The world is changing
very rapidly in the way it uses energy. People
do not use energy like before; it is getting more expensive to put on the light.
I am concerned about the way we use our
scarcely available energy in Nigeria and wish to point out some of the ways we
can be sustainable with the little we have so we can make it last a little
longer. In the midst of the overstretched
energy crisis in Nigeria, there is urgent need for all Nigerians to embrace
energy efficiency. As much as I know that
it is human to use as much power as we can, when and if we have the power, it is
equally important we are efficient with the use and cut out any excess, which
we can do without.
The world is using
various energy efficiency measures which are cheaper, cleaner and faster and
Nigeria needs to wake up to the emerging energy saving trends. These measures will put money back into the
pockets and reduce pollution and in effect increase our lifespan. With the current low energy capacity in
Nigeria and most of us still using other sources of power majorly Generators;
it is important we adopt these energy saving measures.
Usage Measurement
Your meter measures the
amount of electricity you use in kilowatt hours (kWh). A kWh is the same as a unit of electricity
and the value of electricity you use is determined by multiplying the number of
kWh used by the price per kWh. All
household appliances are given power ratings in Watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).
1kW = 1000 Watts.
The higher this number,
the more electricity the appliances use.
For example a 2kWh power rating fridge will use two kWh of electricity
in one hour. A 100 Watt light bulb will
use 0.1kWh of electricity in an hour or 1 kWh every 10 hours. It is very
important for you to understand the rating and consumption of your appliances,
once you do, you can concentrate on cutting the use of the ones which cost you
the most.
Ditch fairly-used Appliances
The number one way of
reducing our energy usage is to limit the use of fairly-used appliances. These fairly-used appliances are in large use
in Nigeria and they consume far more electricity than new products, as much as
money is the primary reason people buy used equipments, it does not make financial,
economic or health sense. Be aware that
any appliance you use that has gone past 5 years of its manufacturing date tends
to reduce its efficiency by about 60% and it will cost you 3 times more of its manufacturing
power consumption.
Please do not be deceived
by the long held belief that ‘Tokunboh’ (fairly-used) products are more
efficient. It would rather cost you
more, the money you save buying the used appliances are spent powering them, it
also does not make economic or health sense, bear in mind that most of those appliances
are already scrapped as not fit for consumption from their source country and a
lot more finding their way to Africa are purchased from the recycling plants
and scrap-yards, while the rest are picked from the dump sites and on the road
sides. The dealers are aware that if
sent to Africa, it would get a market, please avoid these used equipments as
much as you can, do not rush to buy them, save enough before investing in your
home appliances.
We can clamour for stable
electricity, but we are not helping either by using fairly-used appliances as
we would be using treble the power and is one of the reasons our limited energy
does not last long enough, when we have it. Even countries of the world with more
generating capacity avoid fairly-used appliances, so as to reduce cost. Most of these equipments are also very risky
for our health, emitting dangerous volatile substance as they get older. Note that most of them were scrapped from the
source country for a reason.
Check the Labels
When buying your new
equipments, watch out for energy efficiency label, please do not ignore the
label, this rates how efficient the appliance is on a scale from A (most efficient)
to G (least efficient). It is important to buy the most efficient appliances. Ensure
to check this label before buying the appliances.
There are a few handy
tips for energy efficiency that should be adhered to at all times;
Fridge or Freezers
- Don’t
put your fridge or freezer next to a cooker or in direct sunlight. Make sure air can circulate around the back.
- Don’t leave the fridge door open for
longer than you need to.
- Never put hot food in a fridge or freezer.
Let it cool first.
-
Stock up your freezer. It works most efficient when it’s tightly packed,
so fill any space with cardboard,
bottles of water etc.
- Defrost
your fridge or freezer regularly and check for gaps in door seals that could
let air in the door.
Lighten your Lighting Bill
Lighting probably
accounts for around 20% to 25% of your electricity use. Using energy saving
light bulbs is the bet way to cut your lighting bills. Every energy saving bulb you use could save
you N625.00 per year. It’s worth
starting to replace your bulbs now as inefficient light bulbs are being phased
out. Also follow the following tips.
-
Turn off the lights you
don’t need, but leave enough lighting on for stairs and hallways.
-
Open curtains and blinds
during the day to let in natural lights
- Avoid leaving halogen
spotlights on for a long time, they are the most expensive type of lighting.
-
Fluorescent tubes are an
efficient form of lighting; they are also the best for the kitchens.
-
Use light coloured
lampshades – they will emit most lights.
-
Turn off the security
light during the day.
-
Fit timers and automatic
sensors to lights, especially outside lightings.
Cut the cost of Cooking
- When
cooking vegetables, use just enough water to cover the food. Always put a lid
on your pan.
- Always
use the right size of pan for your cooking ring.
- Cut
food into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time.
- Avoid
repeatedly opening the oven door while you are cooking or baking.
- Your
microwave uses a lot less energy than your oven. Some fresh food can be cooked
in the microwave in a fraction of time and for a fraction of the cost.
- Only
fill the kettle with as much water as you need, but make sure you cover the
element if you use an electric kettle.
- Defrost
food in the fridge overnight rather than using the microwave.
Launder for Less
- Always
put a full load of washing into your washing machine or tumble dryer.
- Save
energy by washing at lower temperatures. Washing at 30°C can save around 40%.
- Always
dry your washing outside if the weather is right.
- If
you use a tumble dryer, spin your clothes first. They’ll dry in the tumble
dryer more quickly.
- Plan
your ironing so you don’t have to keep changing the temperature. Start with
clothes that need a cooler setting. Finish with clothes that need the hottest
setting.
Standby for more Savings
Avoid
leaving any electrical items on standby, i.e. do not use your Microwave as the
clock. Are you aware that some household
electrical appliances switched to standby use up to 90% of the energy they use
when switched on? In some households, leaving items such as TVs, DVD players
and hi-fis on standby is the equivalent of leaving a 100W light bulb on all
year round. So turn off all appliances
from the wall socket when not in use to save power and money. These are some of our options if we want to
increase our power holding capacity.
