
Clean the back of the refrigerator regularly
Pack food in the fridge to keep moisture out, as moisture makes the compressor work harder to maintain the necessary temperature
Do not keep the door open for too long
Refrigerators and freezers work the most efficiently when they are full

LIGHTING

Turn off the lights when leaving the room
Use daylight
Use energy-saving or LED lamps
Place lamps in the room corner, the light will be reflected off the wall surfaces, thus providing more light and eliminating the need for more lamps

GENERAL ADVICE

Unplug the devices which are not used
Do not leave a mobile phone plugged into a charger overnight
A laptop is more energy efficient compared to personal computer
Use the devices that consume the most electricity, in off peak tariff
Iron more clothes at once
Turn off cable/satellite receiver and router when leave home

SAVINGS INVESTMENTS

If possible, invest in devices with a higher energy class
Replace old bulbs (incandescent lamps) with energy-saving or LED ones
Replace old windows with new energy efficient ones
Install home thermal insulation
Buy smart plugs for your analog devices

SMART HOME

Smart devices can be controlled from a distance, with setting up of automatic working schedules and switching on and off remotely
A smart plug is a device that can make every home appliance "smart"
With the use of the smart plug we can monitor and control the consumption of the devices we turned "smart"
The mobile apps that are compatible with the smart devices can give us a detailed insight into the device's real-time and past consumtion and thus help us in developing and improving our measures for saving

OFF PEAK TARIFF

Monday – Saturday

Daytime low tariff

13:00 - 15:00

Nighttime low tariff

22:00 - 07:00

Sunday

00:00 - 24:00

Sunday during the whole day, till Monday 07:00

TARIFF BLOCKS

There are four tariff blocks that are crucial in household electricity bills calculation. TARIFF BLOCKS are based on ELECTRICITY CONSUMED DURING PEAK DAILY TARIFF!

The first block tariff applies to users who consume up to 210 kWh of electricity in the peak tariff, the second block to consumers who consume up to 630 kWh, the third from 630 kWh to 1050 kWh and the fourth over 1050 kWh in the peak tariff.

The price of consumed electricity in peak tariff increases by passing from one block to another, that is, from T1 to T4. How much a household will pay for electricity in peak tariff depends on how much electricity it will consume during 30 days.

from 0 kWh
to 210 kWh

4,2255 MKD per kWh

from 211 kWh
to 630 kWh

5,2720 MKD per kWh

from 631 kWh
to 1050 kWh

6,9121 MKD per kWh

More than
1051 kWh

17,3242 MKD per kWh

*The prices are calculated without 5% VAT and communal tax of 184 MKD.

In a period of 30 days, consumed electricity up to 210 kWh is calculated at the price of T1, from 210 kWh to 630 kWh at the price of T2, etc.

Example:
In case a household consumes 500 kWh in a peak daily tariff in a period of 30 days, the first 210 kWh are going to be charged at the price of T1 and the remaining 290 kWh at the price of T2.

More details here.

ELECTRICITY BILL CALCUALTOR

Insert the values of the kilowatt hours you consumed in high and low tariff. These values will help you calculate the end value of your electricity bill in money. When you are aware of your expences, you can easily calculate the monetary savings that are directly corelated to the energy savings.

Calculate