water and electricity conservation tips

When we moved in to our apartment last December, since it was the winter season our monthly DEWA (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority) bill was pretty low. Maybe because we didn’t need to use the a/c or probably because we didn’t watch TV that much. But then when the summer season began, so did the rise in our bill. From less than Dhs200, it has reached to more than Dhs700! Take note, this doesn’t yet include the housing fee. That’s roughly 8,000 pesos in a month for water and electricity alone! Augh!

Fortunately last week, our managers went to DEWA for a meeting of some sort and returned with some leaflets from DEWA containing some conservation tips which we (hubby, myself and Ate Cel) have begun following...at least, the ones that are applicable. Here they are:

Garden
- Water your garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are lower
- Use one bucket of water to wash your car
- Use drip irrigation systems to water plants, that will save 20% to 30% of water consumed

Living Room
- Set air-conditioner thermostat to 24ºC or higher, and turn off when not needed
- Switch off TV from the source when nobody is watching. The standby mode consumes 10% of water that the TV would normally consume when it was actually on
- Switch off radio from the source when not needed
- Use energy-efficient bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs
- Switch off lights when leaving the room

Bathroom
- Take a shower instead of a bath. By shortening your shower 1 or 2 minutes, you can save up to 150 gallons of water a month
- Reduce water heater temperature by 1º and switch off when not needed
- Install aerators on faucets to reduce the water flow rate
- Place a plastic bottle filled with water or sand inside the flush tank to reduce the amount of water used
- A glass of water is enough to brush your teeth

Kitchen
- Keep your refrigerator temperature at 3º. Increasing just 1º of your refrigerator temperature can save around 10% of electricity
- Use flat-bottom pans for best contact with the heat. With improper kitchenware, a lot of electricity is wasted as heat during cooking
- Cook more than one item at a time
- Use washing machine for a full load
- Don’t let the tap run when washing fruits and vegetables

Most of them are things we already know, but either forgot or we’re just too stubborn to follow. But if we do our bit in trying to conserve water and electricity, it would definitely do a lot of good to Mother Earth...and I’m sure our pockets would appreciate the savings as well.