Energy conservation is like hitting two birds with one stone; it frees a person from paying that extra buck on the electricity bill and helps reduce ozone depletion. Here’s a list of 5 ways to save energy at home.
Summary: Try one or more energy saving methods. Changing behavior can turn out to be easy with practice and time. Savings can become second nature.
The small changes one chooses to do can assist living a sustainable and environmental-friendly lifestyle. This may sound intimidating for some, but you don’t need to live in the dark like a caveman or not take a bath for a month to conserve energy! With this in mind, here are a few ways to save conserve energy around the household without going to extremes.
Lighting Choices
It’s been found that 5% of a household’s energy budget goes to lighting alone.
Knowing how to navigate through your choices of lights is the backbone of conserving energy. Of course, when the sun goes down, opting for light is essential for getting through the night. So it makes sense that lighting choices are impactful to one’s overall conservation plan.
There are three things one should understand.
The first and the most basic one is not to turn your lights on when not needed. This tip will not cost you anything and it’s likely the easiest to do.
Second, ditch the old lightbulb and switch to energy-saving light sources. This can be compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), halogen incandescents, or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to name a few. Switching to these may cost you more than regular bulbs, but allows you to pay less electrical charges for the same amount of light. These options are also more durable in the long run. So if thinking about it, you’re spending less by going for more upfront.
Third, try some task lighting. This refers to using light in very specific areas like desks and counters. What this does is restrain you from using full room lighting just to brighten a specific area. Aside from being more effective and energy-conserving, doing so will also help with your household’s ambiance.
While these three tips are proven to be smart lighting choices, remember that the best source of light in the world comes with no price. So don’t hesitate to open up the curtains and make use of the world’s natural light.
Natural Air Usage
In this highly tech-savvy world, it’s been ingrained that drying clothes and utensils is a machine’s work. When really, it could be the natural air’s job to keep our belongings dry.
Simple activities like choosing to dry clothes outside or drying plates without needing the help of a dryer can cut down your energy consumption to a great extent.
But that’s not the end of the list. Air-drying clothes has been proven to be better for two reasons. It reduces the damage done on the fabric caused by the dryer’s fast movements and makes the clothes fresher overall. Nothing beats the scent and dryness of clothes placed outside for drying. Not only are you saving energy and money here. Doing so will lengthen the life of your clothes. It’s a win-win.
Natural Water Usage
They say that water is the soul of the Earth. When washing, showering, or consuming drinks, we take in water. Thus, knowing how to use it smartly is a life skill that can benefit us, our families, and the world in the long run.
Here are some tips we can do with water usage.
First, know that cold water does the trick. For showering, it has been found that going for cold water cuts time inside the comfort room. And for washing utensils, detergent soaps are actually manufactured for cold water. These things reduce the need for more energy brought on through heat production.
Second, make it a habit to turn the water off when not using it. This sounds like a given, but sometimes the simplest habits are the hardest to form. Try this rule – do not continue brushing your teeth, shaving, or cleansing your face until you turn the water off. This practices mindfulness in case you ever forget.
Third, fix what needs to be fixed. Got a leaky faucet? Or a pipe problem? It might not look like a big deal at first. However, failing to address these as soon as possible can waste both money and energy usage.
So as soon as your pipes start acting up, address them promptly. This will cost you less and avoid complications in the future.
As for matters concerning water usage, always remember that “prevention is better than cure”. Do not settle for conditions that promise minimum performance. Remember that a household cannot last a day without opening a faucet. Take note of this and make sure that your way of getting water is both wallet-friendly and environment-smart.
Gadget Usage Restriction
Today’s time is a whole different story than the past. Unlike before, our lives revolve around what is within phones and desktop computers. Obviously, using these items will take up electricity.
Don’t worry, we don’t have to lock ourselves out from the digital world and never use gadgets again just to save energy.
To begin, if you’re thinking about upgrading your current tech workspace, purchasing a laptop instead of a desktop computer is a smart alternative. You’ll get more space and you’re able to bring it to other places without having to bring all the bulky parts of a desktop. Most importantly, you will no longer need to plug in the entire set just for it to function. And in case a power interruption ever occurs, you can always trust a laptop’s battery life and carry on with your tasks.
Speaking of buying smarter items with lesser costs, ditch the oven and go for a microwave or toaster oven instead. Unless your profession is cooking or baking, chances are you don’t need that giant oven to heat or cook meals. Microwave ovens are handier, less expensive, and do well in conserving cooking energy.
Another thing you should consider is keeping your electronics clean. This is for more than just sanitary purposes. Appliances are going to push to work more when filters are covered with dust and gunk. Consequently, they’re going to need more energy supply to fuel systems. So if you have time, make sure your appliances are nice and clean.
The next step is to be aware of whether or not you unplugged electronics after using them. Just like turning the faucet off, this requires repetitive effort for it to become a habit. Aside from saving energy, unplugging devices is also a safety measure to avoid items from overheating, which may cause electricity-induced fires. No one wants that to occur whatsoever.
This last tip works if having a second refrigerator or anything similar. Instead of keeping dry and wet groceries in the same refrigerator with lower temperatures, here’s a better alternative. Do not put dry and wet items together. Separate them so you no longer have to keep the temperature lower. Contain dry items on another shelf or refrigerator. This one’s a bit more advanced and nit-picky here.
Green Life Living
It was mentioned how saving water is crucial to an total energy-saving plan. To avoid over-utilized water, alternatives include reusable plates and more.
However, this doesn’t mean buying single-use items is the way to go. Looking at this from the big picture, the manufacturing process of these items takes up loads of unwanted energy and pollution. The more we insist on buying, the more the demand is going to get higher. These choices are not sustainable.
Here’s what you can do. Wash dishes in a basin instead of the electric dishwasher. Just fill with an amount of water necessary. It doesn’t take much more time than the electric version whatsoever.
You can make sure things are clean within a few minutes, and let them air dry completely also. This saves both money and water. Further, the time involvement may only mean a few extra minutes per week.
Time yourself. See if the time involvement is not that much more than the machine way of doing things. Then adjust and enjoy the saved money, water, and perhaps electricity.
The Conclusion
These 5 ways to save energy at home are only some of the many ideas available. You don’t have to live with completely abandoning life’s comfortable choices.
If you noticed, these tips can be connected. This is what makes energy-saving easier than presumed. Eventually, minor changes in lifestyle will act like dominoes that hit each other and create a huge impact overall.
Take your time to understand how your house works the way that it does. And before you know it, you’ll be shocked at how easy and beneficial it is to save energy all around. Once begun, saving smartly will flow naturally.
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