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Increase the electricity, the rate changes depending on the schedule and you pay more. You can adapt your habits to the clock and also take advantage of all the efficient technologies that appliances incorporate.

The price of electricity has reached record highs on several occasions this year and a change in the hourly electricity rate has also been approved. Does what you pay worry you? The goal is to save energy, and the bill has a lot to say about optimizing the use of natural light and the responsible consumption of household appliances. Adopting habits that make electricity consumption cheaper in the face of new tariffs and prices is essential, but it is also essential to acquire highly energy-efficient appliances and know how to use them so that your pocket will notice with their cutting-edge technologies.

According to the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), each household spends an average of €1,000 per year on energy, so it is important to consume responsibly and efficiently. The idea is that users pay according to their spending during the day, so it is convenient to know the cheapest time slots to spend electricity (off-peak) and avoid the most expensive ones (peak), although you can also opt for flat hours. The key is to reduce the environmental impact and rationalize energy to have a more eco-friendly house, so it is interesting to assess the use of a digital programmer with timers that avoid phantom consumption, since they save up to 10% on the electricity bill.

Save on the use of household appliances

It is of little use to buy an efficient washing machine, if you only give the program cotton by system in the most expensive hour of the day. Take time to get to know all the functions that appliances incorporate and save! Using an express cooker, turning on only the light you need —this one, let it be LED— and ironing a lot of clothes at once are saving habits. It is also important to follow the tricks and saving facilities provided by the circular economy.

• Washing machines. Use low temperature and steam programs that facilitate ironing; they even avoid having to use the iron on some garments. It is not magic, but technology. That you forget to put something in the washing machine? It is no longer necessary to stop and restart it, because on some models you can interrupt the wash, put the clothes in and the cycle will continue where it was.
• Extractor hoods. Choose the model with the power your kitchen needs and a highly efficient motor. Use the appropriate extraction level for the needs of each dish: low speed for soup and high speed for frying.
• Dishwasher. Get used to filling the full load and put an eco program. Did you know that there are models that open at the end so that the crockery can dry in the open air? The door opens automatically, so the dishwasher does not have to run in the last part of the cycle and you save on consumption. Putting the dishwasher saves water and energy compared to washing by hand. Do you often not fill it? So, the half load function is key for you.
• Fridge. Consume energy 24 hours. Do you know how to use it efficiently? The Siemens firm recommends keeping the refrigerator and freezer at 4ºC and -18ºC respectively. and do not put hot food inside. If you make a large purchase, he advises avoiding temperature changes by using the Super-cooling function, which increases the flow of cold air to lower the degrees quickly. After the necessary time has elapsed, said function is disconnected and returns to the previous values selected.

Ovens and plates. Switch to induction and save.

Tricks to save energy with decoration

The interior designer José Arroyo offers us some ideas to save energy with good planning in interior design. In his projects he plays with different materials to achieve versatile environments and optimize energy savings. It is always good to follow our advice to pay less this year for heating.

This children’s bedroom, which belongs to the Urquijo project by the Basque interior designer, is a perfect example: a total white room, with reading points, high ceilings and the use of a very concise color scale.

Color harmony

Spaces change their dimensions if you learn to use the right color palette.

To make a room larger, you will need to use neutral and bright tones, such as white, beige or cream, because they are capable of multiplying the reflection of light by up to 80%. This monochrome that predominates on the walls of the house fulfills another function: to make us feel good.

Decorate with rugs

The phrase “cold enters through the feet” may seem like advice from grandmothers, but there is some truth to it.

Try to insulate the flooring in the bedrooms, the living room and the hallway with rugs, because they offer visual warmth and also a very comfortable sensation in our footsteps. Pastel tones, better if they are shades of gray and pink, achieve a powerful lighting effect.

Floors in light colors

The wooden platform is a good insulator, it is cool in summer and warm in winter, so it is one of the most used to pave our homes.

If you have underfloor heating to use with heating, it is best to use porcelain or stone flooring, because they are good conductors of heat. Floor finishes in neutral colors are the best for multiplying the brightness of the room.

Multiply the light at home

Stairs, wall recesses and darker areas of the house hinder the natural circulation of light.

Increase the warmth of each room with hidden lights or with these 28 lamps and ideas to create cozy atmospheres. As you know, led bulbs are the cheapest in the long run. Take a look at all the options in our report with everything you need to know about LED lighting.

Mirrored walls

Discover the fabulous effects of decorating with mirrors, there are many ideas to decorate. The superpower of these elements is that they multiply the spatial depth.

There are always very inspiring ideas to hang them in the halls, the bathroom or the dressing room. Take a look at these decorative mirrors for less than €50.

Separate with glass walls

Do you like to recreate the industrial style? Create an open space or enlarge the size of a room with sliding doors or glass panels. Glass enclosures guarantee the access of natural or interior light to each corner of the house, so try to liven up the decoration with Nordic-style furniture.

Apartments with an open kitchen gain visual meters if you separate the living room and the cooking area with glass, in addition to preventing cooking odors and fumes from spreading throughout the house.

Take advantage of high ceilings

The decoration wins points when the continent is a house with high ceilings, a luxury for its multiple options for interior design.

The luminescence that causes the reflection of light is ideal for saving energy. If you need to texture the ceiling, just install plaster molding or fancy trim.

Curtains with light fabrics

The subtlety of textiles to cover the glass of the balcony or the windows is a must in decoration.

Due to their elegance, light fabrics are key for blinds, curtains or net curtains, in addition to allowing the sunbeams to enter and giving a certain intimacy to the atmosphere. The most translucent materials are linen, linen or cotton, although taffeta or organza are acceptable synthetic options to dress your windows with short curtains and net curtains to give your home a shabby chic touch.