Dubai: Want to reduce your water and electricity bills? We asked Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), what Dubai residents could do to tackle high electricity and utilities bills.
Salman Sarjin of Dewa shared a few useful tips with Gulf News.
Sarjin said: “Many people don’t know that the main tip to reduce your electricity consumption and Dewa bill is paying attention to your cooling system. You need to increase the temperature of the air conditioning or cooling units in your homes. Instead of keeping your AC at 20 degrees Celsius or below, keep it higher, close to 25C. Every 1C up, you can save up to 10 per cent of cooling consumption.”
The Dewa spokesperson at the ongoing Gitex Technology Week, added: “Another important thing to remember is if you have a very old AC, more than 10 years old, it might increase your electricity consumption. So replace old ACs with new ones.”
Here are a few other electricity saving tips from Dewa:
- Turn off lights that are not needed. Benefit from natural daylight as much as possible.
- Use induction lamps and LED for outdoor lighting because of their longer lifespan and efficiency compared to conventional lamps.
- Use LED, CFL light lamps and T5 fluorescent light tubes for indoor lighting because they are more efficient.
- Clean your light bulbs regularly. - Use timers and motion-detectors where applicable to limit electricity usage.
- Keep your thermostat set to ‘auto’ mode, not ‘on’.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air. They use about as much electricity as a light bulb and can make you feel comfortable at higher thermostat settings.
- Don’t forget to turn off fans when you leave the room.
- Clean or replace your air conditioner filter monthly so it runs efficiently.
- Schedule heat producing activities like laundry, ironing at cooler times of the day.
- Turn off lights when not needed, especially incandescent and halogen types.
Be water wise to reduce your water bill:
Aerating your faucets, investing in a low-flow toilet, choosing efficient shower heads and opting for a water-sense rated dishwasher and washing machine can add up to big water savings.
Ask a plumber to do leak detection every quarter or biannually.
Irrigation tips:
- When irrigating, water your plants before 8am or after 6pm and avoid watering on windy days.
- Water in several short sessions rather than one long one because the lawn absorbs moisture more effectively.
- Water only when needed. To determine of your lawn needs to be watered, simple walk across the grass, if you leave footprints, it’s time to water.
- Install moisture sensors in different areas of your garden, like the sunny and shaded sides, to better determine irrigation needs.
More tips to save on your utility bills will soon be available on an app that Dewa plans to launch during the upcoming annual Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX).