This is how you cut your monthly electric bill

Don’t leave too many empty spaces inside the fridge; fill up using empty containers or boxes to prevent cold air from escaping when opening the door. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za

Electric bills can be a big burden on household expenses – and high energy usage is not kind on the environment either. The big energy eaters in a home are air conditioners, refrigerators, electric kettles, water heaters, ovens and steam irons. Contrary to popular belief, lights do not consume a lot of energy, forming only about 20% of household electricity usage.

We learnt how to cut our energy use at the Energy Savings Workshop conducted by the Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia (Cetdem) last month in Petaling Jaya.