Here are some quick and easy ways for you to start using less energy in your home, saving your money and ultimately, our environment. There are plenty of methods to be more efficient with your energy use around the home. With growing economic and financial concerns, and the earths reduction in resources it has never been more important to look at how we use energy around our home.
Get started with these tips and soon you’ll have plenty more to add of your own.
- Insulate Those Walls – Research has shown that as much as half the heat in a home can be lost by traveling through the walls and roof. Does your home have a properly insulated walls? Get it checked out and make the necessary improvements, this will save you a lot more money in the long run from the initial cost of any new insulation you purchase.
- Energy Efficient Appliances - We all love our comforting home appliances, try to purchase or upgrade to energy saving technologies. So next time you’re out kettle or microwave shopping, look for the energy saving sticker. A fridge, a microwave, cooker, they all add up and can help reduce your energy bills.
- Stand By – In today’s fast paced world, most gadgets and appliances have a stand by mode. Just to make life a little easier when wanting to use it again. However did you know that around 10-15 percent of your yearly energy use might just be all the devices you have on stand by? Just switch them off fully, unplug your phone chargers and start saving a little money.
- Rechargeable Batteries - We all love our gizmos and gadgets, so instead of throwing away used batteries and buying new, why not invest in rechargeable batteries. The little extra you pay is made up for within the first few charges. Also we’ll be doing our bit to reduce batteries ended up on landfill sites.
- Your Thermostat - It’s known that reducing your home temperature by a couple of degrees C can save you around 10-15 % on your energy bills. Pretty good right? So try it, you may not even notice it so much, but your bills will.
- Alternate Energy – This is the true path to self sufficiency I believe. Having your home powered by solar panels or wind energy can set you free from your grid and have you saving thousands a year. These can be expensive to install but usually pay for themselves within the first 3 years. However there are smaller options we can start with today, try to make your next gadget purchase a solar or kinetic powered one. A little eventually goes a long way!
- Wash Clothes at Lower Temperatures – Pretty simple really, a 60C wash can use up to 25-30 % more energy than a 40C wash. So think about the way your household washes it’s clothes.
- Coffee and Tea – Boiling more water than you need is a certain energy and money waster. Try to boil only as much as you require to make you kettle work less.
- Light-bulbs – By now your home should have a few energy saving light-bulbs, if not all throughout. If you don’t, your in for a nice surprise, kitting out your home with these long life energy saving bulbs will save you hundreds in energy bills and not having to purchase bulbs so frequently.
- Install an Energy Meter – These gadgets are fantastic devices you attach to your electric box, they tell you just how much and where in the home your electricity is being used. These can be used to record spikes, see where you can make reductions and also to see if certain devices are draining more electricity in particular. Once again, this will save you money and help you be more efficient in your energy use.
So there are certainly a few tips here you can start using right away. You will also discover more along the way as we become more and more resourceful. Spending time energy proofing your home with these tips will ultimately save you money on your bills. Make it enjoyable, if you have children get them involved and make saving energy into a game. Saving money, saving the planet, what could be better?
Written by BordersChai
Home Electrical Appliances (1944) Principles and maintenance of everyday appliances. Producer: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W Keywords: Electricity; Houses and homes: Appliances; Appliances