How your household appliances can save you money
If you’re a South African faced with a tight budget, you’re certainly not alone. But how can we eliminate unnecessary spending around the home? Builders has some great advice to help out.
Did you know that by being smart about your household appliances, you can end up putting a significant amount of money back into your pocket? Yep, it’s true, and with the help of the experts at Builders, we’ve put together a brief list of things you should know about appliances that will help you save.
Energy efficiency
Following the best practices of many countries around the world, the Department of Energy introduced a compulsory energy efficiency rating system in May of 2016. Consumers now know what they can expect from their appliances in terms of running costs. Our local rating system is based on the one pioneered by the European Union, where a scale of A through G was first used to give a very clear indication as to which fridge, for example, would use the least amount of electricity to perform at a high standard. Today, the scale runs from A+++ to D. When shopping for a new appliance, check its energy rating, and ensure that it is as high as possible.
In the world of appliances, size matters
An energy rating is very important when buying an appliance, but so is matching the size of the appliance to your actual everyday needs. For example, a large refrigerator may have a better grade than a smaller one, but the smaller one may use less electricity over the period of a year (measured in kWh per annum). If you don’t need the extra space, don’t waste money on buying more than you need. The same logic applies to washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, freezers, microwaves, electric ovens and even TVs.
When it comes to washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers, your settings count
Appliances are really sophisticated machines, and they offer households an incredibly wide variety of choices when it comes to settings. Using these correctly will cut down on electricity consumption. For most laundry, you don’t need piping hot water, and a cool wash with water at tap temperature (about 20 degrees) will suffice. Many dishwashers now offer the option of turning off the “drying” portion of the washing cycle, which means that leaving the dishes to dry by themselves is the budget-friendly way to go. Washing machines also often offer a high speed spin to end their washing cycles: if you are planning to tumble dry the load, using this high speed spin will reduce the time your washed clothes need to be in the dryer (which consumes considerably more electricity). When it comes to tumble drying, only use the appliance when absolutely necessary, and for the shortest time possible.
Be water wise with your wet appliances
There are 3 considerations here. Firstly, installing a gas geyser for your kitchen taps, washing machine and dishwasher means that only the water you need (and no more) will be heated to the prescribed temperature. Secondly, by using an eco-friendly detergent in your wet appliances, you can easily create a grey-water recycling system that provides water for all outside requirements, including the garden – again, saving you money. Lastly, harvested rainwater stored in a Jojo Tank can be used for all your wet appliances.
The moral of the story
Buying the right appliances in terms of their energy rating and capacity requirements will start your journey towards household electricity savings off on the right foot, and by implementing the right habits, you will save even more. For further information on how everyday household appliances can ease the pressure on your budget, speak to the experts at your nearest Builders or shop online.
