Rome, July 14, 2003
Enel has published on its website a page of tips for the intelligent use of electricity. The aim is to help customers optimize their use of electrical appliances and, where possible, to switch them on in non-.peak periods, that is, between 5:00PM and and 10AM of the following morning.Managing your energy consumption rationally will not only reduce your bill, but reduces pressure on the national system during peak periods.To encourage the intelligent use of electricity, Enel is now installing its new digital electricity metre. Over 10 million have already been installed and the project will be completed in 2005 with the installation of 30 million devices. The new metre, which measures consumption moment by moment, enables the offering of multi-hour tariffs. These offer advantageous rates for people who use electricity in the evening, at night, the early morning, on holidays, and so on. Enel is investing 2 billion euro in this project.
The tips can be found at http://www.enel.it/eneldistribuzione/bl/index.asp
Here are some examples:
Refrigerator
Set the refrigerators internal thermostat at "minimum". Limit the number of times you open it and also the amount of time you keep it open. Do whatever you need to do quickly, especially when using the freezer.
Never introduce hot food and, if it doesnt have automatic defrosting, remember to defrost it regularly. If possible, the refrigerator should be placed in the coolest spot in the room.
Hot water tank
Do not keep you hot water tank permanently "on". It is better to run it at night to have hot water in the morning. Dont keep the thermostat too high. In summer it should be set at around 40° C.
Air conditioners
Never set the thermostat at "maximum", but in such as way as to keep the difference between the inside and outside temperatures at not more than 5° C. Even a narrower difference, for example 2° C, can give a reasonable level of cooling as it leads to a reduction of humidity. Keep window shutters either lowered or closed when they are exposed to the sun.
Washing machines
Only run the washing machine when it is full and not during peaking periods.
Run cycles with average temperatures, using the "economiser" function.
Dish washers
Only run when full and not during peak periods. When possible, use "economy" settings.
Lighting
Never keep lights on unnecessarily, especially during daytime. Remember to regularly dust light bulbs and reflectors: a clean light bulb producers much more light. Illuminating stairwells, basements and garages can be wasteful, as one often forgets to switch them off. In these cases, automatic "switch off" is useful.
Irons
Make sure the thermostat is set correctly; sometimes the results are better at lower temperatures.
Other devices
Dont leave other small devices on stand-by (TVs, stereos, video recorders, DVDs, computers, kitchen appliances). To increase the efficiency of vacuum cleaners and steam cleaners, make sure that the surfaces are prepared beforehand.
Small businesses
Reduce internal illumination during the day to increase the efficiency of air-conditioning.