Residential Sector - Energy Saving Advices

1. Purchase equipment with automatic low power mode or energy saving mode.
2. Plug the main device and peripheral devices to switchable multi-socket power bars or intelligent power bars for reducing standby power.

Air-conditioners

1. Air conditioners with Grade 1 energy label could save up to 43% energy consumption in comparison to Grade 5.
2. Adopt inverter type air conditioners can save up to 40% annual energy consumption in comparison to non-inverter type air conditioners.
3. Adjustable air vanes should preferably be used in supply air grilles to provide flexibility in ventilation direction.
4. For split type air-conditioners, check frequently all pipeworks and equipment to identify any damage and leaks, especially the insulation materials, around joints and coils. Rectify the leaking gasket/sealant where necessary.
5. Use fans in conjunction with window type air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively to enhance the cooling effect instead of lowering the temperature of air-conditioners.
6. Adopt natural ventilation or ventilation fans for areas not require air-conditioning.
7. Keep the windows and doors closed when the air-conditioner is turned on and use curtains or blinds to shade against sunlight.

Refrigeration Equipment

1. Refrigerators with Grade 1 energy label could save up to 97% energy consumption per year in comparison to Grade 5.
2. Don't put the refrigerator near a heat source - an oven or direct sunlight from a window.
3. Keep fridge at the right temperature and defrost regularly to keep it working efficiently.
4. Leave enough space between refrigerators and the walls for better heat rejection.
5. Allow hot or warm food to cool down before putting it into the refrigerator.

Kitchen and Cooking Equipment

1. Use efficient appliances like microwave ovens or toaster ovens for cooking and baking in small quantities.
2. Avoid using the keep-warm function of electric pots since it consumes lots of energy. Transfer the surplus hot water to a thermal pot.
3. Using pressure cookers can save around two-thirds of cooking time, and hence save energy.
4. Use cooking utensils that conduct heat well. Foods cook faster with pots and pans lid covered, and hence save energy.
5. Use electric pots with automatic switch-off feature for boiling water.
6. Defrost frozen foods in the air before cooking.
7. Shorten the preheating time of ovens as far as possible.
8. Adjust the stove flame to fit the bottom of the cooking pan.
9. Cook several dishes in one session when using the oven, or cook dishes requiring higher temperature first.
10. Always cover pans with lids to keep the heat inside to save energy.
11. Use the timer wisely to avoid over-cooking and energy wastage. Let the residual heat finish the job.

Laundry Equipment

1. Washing machine with Grade 1 energy label can save 48% energy consumption in comparison to Grade 5.
2. Choose a washing machine that meets the household needs.
3. Fully load the machine – A half load of clothes uses about the same amount of energy as a full load.
4. Spin dry wet clothes in the washing machine at high-speed spin cycle before using a tumble dryer.
5. Use a low-temperature wash cycle to reduce water heat needs.
6. Hang-dry washed clothes in sunlight at outdoors instead of using tumble dryers.

Computing Equipment

1. Use intelligent adaptor to automatically switch off peripheral devices, such as monitor and printer, for reducing standby power.
2. Unplug equipment chargers and adapters when they are not in use.
3. Switching off the screen can save even more energy consumption than just letting the screen savers run.
4. Reduce the brightness level of the screen to the lowest level of acceptable comfort.
5. Use the power management feature to preset the computer to "sleep" mode when it is idle and set the wait time to "sleep" mode to be lowest.
6. Affix energy saving reminder.

Miscellaneous Equipment

1. Use appliances with timer control or automatic power-off function. Do not leave them in standby mode for a long period.
2. Use appliances of appropriate capacity and features best suited for your need.
3. Choose dehumidifiers that have automatic dehumidifying mode.
4. Keep the windows and doors closed when the dehumidifier or heating appliance is ON.
5. Remove battery charger from power socket after charging completed.
6. Minimize the battery consumption by switching off functions whenever unnecessary, say, vibration, mobile data connection, GPS, Bluetooth, etc.
7. Dim the screen or adopt auto brightness control mode in use.