First Steps to Better Home Energy Efficiency in Mexico

Start by knowing your starting point

Before changing habits, keep a few bills and note the kWh, billed days and time of year. Make a list of appliances that run for many hours, produce heat or cold, or stay plugged in all the time. Include how many bulbs there are and which ones are on the longest. That lets you choose actions that fit your home instead of following a generic list.

Change one or two things at a time and compare periods of similar length and weather. Your bill total also depends on tariff, billed days, temperature and occupancy; one bill doesn't prove that a measure worked or how much it saved.

Replace the incandescent bulbs you use most first

An LED bulb can deliver similar light with fewer watts. Compare lumens and light color on the package; choosing the lowest wattage isn't enough if the room ends up poorly lit. Check that the bulb is compatible with the fixture and, if you need dimming, that it says it's dimmable.

An illustrative example: replacing a 60 W incandescent bulb with a 9 W LED, both used five hours a day, reduces calculated usage from 9 to 1.35 kWh a month. The difference would be 7.65 kWh a month per bulb on that schedule. Start with the bulbs that stay on longest; one used for a few minutes a day will have less effect.

Check old appliances with data, not just their age

Write down the brand, model, approximate age and label usage of your refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine or dryer. Compare data sheets for equivalent models and consider how long each one runs. CONUEE, Mexico's energy efficiency agency, recommends prioritizing older equipment, especially over ten years old, when evaluating replacements; even so, it's best to base a purchase on verifiable usage, frequency of use, total cost and the appliance's condition.

A refrigerator that runs all year deserves different attention from a blender that turns on for a few minutes. Check that the doors seal, that it has ventilation and that the settings follow the manual. In hot climates, air conditioning can weigh heavily: maintenance, clean filters, closed doors and a reasonable setting help avoid unnecessary work. Don't open electrical panels or do electrical repairs unless you're trained.

Make better use of your washer, TV and plugged-in equipment

Use the washer with a suitable load and the cycle that fits the clothes and the manual. Avoid empty cycles and compare the per-cycle usage on the label when available. Hot water, if your machine heats it electrically, can change usage a lot; not all washers heat their own water.

Turn off screens and consoles when no one is using them. Some appliances use power on standby; a power strip with a switch can help for equipment that doesn't need to stay connected, but don't unplug the router if you need it for alarms, calls, work or other services. If in doubt, measure with a plug-in meter suited to the appliance.

Reduce incoming heat before paying to cool it

Make use of shade, close blinds when the sun comes in directly and seal air leaks that you can fix safely. Clean air conditioner filters according to the manual and turn off the unit in empty spaces. If you plan a larger improvement, compare the cost of shade or insulation with your home's real use of air conditioning.

The recommended temperature depends on comfort and on the equipment; CONUEE suggests a range of 24 to 26 °C (75 to 79 °F) for air conditioning. There's no need to chase a number if the home isn't comfortable: combine safe ventilation, shade, maintenance and control by zones.

Make a short plan for next week

Prioritize what's cheap and easy to verify before replacing equipment that still works. For each purchase, compare usage, warranty, price and technical service.

• Day 1: photograph the labels and write down the models.
• Day 2: switch the bulbs you use most to LED.
• During the week: note the hours for TV, A/C and washer.
• That same week: check filters and seals, according to the manuals.
• At the end: decide whether you need to measure an appliance or get a professional review.

How to know it worked

Compare your kWh per day with the same period last year, so the weather doesn't mislead you. If they dropped, you know you're on track.

If you're thinking about solar panels, this is a good time: size the system to your new usage. The guide "Before Installing Solar in Mexico, Check Your Electricity Use" takes you through it step by step.