With the WFH order still in place for most companies, electricity bills have skyrocketed to insane prices as many of us are spending more time indoors. Accompanied by the current Malaysian heatwave, it’s become nearly impossible to not use our air-cond all the time. So how did one Malaysian man keep his electricity bill at just RM40-RM70 a month despite living in a two-storey house with six air-conditioners?
Fawwaz Johari took to his Facebook page in 2019 to share how he did it, and these tips are still extremely useful today!
He started off by giving some background to the size of the house, which has four bedrooms and a living room.
Each room is equipped with an air-cond. The living room has an additional two air-cons. Fawwaz mentioned that the house is typically occupied by his parents but he and his siblings would visit every weekend and during holiday seasons. Their house was installed with the ‘Smart Meter TNB’ in February that year and when Fawwaz shared a picture of his electricity bill, the total came up to just RM62.30!
Here’s how he managed to keep his bill below RM70:
1. Use inverter technology
Fawwaz advised those who are using air-cond tools to ensure that all their air-cond are equipped with inverter technology. An inverter-type air-conditioner allows you to adjust the speed of the compressor to control the refrigerant flow rate, hence it consumes less current and power.
“The price may be a bit expensive compared to normal equipment, but you only have to pay the price once during purchase, and then you can enjoy continuous electricity savings over the long run.”
2. Ensure your electrical equipment has “5 stars” status
Another tip given was to look out for electrical equipment with 5-star ratings. Typically, the Malaysia Energy Commission will equip products with energy efficiency labels for consumers’ knowledge.
“Efficient appliances will save more electricity usage in your home,” shared Fawwaz.
3. Try not to use electrical heating equipment
Fawwaz shared that if possible, people should avoid the usage of equipment that requires electricity to cook. “Among the unused equipment at our home in Melaka are our electric rice cooker, electric water kettle, water dispenser.”
Instead, Fawwaz and his family use a gas stove for cooking. “We cook rice in the pot and use a kettle to heat the water.” The only electrical heating equipment they use is iron and the shower’s water heater.
4. Use LED lights
All the lights in Fawwaz’s house are LED lights as he says this can reduce up to 75% of electricity use as compared to normal lights.
This is because LEDs use much less energy than incandescent bulbs as diode light is more power-efficient than filament light.
5. Pull out your plugs after using your electrical tools
Here’s something we’re all guilty of forgetting to do. It may seem like no big deal to leave your plugs in the wall socket when you’re not using them but according to Fawwaz, electricity rates can be reduced by RM15-RM50!
While the savings rate still depends on the type of house you live in and the kind of electrical appliances you use, it’s still a great tip to cut costs on your electricity bill. “To get more savings, you can also remove the ‘wifi’ plug in your home at night when everyone is sleeping at not using it.
6. Use a turbine ventilator on the roof
Using the air-con way too much? Fawwaz shared that he keeps his house cool by installing a turbine ventilator on their roof as this allows the hot air that is trapped in the house to escape.
The turbine ventilator also improves air quality and lowers the temperature of your house.
7. Plant trees both inside and outside your house
Fawwaz shared that his mother’s hobby is planting trees but this is also a useful tip to reduce the temperature around your house.
“Trees are known to reduce air temperature. With these trees, the air in our home is usually at a low temperature. We rarely have to turn on air-conditioning at noon, except on a really hot day or when guests come to the house.”
He added that trees produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide so their family enjoys fresh air every day.
8. Air-cond will consume less energy when surrounding temperatures are low
When your household already has a low surrounding temperature, the air-con won’t use as much energy to lower the temperature to your desired point. Fawwaz further illustrates this, “imagine if the temperature around the house was only 25°C, the air-conditioner just has to lower the temperature by 2°C to get the desired temperature. So with the trees of plants along with turbine ventilator, electricity can be saved more.”
Fawwaz said that he works as a TNB worker but none of these recommendations come from TNB. They’re all based on his personal experiences and electrical use in his Melaka home.
What a bunch of useful tips! Which one will you try today?
Also read: Besides Air-Cond, Water Filters With Cooling Functions One Of The Causes Of High Electricity Bills
