Electricity limit in order not to lose the subsidy: 5 keys on electricity consumption

Sergio Massa gave some signals and made a couple of announcements Wednesday in his first press conference as Minister of the Economy. Among his sayings about him, he introduced a ceiling when it comes to subsidies for water, electricity and gas. As for electricity, he commented on it if the limit of 400 kW per household is exceeded, families will pay the full rate. As a result, Clarín has put together a guide on how to make energy use more efficient, which appliances consume the most, what should be avoided, what it is and how to avoid vampire consumption and where the monthly consumption appears on the bill. Edenor or Edesur.

In summary, those who have signed up for grants will continue to have them a base (400 kWh) at a lower price, but will have to pay a higher cost for the rest of their consumption.

“Among the more than 9 million families who have asked to keep the subsidy, we will promote consumption savings. We cannot continue with a scheme where those who spend the most get the most subsidies, “Massa told the press.

For her part, the presidential spokeswoman, Gabriela Cerruti, reported in her classic Thursday conference that “80% of the 9 million families” who asked for the electricity contribution “You will get the full subsidy.”

Consulted by Clarín, Dr. Ing. Miguel Aguirre, Director of Electronic Engineering at ITBA warned: “The best way to save energy is to understand that there is no magic and that to generate it you need to spend natural resources such as gas, oil or water in our hydroelectric dams. So what you need to do is take care of it and use it wisely, and don’t waste it. “.

For Aguirre, the main problem with this reduction in subsidies is that “it would take us to rates comparable to those of other countriesthe problem is that in the rest of the world it is these tariffs are accompanied by many investments over the years, of more performing household appliances and more efficient energy saving systems for domestic construction.

Energy consumption in Argentina

“40% of energy consumption in Argentina is residential and inside, 60% corresponds to air conditioning, with air conditioning and heating, “Diego Simondi, director of BGH Eco Smart, the business unit specializing in energy efficiency and smart building, told Clarín.

In this sense, the specialist clarified that it is the two consumptions that absorb the most energy in the house are air conditioning and domestic hot water supply. “Air conditioning accounts for over 40%, hot water over 30%,” he said.

In this regard, Claudio Figuerola, CEO of Wabee Smart Energy added: “Many homes have replaced their gas air conditioning systems with electrical equipment and currently, only about 20% of the heating systems offered on the market are gas-fired, the rest are electrical devices “.

For Simondia, “If you pay attention to air conditioning and domestic hot water, you can aim for 300 kWh / month”. And for Figuerola, that figure can vary based on various factors such as “the m2 of the house, the number of people who live there and how long they spend there, as well as the number and type of devices used, among others”.

In this regard, and focusing on the rationalization of consumption, the BGH expert commented that “To achieve savings, the important thing is to adopt energy efficiency measures in all consumption, but above all in those two that have a greater impact ”.

Specialists agree that an Argentine address “consumes between 300 and 400 kWh / month”. The doubt now is whether the government will take monthly or bi-monthly consumption, which has not yet been clarified. Some specialists in the sector understand that the limit responds to the consumption of two months.

How much do household appliances consume?

On the page www.argentina.gob.ar/enre there is both a calculator so that everyone can do an exercise on their daily energy consumption, and a detailed table how much the most used appliances consume.

From there it follows, for example, that a cold / hot air of 3,500 frigories (one of the most used in general for an average environment) consumes about 1600 kW, while an inverter (the most recommended today) drops to 1000 kW.

Although air conditioning is more common and is one of those that cause the highest consumption; High-end electric hobs (glass ceramic hob with 220mm diameter burner) lead the way with 2300 kW per hour of use.

Refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, routers, computers, electric kettles, electric ovens, toasters, hairdryers, irons, among others, consume less, but it is also possible to save money. “For many of these devices, you can use timers, for example If we have the television, the computer and the router connected to the same electrical outlet, we can “send them to sleep” when we don’t use them, “they tell BGH.

How to achieve greater energy efficiency

“The energy efficiency label allows you to know the level of consumption and efficiency of devices and appliances. It is attached to the devices and has a color scale. The higher the efficiency, the lower the consumption. The highest efficiency is the green color, class A. The lowest efficiency is the red color, class G “, warned Simondi.

All consulted specialists agree in air conditioning, the most efficient equipment is electric and with inverter technology instead of operating at a fixed flow rate, they vary their frequency and regulate the electrical cycle as needed. “These teams represent great savings of up to 50% in some cases”they explained.

Good insulation is also very important. When it comes to air conditioning, the appearance of the house casings makes a big impact – stripping and double glazing are recommended at this point. Also configure the equipment with a ceiling of up to 24 degrees in summer and winter.

The people at Wabee Smart Energy have added a list with more than 10 recommendations, among which the following stand out:

• Buy energy efficient appliances A: Class A electrical appliances consume approximately 50% less energy than those with average consumption.
• Keep the air conditioning between 20 and 22 ° C during the winter: This allows great energy savings at the micro and macro level.
• Install real-time electricity consumption monitor know the changes in the consumption of household appliances and anticipate the amount to be paid.
• If you still have a gas stove, you can combine the use of gas and electric heating.
• Electrical appliances with resistance are the ones that consume the most, such as electric kettle, iron, hair dryer, etc. In addition, stoves (2 kWh), quartz stoves (1.4 kWh), ovens (1.04 kWh), electric stoves (1 kWh) and air conditioners (1 kWh).
• Defrost the freezer: ice left on the walls can create counterproductive insulation, consuming up to 20% more energy.

What it is and how to avoid the vampire consumer

Consuming vampires is also known as reserve energy. and refers to energy consumed by an appliance when not in use. “It’s a concept that helps improve carbon footprint awareness,” warns BBVA on its energy efficiency page.

Computers, televisions, microwave ovens, air conditioners, and chargers are some of the devices or appliances that consume energy 24 hours a day. In other words, they are “vampires” of energy consumption.

In winter the air conditioning is not in use, but if it is still connected it will consume electricity. This has a double impact on the home: on the one hand, it will reflect on the electricity bill; and on the other hand it contributes to the increase of carbon dioxide emissions.

To use energy efficiently and save money, the recommendation is simple: Unplug any appliances you aren’t using.

change habits

“For example, if it’s really cold and we set the air conditioner to a temperature above 30 degrees and open the window, it’s a bad habit,” said Simondi.

In this sense, Aguirre added: “By heating we do not intend to have the whole house at 28 °. We have to heat the rooms we are going to use and don’t spend on the ones we don’t use during the day. ”

The ITBA engineer also explained that “for example, the iron that consumes a lot of energy should be used as little as possible and unplug it as soon as it is finished. The electric kettle is another that consumes a lot, so I just have to heat the cup of tea I’m going to drink and not two liters of water. “

YN