SAVE ON HOME ENERGY

Most of the people who I know are constantly complaining about their electricity bills (including me) and their dream is to reduce energy consumption and energy waste at home. 

sustainable living

Yes, we have the power to save money and energy at home. Saving energy at home reduces the world’s overall demand for resources needed to produce energy and by going green we’ll make our small but significant contribution for a better world. Sustainable living is still something that we rather hear and read about then something that we are actually doing.  Would have been good if we all try to go as green as possible for the sake of Earth’s future.

This article is not about hi-tech advanced methods and products but rather about the small and easy steps that we can take to save energy. From low to no-cost ways that will make your life easier by paying less to the Electricity Company and leading sustainable life that really matters in the long term. Those practical solutions for saving energy include energy saving tips that you can start using from today. They are good both for your wallet and for the environment. I encourage you to implement only what feels good and easy for you and even the small changes of how you are using energy at home will pay you back.

Go Green

TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY

• Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage your heating and cooling systems efficiently.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher.
• Your refrigerator uses more electricity than all your other kitchen appliances combined. To keep its energy costs down, clean the coils twice a year, which improves efficiency by 30 to 50 percent.
• Turn things off when you are not in the room or at home: lights, TVs, computers.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater or use an electric water heater at certain times of the day. You’re wasting electricity keeping the water hot 24/7. Therefore, install an electronic timer switch that can be programmed for daily or weekly schedules so you only heat the water when you need it.
• Take short showers instead of baths and use low-flow shower heads for additional energy savings.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Air dry clothes.
• Check to see that windows and doors are closed properly when heating or cooling your home.
• Regular maintenance of the air conditioner. The best way to keep your air conditioner running efficiently is to spend a couple of hours each year on basic maintenance—cleaning and straightening the fins, changing the filter and lubricating the motor.
• Drive sensibly to save on fuel. Speeding costs you more fuel waste.

renewable energy 

These are some simple things everyone can follow, if they want to. Of course, there are many other solutions for energy saving at home, like installing solar panels on your roof or investing in wind turbines.  Using renewable energy sources is probably the smartest thing to do. So far only 16 % of the world’s energy comes from renewables and that’s a pity. Probably the most commonly used natural resourses are sunlight and wind power. For the more skilled, there is a way to build their own solar panels, which is usually costly on the market (for no sensible reason), but if you can follow instructions, it is not that difficult to make it by yourself. You can also learn how to use wind power and source the parts inexpensively to build your own solar panels or wind turbines. Once we see our electricity bills going down it becomes an obsession. If you become an alternative energy expert, you can even sell back your excess power to the utility company, and get paid each month for energy conservation. Another thing you should consider when building or remodelling your home is investing in better insulation or other hi-tech solutions and advanced conservation methods/products, even if it seems a considerable investment at first. There are many books published on the subject if you want to go into details about home energy savings. Click here to browse titles.