How not to go bankrupt because of lights
Content
I thought that I would dedicate the last article of my newsletter this year to something that is current and where – perhaps surprisingly for many – a smart approach to devices can save money.
The right choice
This probably occurs to everyone, but sometimes it happens that we forget this principle for specific products. For example, with lights.
You might think they are just lights. But as with any other electrical device, the lights have their own characteristics and differ in various parameters – including consumption.
So, if you want to prevent a source of light from bankrupting you, check their labels first. If you move in tens of Watts you are safe. As soon as it’s already hundreds of Watts, maybe it’s time to think about the choice.
Timers
These simple devices are not only part of action movies where there is an explosion. Timers are small boxes that help you save on lighting.
And using them is absolutely simple. Instead of plugging the lights directly into an outlet, you plug them into a timer, which you then plug into the outlet. You then set a time period on the timer so that the light will automatically turn off at a time when you do not want it to “eat”.
Lights are a wonderful thing in the evening, when you can already curl up on the couch, but at 3 or 10 in the morning, when the light is completely unnecessary, they will automatically wait for the time when you can fully enjoy them again.
Using Internet of Things to manage home lighting is a great example of a smart approach to home automation. Equipped with IoT sensors and connectivity, the lights can be easily controlled using a smartphone or voice assistants. Such lights can be programmed to turn on or off automatically.
For example, you can set the lights to turn on at sunset and turn off at midnight, or to respond to movement in the room. This intelligent approach not only saves energy, but also adds an element of comfort and safety to your home.
Mathematics a priori
We are just entering a new era where consumption is decided in advance, not when the bill comes. You can apply the same principle to lights and start learning how to deal with electricity again – knowing how much you will pay.
So if we take the two previous points, then we can very easily find out in advance how much it will cost us to operate the lights. You can adjust their operation accordingly.
The procedure is simple. For lights, you can find out their power consumption – the value of Watts. This is also the consumption value for one hour. We then multiply this number by 24, so we find out the consumption for the continuous operation of the lights in one day. We divide this number by 1,000 and multiply by the price of electricity in kWh. It will cost you a day’s worth of lights.
Based on this number, you can then adjust the operating time so that you do not go bankrupt and the operation of the lights is not an unpleasant surprise for you.
I hope this article does not offend anyone and brings some lightness and joy to the Christmas rush. I wish you happy holidays!
