10 simple tips for a low electricity bill & a sustainable household!

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you are confronted with a back payment for electricity. This usually leads to heated discussions in shared apartments or to panicked calls to parents if you live alone.

So that it doesn’t get that far in the first place, we have put together 10 easy tips for saving energy and for a sustainable household.

1) Pull the plug and don’t have devices in standby mode

A student’s smartphone and laptop are his best friends. And all too often they are plugged into the socket. But it doesn’t have to be so. Generally speaking, you should of course make sure you have as few electrical devices as possible in standby mode and disconnect them from the mains.

Chargers that are not currently required also draw energy when they are plugged into the socket. So when you go out, don’t just unplug your smartphone, but also take the charger with you.

2) Cook with the lid on and use less water

We know from our own experience that noodles are a staple food as a student. Covering your pots and pans while cooking not only saves up to 30% energy, but also cooks faster. This is ideal for stressed students with a small budget. Of course, the pots and pans should also cover the entire hob, otherwise there will again be unnecessary energy use.

As with the kettle, of course, when heating liquids only heat the amount that is really necessary. In other words, to boil a handful of potatoes you don’t have to heat 10 litres of water.

This not only reduces energy demand, but also cooking time. Now that’s saving energy sustainably!

3) Use heating energy sparingly

Every degree less on your thermostat helps the environment. You don’t necessarily have to walk through your apartment in a bikini.

With every degree you save up to 6% heating energy. Also: Please refrain from tilting the window, which wastes energy, and rather ventilate properly 3 times a day for about 10 minutes.

4) Reduce meat consumption

You are probably already on track to avoiding meat, but here’s a little reminder: A maximum of 3 meals per week which include meat will improve your own ecological balance by a proud 20%. When buying meat, please pay attention to local products from species-appropriate husbandry.

5) Do not preheat the oven

Modern hot air ovens no longer have to be preheated (unless it is explicitly stated in the recipe, but well, no risk, no fun). If you want to bake brownies even more efficiently, you can turn the pipe off early and use the residual heat.

In addition, we can add one point to our list of energy saving tips: When your dessert dream is ready and the outside temperature is already below zero, leave the oven door open and use it to warm your four walls! Now that will be cosy and warm!

6) Save energy with a kettle and coffee maker

It doesn’t always have to be the stove, especially when you know that kettles and coffee machines consume around 40% less energy than an electric hotplate. As long as you only fill the kettle with as much water as you actually need.

For daily coffee, it is better to use the tried and tested filter machine than the retro coffee maker or the stylish capsule machine. The old filter machines usually need less energy than a stovetop and coffee maker. We don’t even want to talk about the energy and environmental balance of the small aluminium capsules.

A small bonus for the old filters: Coffee grounds are a real all-rounder when it comes to recycling. Keywords: Fertilizers, cleaning agents, peeling and, and, and, and.

7) Dishwasher instead of manual labour

The dishwasher saves quite a bit of water compared to washing up by hand. But please fill it up before switching it on and use the ECO program (if your dishwasher has such a function).

8) Turn off the tap, cat wash and economy cistern

Just so that we can understand each other, those who still have the water running while brushing their teeth should feel ashamed of themselves. This is energy saving for beginners.

If you like to buy gadgets, you can get an economy shower head. This can reduce water consumption by half. By the way: In quiet places, there is not only space for flashes of inspiration, but also energy savings. Magic word: Economy cistern or the “small” button. This saves you on average up to 3 litres of water per flush.

By the way: The bathtub has a high relaxation factor, but it should remain an exception. In comparison, when you shower you only use a quarter of the amount of water.

9) Select a low wash temperature when washing

Did you know that modern detergents allow a much lower wash temperature than before? Washing at lower temperatures saves up to 20% on energy costs. Boom!

10) Chilling with a chest freezer and defrosting regularly

If you can choose between a chest freezer or deep freezer, please reach for the chest. Thanks to its one-sided flap, much less cold air escapes to the outside when it is opened and not as much energy is required to adjust the temperature again.

These are our best tips on how you can save energy in the future! If a light has been turned on for you, then please use an energy-saving lamp or LED (after all, this saves up to 80% of the energy!).

If you feel a bit overwhelmed by those tips, or do not want to have to take care of all of them, we have another tip: Colivi has furnished apartments for rent in Vienna and Graz.

While you have your own private bedroom, you will share the kitchen and other rooms, such as bathroom, with other students. Of course those cheap apartments for rent are not only furnished, and offer free WiFi, but also the kitchen is fully equipped with perfect fitting pans and pots for you to use for cooking your meals.

For more infos please visit Vienna apartments for rent or Graz apartments for rent.

Of course, you can also always reach out to us – our staff will happily answer all your questions!