How to Use Less Energy in Your House

25.03.2018 GREEN LIVING 0.0 0

The price of electricity is rising across the globe, and many people are struggling to make ends meet after they pay their bills. As the technology in the form of computers, game systems, DVRs, high-end appliances and other rechargeable electronic devices is becoming more and more of an integral part of our lifestyle, the use of energy continues to grow. This affects not only our electricity bill, but also indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emission.

By deciding to use less energy in your house, and actually doing it, you are making a real change that goes way beyond saving money. Here are some tips that will help you with that.

Change the lighting

Still using the same old incandescent light bulbs? You might want to rethink that decision, since these bulbs are considered the least energy-efficient option among all electric lighting and have the shortest life span. A better option would be to use Compact fluorescent lights, and the best one would be to install LED lights throughout the house. Besides using less energy, these bulbs don’t contain mercury which can be dangerous to your health and difficult to recycle. Also, there are some habits to change when it comes to lighting that can save a significant amount of energy. Those are turning the lights off when you are leaving the room and opening the blinds during the day so that you can take advantage of daylight.

Eliminate energy vampires

Did you know that appliances and electronic devices can still suck electric energy even when they are not being used? The mere fact they are plugged in means they are pulling small amounts of energy. Changing this is very simple, as soon as you turn off a device, you can also unplug it. It will be easier to do that if you use a power strip and unplug all your devices at once.

Fix broken appliances

A fridge that is going bad could be using more electricity because it struggles to maintain the optimal temperature despite the malfunction. It is similar with other appliances. An experienced and trustworthy electrician in Castle Hill is what can prevent your bills from skyrocketing. If the problem is not solved even after that, you should consider replacing your old appliances for new, Energy Star rated units. At first, this may be a large investment, but in time it will pay off.

Lower your heating and cooling bills

Air conditioning and cooling accounts for almost half of a household’s total energy use. One of the biggest reasons why they spend so much energy is that we use them all wrong. For example, we set too low a temperature indoors during hot days, and we have to put on extra layers of clothes. Or we leave the heating on when we go to sleep even though we are covered with a blanket. By changing these habits and properly maintaining the heating and cooling system, you can significantly reduce the amount of energy they use.

Tame your kitchen

Most appliances are located in the kitchen so it is fair to say that this is the room where we use the most energy. While the biggest change you can make is get energy-efficient appliances, there are some small steps to make when it comes to minimizing energy consumption. For example, the oven is known to be the biggest spender in the kitchen, and whenever you can, you should use the toaster oven or the microwave instead. Also, by filling the pot or the kettle with the right amount of water instead of more than you need, the electricity used for boiling can be reduced by up to 30%.

Wash and dry more efficiently

Washing a half of batch of laundry uses much more energy and it means that you will have to do the laundry more frequently. Wait until your washing machine is full to turn it on, and wash the laundry at 30 instead of 40 degrees. Whenever possible, air-dry your laundry instead of using the dryer.

As you can see, it is rather easy to reduce the amount of energy your household uses, and thus save yourself the trouble of counting pennies when the time to pay the bills comes.

Guest post by Carolin Petterson

About the Author

Carolin Petterson is a Business Lady and contributor for number of high-class websites. She loves to share her experiences and talk about practical solutions, but her specialties are sustainability, sustainable business and green living.

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