{"id":70347,"date":"2014-10-08T11:17:10","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T09:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=70347"},"modified":"2014-10-07T17:36:50","modified_gmt":"2014-10-07T15:36:50","slug":"save-electricity-know-number","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2014\/10\/08\/save-electricity-know-number\/","title":{"rendered":"Save electricity, know your number"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In attempting to save electricity, the first thing consumers should know is the amount of power they are using.<\/p>\n<p>Checking meter readings is not enough. 49M is introducing a formula to determine a specific number for each family or individual\u2019s home, which is crucial for monitoring electricity consumption.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>This simple calculation will allow electricity users to categorise their home\u2019s energy rating against other homes, and against global benchmarks.<\/p>\n<p>The formula is simple and provides an immediate result, it is also easy to repeat every month to track your progress in your savings efforts.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Check your electricity bill to see what kWh you are using a month and multiply this by 12.<\/li>\n<li>Then measure every room in your home to calculate your total floor area.<\/li>\n<li>Take the annual kWh consumption you worked out and divide it by the number of square meters and that will be your number.<\/li>\n<li>Then compare this with the rating scale provided in this accompanying infographic and you will see how you are doing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Click to open\" href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/misc\/2014\/10\/07\/Know%20your%20number%20infographic-NAB%20390x265.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-70351\" src=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-339x500.jpg\" alt=\"49 info (Medium)\" width=\"339\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-339x500.jpg 339w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-200x294.jpg 200w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-475x700.jpg 475w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-50x73.jpg 50w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium-90x133.jpg 90w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2014\/10\/49-info-Medium.jpg 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Although people believe that saving electricity is a costly expense, it is possible for people to save substantial amounts through simple behavioural changes which involve no outlay of money.<\/p>\n<p>A test case study currently being concluded by The Green Building Council of SA (GBCSA) with a family of four in Cape Town, indicates that in just one month of training family members to adopt simple energy-saving changes on a daily basis, they reduced their power bill from R1 200 to R800.<\/p>\n<p>In this study, called My Green Home, after the first month, power-saving gadgets and appliances were added throughout the house and garden, and through that, they saved 48% in electricity costs in just three months.<\/p>\n<p>The test case study will be concluded in the middle of October and the results will be announced by the GBCSA. The Ngewana family, described as a typical South African family living in a three-bedroom suburban home with a swimming pool, if they continue using the energy-efficient equipment installed, as well as their new usage habits, will be saving R18 000 in the coming year on water and electricity.<br \/>\nThere are several no-cost interventions which people can do on a daily basis and families are being encouraged to let these become a matter of habit around the house.<\/p>\n<p>They are behavioural changes which alone can save more than 10% of electricity costs as proven by the Ngewana family.<\/p>\n<p>They involve simple things such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Switching off lights that are not used;<\/li>\n<li>Turning the geyser thermostat to 60 degrees;<\/li>\n<li>Using the minimum amount of hot water, only boiling as much water as is needed in a kettle;<\/li>\n<li>Keeping the fridge and freezer as full as possible;<\/li>\n<li>Defrosting frozen foods overnight in the fridge as opposed to using a microwave;<\/li>\n<li>Matching pot sizes with stove plates;<\/li>\n<li>Keeping the oven door closed during meal preparation and switching it off 10 to 15 minutes before the cooking time elapses;<\/li>\n<li>Using the microwave instead of the oven where possible;<\/li>\n<li>Using a toaster instead of toasting bread in the oven;<\/li>\n<li>Reducing shower time to 7 minutes;<\/li>\n<li>Reducing the number of stove plates used during meal preparation by choosing to cook one-pot meals;<\/li>\n<li>Cooking extra and freezing left-over portions;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Using cold meats during the summer months, which is not only healthy but energy efficient as well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other steps, involving some cost, can be done.<\/p>\n<p>These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Insulating the geyser and hot water pipes;<\/li>\n<li>Ceiling and roof insulation;<\/li>\n<li>Changing lighting to CFL or LED and installing sensors lighting outside or placing them on timers;<\/li>\n<li>Installing energy efficient shower heads to reduce hot water usage;<\/li>\n<li>Installing a geyser timer and pool pump timer;<\/li>\n<li>Investing in energy efficient small appliances such as the kettle and toaster, iron, electric pressure cookers, induction plates and the microwave;<\/li>\n<li>Investing in a gas heater;<\/li>\n<li>Planting trees in front of windows and north-facing and west-facing wall facades as this will block the sum ensuring a cooler interior;<\/li>\n<li>Using windows and door seals to reduce ventilation during winter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And finally for those who really want to invest to save. They can install:<\/p>\n<p>* A solar water heater;<\/p>\n<p>* Energy efficient white appliances such as fridges, washing machines and dishwasher;<\/p>\n<p>* A gas stove;<\/p>\n<p>* Ceiling fans or some form of ventilation rather than air conditioners<\/p>\n<p>* Double-glazed windows;<\/p>\n<p>* Solar panels;<\/p>\n<p>* A wood burning fireplace;<\/p>\n<p>* Internal wall insulation;<\/p>\n<p>* Other floor options such as wood, wood laminate or carpets which keep the heat better than tiles or stone flooring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='e1c6e8964483782e30ee09b92191c544'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warmer climates are upon us, and there are many ways to keep cool this summer in Germiston, from bird-watching at the Rondebult Bird Sanctuary to cruising the airconditioned corridors of East Gate. But there are more efficient ways to keep cool this summer, while still saving electricity.<br \/>\nRead on to find out why saving electricity is important all-year round, and how you can play your part in curbing electricity usage this summer, by making only a few minor changes to your lifestyle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":70349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"NAB Branded Content","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[5068,5069,5076],"class_list":["post-70347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-49m","tag-49m-know-your-number","tag-how-to-save-electricity"],"amp_enabled":true,"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["49m","49M Know your number","how to save electricity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}