Expert advice: a little-known way to cut bills when living in an apartment block
2023.07.12
One of the line items on the monthly bills of apartment dwellers is the electricity used in common areas, including outdoors. Experts from Civinity, one of the largest building maintenance and engineering solutions groups in the Baltics, advise on how to significantly reduce the amount you pay for electricity, while at the same time protecting the environment.
Outdoor lighting consists of lighting around the house, in the yard and in underground car parks. Residents have the right to ask the administrator or the chairman of the association who manages their building to install the most energy-efficient solutions. This will reduce bills and improve the environment.
The most important factor influencing the cost of outdoor lighting is the type of bulbs. There are currently two types of bulbs available – incandescent bulbs and the more energy-efficient option of LED bulbs. In comparison, incandescent lamps have a wattage of 100 W (watts), while LED lamps have a wattage of around 26 W. LED lamps therefore consume around 4 times less electricity.
“According to Civinity experts, the automation in the building is also very important for saving money.
There are various start/stop relays on the market that control the amount of time it takes for lighting to automatically turn on and/or off. Installing motion, microwave, infrared and other sensors is also a solution, which can save up to several kilowatts (kW) per month.
As the range of light bulbs is large, savings can also be made by changing the brightness of the lighting. There is no specific standard for the brightness of the bulbs, which should be agreed by all the owners of the apartments in the building. The shade of the bulbs is irrelevant in this respect.
What if you want to change the lighting?
If you want to change the outdoor lighting in or near an apartment building, you need to express your wishes to the manager of the building management company or the chairman of the association. The rest of the process is up to him. He or she will be responsible for coordinating the project with the other residents and, once the estimate has been drawn up and approved, organising the work will begin.