Where your electricity bill money goes
and easy ways to save energy
According to data from the Greek Statistical Service, the average annual electricity consumption per household is 3,750 kWh, with the majority of this being thermal. This means electric cookers, electric heating and water heaters.
The images of the "scrooge" father turning off the lights to save money on the utility bill are outdated, especially after the mass adoption of LED lighting technology. To give an idea of how low the cost of lighting with LED technology lamps is, a 9 watt bulb (=75 Watt incandescent) if left on for a whole year uninterrupted will cost us the astronomical sum of 15 euros..
A great waste, not always perceived, exists in water heaters. A water heater has an average output of 4kW. How much does it cost us to leave it on for a whole day? (To be fair, we'll accept that because of the thermostat, it runs 1/3 of the time). The answer is 7 euros. That is what it would cost us 1-2 drinks in a café. The electricity provider is drinking coffee in our name!
How can we save money in this case?
By changing the way we heat our water and space, using energy sources such as gas. Where feasible, it is advisable to install a solar water heater (which again needs to be electrically powered for cloudy days, which is generally in winter).
If we have no choice but to use an electric water heater, what we need to do is limit the time the water heater is left on to the time it takes to heat the water. We can of course remember to turn it off after a certain amount of time each time we turn it on, or we can simply set a timer on the HAM Wi-Fi switch and it will automatically turn off whether we turn it on "manually" locally or turn it on from our phone while returning from the gym.
Restricting the use of energy-intensive electrical appliances in situations where there is no incentive to save, such as in short-term rental accommodation (e.g. AirBnB) is another story. There the use of a simple automation system such as the ones we offer is a one-way street.
As for shops and office, each case has its own peculiarities. There are several commercial spaces where the electricity distribution leans towards the lighting side. For example, when a large banquet hall or office space needs to be illuminated, there the lighting contributes quite a bit to the total bill. More often than not, the balance tends towards air conditioning.
In any case, measuring energy, even as a number of the total consumption, can lead to savings of 10-15% without a noticeable change in the conditions of the room. Having energy data subconsciously leads us to make small changes in our habits that reduce consumption where it "hurts" the most.
We have encountered several cases of customers who were convinced that someone was "stealing" their electricity, only to realize after the installation of our company's smart meters that there was simply an irrational waste of heating that happened to be electric. In such cases, payback of the system is achieved in less than a month. From then on, the system practically pays us! If you want us to help you with saving in your unique situation don't hesitate to reach out in the comments, via our Facebook and Instagram!