Tips on how to save money
In order to serve our customers better during this period of inflation, Big C who believes in “Everyday low prices for families”, has tried to stabilize prices in our stores and provide low price/high quality products. Big C would also like to serve our customers by suggesting some money savings tips to help reduce daily expenses.
Using energy efficiently
Saving energy has become an important issue for everybody, especially housewives. How can we use electricity efficiently at home and office?
- It is important to buy an air conditioner that is right for your room capacity.
- You can lower costs by cleaning it frequently, by not setting the temperature too low and by shutting it off when not needed.
- The fridge should be placed in a cool area, away from heating appliances such as ovens and windows with direct sunlight. It should also be placed 10 cm from the wall to allow air to properly circulate behind it.
- Do not place warm food in the fridge.
- Defrost the freezer compartment regularly and do not let the ice become thicker than 5 mm.
- A fridge with more doors will save more energy than a standard one.
- Do not make your meal too early because keeping it warm will waste energy.
- Make sure the rice pot in the cooker and heater are kept clean for better heat exposure.
- You can also save on electricity by using the appropriate size rice cooker for your cooking needs.
- Do not iron damp/wet clothes or in an air-conditioned room.
- You can save electricity by keeping your iron clean.
- You can turn off your iron a short time before you finish ironing because the iron takes time to cool down.
- It is more cost-efficient to iron your clothes once a week than to iron one set of clothes everyday.
- Empty the dust box each time before vacuuming.
- You can also save energy by setting the vacuum cleaner in the low mode when vacuuming.
- Household or Office Appliances - Computers, printers, copy machines, TVs ...
These appliances not only consume energy but also exhaust heat into the atmosphere. Appliances left on hold with still consume electricity and generate heat (about 3W/h to 20W/h depending on the type of appliance). For example, a water heater on hold will consume a great amount of electricity to keep the water warm.
In order to decrease the amount of electricity we use at home, we should choose lighting fixtures which generate the least amount of heat possible.
Different types of light bulbs consume different amounts of electricity. Experts believe that compact fluorescent light bulb is the most economical light for households. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can also reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices.
Gas saving tips
Adjust the size of the flame from the burner to the bottom of the pot making sure the flame isn’t too big.
- The more often you turn the burner on the more gas you use. Have everything ready that you need to cook your meal before turning on the gas.
- Using a metal circle that wraps around the burner will help reduce gas consumption by 5%.
- Ajust the burner to the type of cooking: for example, for frying and steaming use the high burner; for soup use the medium burner.
Reducing water consumption
- Only wash clothes when you have a full load.
- For personal hygiene and savings you should use a glass instead of your hands when using water directly from the faucet. This can save 10 liters of water per day.
- Soak dirty dishes in water 5 minutes before cleaning them.
- Take showers with reduced water pressure. By taking a shower for 5 minutes with slow dripping water you can help save 2,280 liters of water per month.
- Replace your shower head with a more economical one that reduces water flow which can save you money. This is not expensive to buy and is easy to install. A shower uses 20 to 45 liters of water per minute, thus, you should avoid using wasting water by letting it run when not needed.
Make sure that all faucets and toilets work properly. By fixing all leaky faucets and toilets you can help save 6,400 liters of water per year.
- Water your plants in the morning and avoid watering when it is windy. Cover the dirt around your plants in order to hinder the evaporation process. You can also add 5 to 10 cm. of compost or hard mud in order to enhance the moisture holding capacity of the soil.