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The world is moving towards green options these days. Energy conservation, Save energy and climatic change are some of the highly discussed topics worldwide. As a result, we should shift to more energy-efficient options in our day-to-day activities.
We understand that you love the environment very much. That is why you are looking at the options to reduce energy consumption at home. While saving the environment, these measures will also help to save you some dollars.
Therefore this article will provide a simple guideline to you on how to save energy at home.
1. Use LED lights
The lighting can consume so much energy in your home. The old incandescent bulbs would consume more energy and generate more heat when compared to the CFL bulbs and LEDs. Therefore if you still have incandescent lights, get rid of them.
The LEDs are even more efficient than the CFL bulbs. They generate less heat, and even in colder climates, the LEDs would start without consuming energy for heating. Therefore LEDs are highly energy efficient compared to both incandescent and CFL bulbs.
Let us give you a more precise view of this. Every light bulb emanates brightness which is measured by lumens. The energy required to produce 800 lumens in an incandescent bulb is 60 watts. A CFL would require 12 watts, while the LED would consume only 10 watts.
2. Shift to energy-efficient appliances
The old appliances in your house may consume more energy than you think. Old refrigerators, televisions, and dryers could drain more power. These inefficient appliances could cause a spike in your electricity bill.
Therefore it is better to shift to new energy-efficient appliances in the market. There are inverter refrigerators which could save around 60% of the energy.
If you plan to make some changes to save energy, you must check out the new energy-efficient appliances in the market. They may have a high initial cost, but they can save you money in the long run.
3. Switch off the unnecessary lights
The energy consumed by the lights will take a considerable portion of your electricity bill. That bill would also contain the energy consumed by unnecessary lights, which you forgot to turn off.
Therefore, if you are planning to save energy, you must first stick to the basics. Switch off all the unnecessary lights in your home, especially if you have high energy-consuming bulbs like incandescent lights.
Allow the natural light to enter the house so you don’t have to use lights unnecessarily. On the other hand, turn off all the unnecessary lights when you go out.
4. Unplug the appliances
Here’s something that you might have not thought about. The electrical appliances in your house may consume energy even if switched off. Yes, you heard right, they can still consume energy if they are plugged in, even if they are switched off.
Therefore if you are not using the appliances such as television, the computer, or even the radio, make sure to unplug them. Having them on the standby mode can consume more energy than you think.
5. Use your washing machine wisely
While the modern washing machines and dryers consume less energy, they would still consume some energy to function. Therefore you should use them wisely.
Don’t use the washing machine whenever you need to wash a piece of cloth. Instead, pool your clothing together and wash them together. Try to use the washing machine at full weight capacity.
This will reduce the frequency of use, reducing total energy consumption.
6. Keep the thermostat at lower temperatures
The thermostat will consume more energy to keep your house to higher or warmer temperatures. Therefore, keeping the thermostat between 18°C and 20°C during the winter is ideal. The statistics say that the energy consumption would rise by 10% for every increase in a degree of temperature.
You could save energy more efficiently if you use a programmable thermostat. Most of us want our home to be at a specific temperature when we return to the house from work.
If you use an un-programmable thermostat, you should set it to that specific temperature before leaving the house. This would keep the thermostat functioning at your desired temperature even when you are not home, which could raise the energy bill.
However, if you use a programmable thermostat, you could program it to adjust to the desired temperature one hour before returning home. This could save you a lot of money.
7. Use the smart meters
Smart meters will not save energy directly. However, they would help manage your energy consumption by tracking the real-time energy usage.
Smart meters will help you to monitor your energy consumption and identify what appliances draw more energy. Therefore you can control your energy consumption more effectively.
8. Change the water heating system
The water heating system would take up a major portion of your electricity bill. The tank water heating system would consume more energy than a tankless system.
In tank water systems, a portion of the total water capacity in the tank would be kept heated, even when the water is not used. Therefore the tank systems would use energy constantly to keep the water heated.
This could raise your electricity bill if you use electricity from the grid instead of using a solar heater system.
The tankless systems would heat water instantly on-demand. Therefore it will not use energy to heat the water when not used. However, the tankless system is ideal for households with less than two individuals. If the water consumption is high, you would have to fix multiple units to fulfill the demand.
Therefore if you have less than two individuals at your house, don’t spend money on a tank system. However, a solar-powered tank system would be ideal if you have more people.
9. Do the maintenance of your appliances on time
The appliances at your home need regular maintenance to function at an optimum level—especially the appliances such as air conditioners and the water heating system.
Therefore do the services on time and keep them functioning efficiently. This will help to reduce the energy consumption of such appliances.
10. Use solar power
The most preferred way to save energy is to seek renewable energy options. What renewable energy source is better than the natural sunlight, which you could use to generate your own energy.
Shifting to solar power and solar-powered appliances can save so much of your energy consumption. Installing solar panels would have a higher initial cost but can save you money in the long run.
However, you have to pick an accredited solar panel retailer and an installer to get the maximum benefit from your project. If you are looking for an accredited solar installer and retailer in Ballarat, we can help you.
The Ballarat Solar Company is one of the leading solar installers in the area. We have served the community for more than ten years providing total solar energy solutions. With our accreditations and experience, we can help you reap the maximum benefit from your project and ensure a supply of solar power in the long years to come.
Let’s build a sustainable future together. Don’t hesitate to contact us today.
