Electricity contributions: how to know how much consumption and how to save in order not to exceed 400 KWh

Many years ago it was common to hear mothers or grandmothers yelling at the little ones in the house: “Turn off the light, who are you the owner of SEGBA (Servicios Eléctricas del Gran Buenos Aires was a joint stock company in charge of the generation, transmission, distribution and marketing of electricity until 1998)“. They were also times of planned cuts. Over the years and with the freezing of tariffs, that old custom of dealing with electricity, gas and water services has been lost. Gradually the idea of ​​something was being lost that now specialists are emphasizing again: They are natural resources that will run out if we don’t take care of them.

Now the announced new scheme of subsidies for electricity, natural gas and water, finally announced on Tuesday and starting in September, forces us to rethink in that saving idea. And this revalidation takes place not only because tariffs increase for those who lose state aid, but also because if families exceeding the limit of 400 KWh of monthly electricity will also pay the full tariff for the surplus.

This was stated by the government at a press conference the 400 kWh cap reaches 80% of users, but only 50% of residential consumption. In the case of gas, the removal of subsidies will be defined by region. Climate differences, cost of distribution and seasonality will be the keys to establishing subsidies. In the water, the application begins in September.

Of the 9 million users who filled out the form to withhold subsidies, approximately 1.8 million exceed the monthly consumption of 400 kWh. There are 4 million who have not signed up to withhold state aid and will pay the full fee.

This opens up countless questions about how to save energy, what should I take into consideration; what kind of artifacts should I use; which bulbs should be chosen to moderate consumption. How to avoid the consumption of vampires; also which habits need to be changed to make conscious savings that benefit us when paying the bill, but which also collaborates with the environment. Clarin has come up with a score that is worth reading and reviewing from time to time:

As an energy saver

• Try turn the lights off which are not in use.
• Check that we are using low consumption lamps. “Municipalities consume 10 times more”, explain from Edesur.
• When purchasing a White Line appliance or device, look at the energy efficiency label.
• When you build your home, you have to search how to make our home more efficient from construction.
• Know that the washing machine, dishwasher and air conditioning are the ones that consume the most energy. So make more efficient use how to try to wash less,
• Unplug any appliances consumed by vampires. For example, standby devices, such as television, computers, TV set-top box.
• use motion lights in the entrances of houses, or stairs, or gardens.
• Avoid opening and closing the refrigerator every now and then.
• Use the air conditioning at 24 °, and the refrigerator does not have it at its best.
• Choose wisely with what, for example, we heat the rooms.

How to know how much I consume

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

For Simondia, “if you pay attention to air conditioning and hot water you can aim for 300 kWh / month “.

To get a more precise idea of ​​how much is consumed per week or per month, it is useful to use the calculators found on the pages of the National Electricity Regulatory Body (ENRE) or on the distributors’ websites. There the user can find out what is the average consumption of household appliances and devices used in the house.

You can load one by one which appliance or device is used, enter how many hours and how many times per week they are used to finally calculate the monthly consumption.

Edenor also has its own consumption simulator to have a more accurate recording.

How much do household appliances consume?

On the page, www.argentina.gob.ar/enre, in addition to the calculator to make your own calculation, there is a detailed table how much the most used appliances consume.

It follows, for example, that a cold / hot air of 3,500 frigories (one of the most commonly used 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 (ceramic hob with burner diameter 220 mm) they are at the forefront with 2,300 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. “Timers can be used for many of these devices, for example, if we have the television, computer and router connected to the same electrical outlet, we can “send them to sleep” when we don’t use them, “they tell BGH.

Where to see the consumption in the bill

To know the consumption that was made in the two-month period, you have to look at the bills. Both Edenor and Edesur have that record to the left of the invoices.

The data you find in the bill in relation to consumption are: quantity of kWh consumed, period of consumption.

Under consumption, there is also a graph that allows you to know what was the average energy consumption of the last six months and how many kWh were consumed in the same period of the previous year.

The invoice also shows what kind of user you are.

Edenore:

Edesur:

In the electricity service bill you can view in detail your consumption, the history, the customer number, the meter number, the expiry date and the electronic payment code. Remember that the meter reading is bimonthly, but billing is monthly. How to read the Edesur invoice.

YN