Ways to reduce energy costs in summer

Currently residential customers consume the largest share of electricity in the UAE. What’s more, much of this energy is wasted. Very simple changes in our every day habits can easily reduce a households energy consumption by 20% .

“Primarily as a result of increased use of air conditioning, energy consumption in the UAE more than doubles during the summer, resulting in much larger utility bills for all users”, said Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, Director of Privatization for the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) in a press release.

The Heroes website heroesoftheuae.ae is offering residents top practical tips on how to keep cool, while improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

“While it is true that we need to use air conditioning to keep cool in the summer, we can be more thoughtful about our habits by making sure that we reduce wasteful energy consumption,” said Tanzeed Alam, Manager, Climate Change and Sustainability, EWS-WWF.

The campaign website lists the following summer tips to keep cool and save the planet:

Set your AC thermostat to between 24-25 degrees.

Turn the AC off in rooms that you are not using and close the doors.

Although we need AC in the summer, please switch it off when you go out of the house or on holiday. If you want to keep you AC on while you are away, then we recommend that you set it to over 28 degrees celsius for long periods of time

Close all windows to keep cool air from escaping while the AC is switched on

If you have a ceiling or a standing fan at home, please use it instead of the AC when you can.

Close your curtains or blinds to keep out direct sunlight , your home will be much cooler as a result.

Switch off your water heater in the summer if you don’t need it. Many households have a water tank outdoors, which gets heated directly by the sun, meaning you do not need to use your water heater.

Hang your clothes out to dry in the summer sun instead of using a dryer. It will be much faster, and will save you energy and money as well.

Switch off all your appliances at the plug when you leave on your summer holidays. You may not realize that when you leave your appliances on, they are actually consuming energy even though you’re not using them.

Avoid using high energy consuming devices such as washing machines and dryers during the hottest part of the day (noon and afternoon), which is the peak time for electricity consumption.

The campaign has been endorsed by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Energy, and sponsored by the ADWEA, Masdar and the Abu Dhabi Media Company.