A few tips to conserve energy this winter in Korea

Given a series of breakdowns at nuclear power plants this winter, companies and individuals are being urged to save energy to prevent blackouts. Since cutting the use of industrial energy cannot be done immediately, conserving energy at offices and home is important.

Heaters and system air conditioners are energy guzzlers. A heater should be turned off as much as possible since it consumes 10 times the energy of an electrical pad. Even better is lowering the thermostat on a system air conditioner or turning it off for 10 minutes at 50-minute intervals.

Another effective conservation method is to use paper weather strips as a sealant or hanging a long curtain to block cold air and contain heat. If curtains or paper weather strips in doors are linked to the outside, the energy savings can reach 17 percent.

Lights account for 30 percent of energy use at offices and home. Since three halogen lamps of 50 watts each consume as much energy as a TV (150 watts), they should be turned off. Removing fluorescent lighting is recommended if it is in a bright place.

Electrical outlets should be replaced with energy-saving models, and plugs should be removed from an outlet when not in use.

imsun@donga.com