Watts Wisely

Why it matters

Two identical houses, identical families. One pays double the electricity bill of the other. The difference isn't luck — it's a dozen small physics decisions made daily.

The idea in plain words

The efficiency checklist. Tap the habits.

units saved = watts saved × hours ÷ 1000

Replace five 60 W bulbs (4 h/day) with 9 W LEDs. Monthly saving at ₹8/unit?

≈ ₹240 a month — from one shopping trip

• habit 1: lighting — LED > CFL > filament; daylight is free
• habit 2: standby — chargers and TVs on standby leak power all night — switch off at the wall
• habit 3: star ratings — BEE stars grade appliance efficiency — 5-star pays back its price in bills
• the bigger lever: social initiatives — 9.12: LED distribution schemes, solar programmes, energy audits
• saved power = 5 × 51 = 255 W
• daily: 255 × 4 ÷ 1000 ≈ 1 kWh → month ≈ 30 kWh

Predict first

Which single change saves the MOST energy at home?

A 60 W filament → 9 W LED for the same light. Standby still sips power; only the switch truly stops the meter.

• replacing filament bulbs with LEDs (same light, ~85% less power) — correct
• switching the TV off by remote (standby)
• painting the walls white

What you do

Run a modest home — LED and fan daily — and keep the whole month under ₹800.

Check yourself

An appliance rated 5-star vs 1-star does the same job using…

Stars grade energy per job — the physics of the label.

A phone charger left plugged in (phone removed) consumes…

The transformer inside hums on. Small × always = kWh by year's end.

Running the washing machine with FULL loads saves energy because…

Half-loads pay full-cycle energy for half the work — batching is efficiency.

• less electrical energy — correct
• more time
• costlier electricity
• a small but real standby power — all day, every day — correct
• absolutely nothing
• more than while charging
• the motor and heater cost nearly the same per cycle regardless of load — correct
• clothes wash each other
• it doesn't