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How can I save energy (electricity)?
I live alone, in a rather small apartment. I try as good as I can to save energy by setting timers on my computers, air-cons, TV, I avoid having too many lights on (and they're all the new energy-saving kind anyway), and more importantly, whenever it's possible, I open the windows and use a fan rather than air conditioning. My boiler is only on when I shower. Still, I can see from other apartment's bills (they're on public display here when your payment's late, Lol) that they only pay 1/3 of what I pay, even couples with children.
I'm obviously missing something, or do I just consume more due to the 2 computers, 32"TV, fridge, coffee machine, water heater and fan that are always on?
It sounds like you have thought about a number of efforts towards reducing your electricity usage and power bills. Do you have access to your power meter? If so, try an experiment of looking at it when you first come home, before you've entered the apartment and begun to actually use your energy. Is it moving? How fast/much is it moving? Your power meter is measuring how much power you are actually using.
If you have a breaker box in your apartment, you might also try an additional experiment. Unplug as many things as you can in your apartment. Turn all of the breakers and/or the main breaker(s) off. This will absolutely cut off all power to your apartment. Then go back to your power meter. It should not be moving and/or operating. - If it is, then you have a whole different issue. If it is moving while all of the power has been turned off to your apartment through the turning off of all of the breakers, then your meter is supplying power to more than just your apartment. - Turn the breaker(s) back on and start plugging things back in one at a time.
You can additionally see how much comparative power different circuits in you apartment are using. To find out what is plugged into which circuit, leave the items on then turn off an individual breaker; you might want an open window and/or a flash light to do this. Determine what has stopped running; unplug what you can to protect those items when you return power. Then, go back out to look at your meter to see how much it has slowed; the more power being used, the faster the meter will run. Power up the breaker and plug your items back in one at a time.
"...do I just consume more due to ....that are always on?" - The more you have on/consuming energy the more electricity you are using. Of course, the longer you have these things using electricity/on, the more they will consume too. It could be that the other apartment dwellers have an insulation blanket around their hot water tank; even as a renter, you may decide that the cost of the blanket is worth enough energy savings to make it a worth while purchase. It could be that the others keep their apartments cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer; often wearing appropriate clothing and foot coverings can enable comfort and reduced energy use. It could be that others are drawing drapes or other window coverings to moderate their apartment's temperature. Or, renters or not they may have found a way to caulk as needed, use door/draft snakes, and close off unused areas. They may take cooler, shorter, or fewer showers. They may be completely turning off/unplugging their appliances when not in use; many use power strips/surge suppressor strips. Do you have a washer and drier in your apartment; they may not?
I would start with these types of things. But, you might also want to ask some of your neighbors how they've kept their electricity bills so low.
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