In this first part of a 2-part series on reducing electricity consumption, we concentrate on the home. The next part will look at reducing electricity usage in the workplace.

How much do you pay for electricity every month? If you lead a simple lifestyle, maybe your bill is only RM50-60 a month. But if there are several people living in your home, using numerous electrical appliances, you could be paying a few hundred ringgits every month.

If the latter describes you, the recent hike in electricity tariff will have hit you hard. But the truth is, a tariff hike is inevitable, with the way gas prices are increasing worldwide. Malaysia’s reserves of this once-abundant resource are rapidly depleting, we have begun importing gas, and we have to start conserving what we have left for our future generations.

Let’s begin by making simple changes in our daily routine to keep energy usage low. It will cost us nothing in terms of money and effort, but the rewards are plenty.

Switch off, but beware the power vampire

The simplest way to reduce electricity consumption is to follow the mantra: “switch off when not in use”. Lights, air conditioners and fans need not be left working when you are not in the room. For televisions, the wider your screen, the more electricity it consumes.

But why not take a step further and switch them off at the source/wall plug – even better, unplug the appliance. What we call the “power vampire” sucks out energy even when appliances are on standby mode. Any indicator lights and digital displays are all signs of electricity being drained and are added to your bill.

Making things more efficient

Air-conditioners: Ideally, temperatures should be set at 24-26°C – a comfortable temperature without resorting to sweaters and blankets. Also, air conditioners should be installed away from directs sunlight, serviced regularly and be of a horsepower suited to the size of the room. This will make sure they perform optimally. Close windows and doors when the air-conditioner units are in use.

Refrigerators: Make sure that it is not located near a cooker, stove or oven and not exposed to direct sunlight. There should be adequate space above, behind and around it for air circulation. Adjust its temperature according to the contents load – never pack contents tightly in a fridge. A suitable temperature is 15°C and for the freezer compartment, - 18°C. Never let the frost build up to exceed 6mm and always switch off when defrosting. Ensure that all excess water is removed before restarting.

Check that door gaskets are in good condition – use a sheet of paper, if it can be removed easily from the door when closed, then the door gasket needs to be replaced. The same goes for the door gaskets of ovens and microwave ovens. Inspect them regularly for signs of wear and tear.

Irons: Steam irons use more electricity than dry irons, because of the extra element of water which has to be heated up. Ironing clothes in one big session is also more energy efficient than ironing them piecemeal.

Washing machines: If you have a washing machine, run it only on a full load, but do not overload.Avoid using the hot washing cycle, whenever possible.

Lights: Change your lights to energy efficient ones. And if you can afford it, change your bulbs to light emitting diodes (LED), as they last much longer; consume less energy; are eco-friendly; durable; light up instantly; and can be switched off and on frequently without affecting its lifetime or light emission.

Look for energy labels

Look for energy stickers on certain appliances, such as air-conditioners, fans, refrigerators and televisions. The number of stars given (1-5) indicates how energy-efficient the appliance is (more stars mean less energy used). The sticker should also tell you how much energy you can save with this appliance, compared to an average 3-star model.

Understand your electricity bill

Your electricity usage is calculated in kilowatts per hour (kWh). The kilowatts used depend on the size and amount of electrical appliances used in your house (ranging from small items like lights and phone chargers to large appliances like refrigerators). The more appliances you have and the bigger the capacity, the more electricity you will use.The ‘hour’ in kWh is calculated on the duration that the electrical appliances are used. Obviously, the longer they are turned on, the more electricity they consume.

Do your own energy audit!

Find out how much electricity your home appliances use. All you need to know are:

1. Power rating / energy usage of the appliance

2. Number of hours you use the appliance

3. The electricity tariff

Source From:http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/02/26/Reducing-electricity-consumption-at-home/

With the development of high-end smart phones, cell phone case has become essential goods for a variety of smart phones. Since it is a protective cover, then consumers are most concerned about its material. Many consumers are wondering what material cell phone case is better. In the following article, we analyze which kind of mobile phone case is better.

First, we should understand what materials are the general mobile phone cases are produced. There are leather, rubber, fabric, soft plastic, etc on the market. Each material mobile phone case has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s analyze the material of common mobile phone cases!

Leather mobile phone case: Compared to single style silicone phone cases, business people working hard in the workplace prefer to use decent and generous leather phone protective cover, different from young man advocating casual, holding a single color appearance mobile phone is not graceful for them. The leather mobile phone case is divided into two kinds, one is the waist leather case popular for many years, which is applicable for many phone models; another is the portable leather case which can be put into the pocket, more used for N97, iphone and other high-end smart models. Although the two seem different in appearance, the manufacturing process is similar. The advantage of leather case is chic, decent, do not wear phones, good heat dissipation, but not waterproof like silicone case. In addition, the leather case is difficult to put into your trousers pocket because it is too large, which is inconvenient to carry around.

Silicone mobile phone case: this material mobile phone case is the most well-known phone protective cover, which is loved by many people of all ages due to its soft, not afraid to fall characteristics. It has been popular for many years, and always maintains the leading market share.

Water phone sets: It is not an innovative concept, which is the blend of crystal case and silicone case. It is a form of moderate hard and soft protective cover made of transparent silicone, because it is transparent as crystal shell, so it is named water.

Crystal Case: Silicone case and leather case has their advantages and deficiency, to realize integrated protection, another cell phone case emerged. This is the crystal case highly favored by women. It consists of plexiglass, the appearance is thick and sturdy, the case body is crystal and clear. It can not only effectively protect your phone, and does not affect the appearance.

Each material mobile phone cases have advantages and shortages; do you know which cell phone case is better? It is difficult to choose, you can consider according to personal preference and the nature of your phone, but personally I prefer silicone case, because the phone is divided into bar, flip, slide three types. The bar phone can use either kind material phone case, but the flip phones and slider phones have certain limitations, which generally only use leather case and cloth case.