Spring Energy Saving Tips
Saving energy around the home is about more than just turning off lights and taking shorter showers. It's all about saving you money without compromising your time or way of life. It may sound tricky, but there are so many little things you can do every day to reduce your energy use and save on electricity, and permanent changes you can make so you don’t have to worry about your energy consumption again. Here are a few quick tips to get you started.
While some appliances will only use a couple of dollars a year when they are on standby, when you have dozens of appliances all running in the background, this can add up. Unplugging and turning off little things, such as your kettle, microwave or toaster can start to make a difference to your electricity bill and help you to think about your everyday energy consumption. When you put on a load of dishes or clothes, make sure the load is full. This will create less loads and use less electricity in the long run. It might seem small and insignificant, but what if you could halve the number of loads over a year just by increasing the load size?
Monitoring your electricity usage is essential to detect where the bulk of your bill is coming from. Try getting an electricity monitor to see exactly what appliances are the biggest culprits. You might find that your modem is using a lot of electricity while you sleep, or your outside sensor light is turning on every time the neighbour’s cat crosses your front lawn. Once you’ve found your suspects, you can install electricity timers, to make sure they’re only on when you need them.
You can also use nature to save energy around the home in many different ways. You could install solar panels, and ensure you use the bulk of energy while the sun is out. Also, try regulating the temperature by opening doors to let in the breeze, or blocking off doors to keep the heat in. If you’re thinking of doing a major energy overhaul, skylights are a beautiful and electricity-free way of lighting windowless rooms.
Finally, there are plenty of options for energy-efficient lighting that won’t be an eyesore or break the bank. Halogen incandescents, CFL and LED light bulbs are all considered energy-efficient and come in a variety of styles and colours, as well as the additional functionality of being compatible with dimming, colour changing, and even smart-home technology. A good electrician can help you figure out which bulb will fit in with your current fixtures, and install any additional switches and dials to aid in functionality.