Efficient Use of Electricity

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In our daily life, there are many simple steps you can do to save electricity. These steps can easily become your habit, which will save your cost and benefit our environment at the same time.

• Choose appliances with an Energy Label.
• Choose appliances of sizes and features which best suit your needs.
• Choose appliances with timer or automatic power-off function.
• Clean appliances regularly or after use.
• Don't set the temperature lower than your need for air-conditioners and refrigerators.

Electrical Appliances	Efficiency Tips
Lighting	Turn off the lights when no one is in the room. Avoid over-lighting. When buying new lighting, choose compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) which use about 75% less energy to give the same amount of illumination and last up to eight to ten times longer than conventional incandescent bulbs. Keep lighting fixtures and lamps clean to maximise their efficiency. Take advantage of daylighting by using light-colored curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
Television / Plasma Television	Disconnect electricity supply to a TV set if it is not to be used for an extended period of time. Avoid leaving it on standby mode. If nobody is watching TV, turn it off. Don't use it as a source of background music.
Fan	Clean fans regularly. Switch off the fan when it is unnecessary.
Air Conditioner	A grade one room air-conditioner is at least 15% more energy-efficient than a grade three (average) one. Choose the air-conditioner according to the room area. Clean the air filter regularly. Close your windows, doors and other openings when the air-conditioner is in use. Try not to install the air-conditioner in a position subject to direct sunlight. Avoid obstructing the air inlets and outlets. Turn off unneeded lights and heat-producing appliances to reduce air-conditioning load. Don't set your air-conditioning thermostat at the coldest level. Just set the cooling to the temperature that you feel comfortable. Use timers, if possible, to switch on and off your air-conditioners. Use ventilation fans instead of air-conditioners where possible.
Hi-Fi Set / DVD / VCD / Video Recorder	Switch off the appliance when it is not in use.
Iron / Steam Iron	Iron all items in one session to avoid reheating the iron. Use the iron at the correct temperature setting. Iron items that require high temperature first, then medium, then switch off and use the residual heat for fabrics such as silk that requires lower temperature. Don't iron everything. It is not necessary to iron towels, underwear, drip-dry shirts etc.
Mobile Phone Charger	Don't leave it on charge unnecessarily.
Personal Computer	Turn off the computer, display device and monitor when they are not in use. Use a laptop PC because desktop PC consumes more energy.
Printer / Scanner	Turn off printers and scanners when they are not in use.
Dehumidifier	Choose a dehumidifier with energy label. Clean the air filter regularly to ensure effective performance. Avoid obstructing the air inlet and outlet of the dehumidifier. Close windows and doors when using dehumidifiers.
Vacuum Cleaner	Use a vacuum cleaner only when a brush or damp mop would not do the job more effectively. Empty the dust bag frequently. Your vacuum cleaner has to work much harder to do the same cleaning when the dust bag is full. Clean and replace the dust filter regularly.
Heater	Choose the heater of appropriate size and type. Before using any type of space heater, consider putting on warmer clothing and also ways of preventing draught of cold air. Use a heater with thermostat and timer to reduce energy consumption. Switch off the heater about 30 minutes before going out. Turn off the ventilation fan because it can pull out a houseful of warmed air.
Fax Machine	Select a fax machine with power management capabilities, e.g. fax machine with standby function. Avoid using full-page covering sheet. Use a stick-on label instead of covering page on the first page of your fax.
Air Cleaner / Air Fresher	Clean and replace the filter regularly.
Massage Chair	Turn off power when it is not in use.
Aromatherapy Lamps / Diffusers	Turn off the aromatherapy lamp / diffuser when it is not in use.

Electrical Appliances	Efficiency Tips
Refrigerator	When buying a refrigerator, select one of size, category and features best suits your family need. Choose a high energy-efficiency refrigerator as a grade one refrigerator is at least 35% more energy-efficient than a grade three one. Make sure the door seals properly. Avoid opening the door more than necessary. Don't set temperature excessively low. Too much ice wastes electricity required for regular defrosting. Place your refrigerator away from direct sunlight, oven or other heat sources. Wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Do not put hot / warm food into your refrigerator, let it cool to room temperature first.
Rice Cooker	Choose a rice cooker with an energy label. Cook the rice at a right time to reduce the unnecessary keep warm function. Make sure the rice cooker is clean.
Electric Kettle	Boil only as much water as you need. A kettle that turns off automatically is better. Unplug the kettle if it is not in use.
Thermo-pot	Heat only the amount of water you need. Unplug the thermo-pot if it is not in use for a long period of time.
Cooker Hood	Clean the appliance periodically.
Microwave Oven	Clean the microwave oven regularly.
Dual-Fuel Cooker	Get a pan ready and place it on the cooker before you turn it on. Don't forget to turn it off after you finish cooking. Keep pots and pans covered. Water boils faster and foods cook faster in this manner. Use the right pan for the job. Foods will cook faster if you use pots and pans with flat bottoms and tight-fitting lids. Oversized and undersized pans waste energy. Don't use more water than necessary.
Oven / Cooker Oven	Don't pre-heat the oven unless it is necessary. Turn off the oven about five minutes before the required cooking time is up. Leave the door closed to retain heat.
Hot Plate	Turn the hot plate to the power level that fits your need.
Toaster / Toaster Snack / Coffee Maker / Electric Steamer / Electric Slow Cooker / Electric Steaming and Stewing Mug	Clean the appliance after use.
Food Chopper / Food Processor / Juicer	Cut the food into smaller pieces before putting in the food chopper / processor / juicer.
Dish Washer	Use energy-saving wash cycle.
Ice Breaker / Coffee Grinder / Electric Can Opener	Switch off or unplug the appliance when it is not in use.

Electrical Appliances	Efficiency Tips
Water Heater	Choose the right size for your family. Choose a water heater with high energy efficiency. The energy consumption due to standby loss of a grade one water heater is about 25% less than that of a grade three water heater. Switch off the water heater after use or install a timer for maximum efficiency. Lower the thermostat setting in summer. Take a shower instead of a bath. It may cut costs by two-thirds. Use cold water where hot water is not absolutely necessary.
Exhaust Fan	Turn off after use.
Washing Machine	Choose a washing machine with better energy efficiency grading by referring to the energy label. Select the right size of a washing machine for your family. Use cold water cycle whenever possible and don't use too much detergent. Wait until you have a full-load before washing as a half load uses the same amount of energy as a full load. Use the lower temperature setting or shorter program if possible.
Tumble Dryer	Choose a tumble dryer with higher energy efficiency as a grade one dryer is at least 20% more energy efficient than a grade three one. Whenever possible, hang-dry your clean laundry outside. When buying a tumble dryer, choose a model with a moisture sensor and an automatic stop feature to avoid over-drying. Remove as much excess water as possible from your laundry before drying. Sort the laundry items by their texture and dry a full load at a time. Don't overload as this blocks the airflow and greatly reduces drying efficiency. Clean the lint filter after use to improve air circulation. Inspect your dryer vent periodically to ensure that it is not blocked. This will save energy.
Hair Dryer / Styler	Towel your hair as dry as possible before use.
Ceiling-Mounted Dryer	Switch off after use. Remove as much excess water as possible from your laundry before hang-drying. Clean or replace the air filter regularly to ensure effective performance. Inspect the exhaust pipe, air supply and air return periodically to ensure that it is not blocked. This will save energy. Whenever possible, dry your clean laundry by natural sunshine.

For details on Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme, please refer to Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) website at http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/pee/eels.shtml.