7 Easy Ways to Save Electricity at Home

| May 12, 2013

energybulbWith decades of reckless power usage behind us, the need to start a more responsible and aware usage of electricity and other forms of energy has never been so pressing. With a growing population and thereby upward residential consumption, increasing commercial and industrial usage, electricity is becoming a very precious power to have. At the same time we find tons of people in rural areas around the world struggling with the lack of electricity or smaller cities and towns that are plagued with power cuts and outages.

One of the biggest changes we can make is switch to renewable and more ecologically friendly modes of power generation both at home and for work purposes. Solar, wind and hydropower projects are becoming increasingly common around the world, with government bodies and private entities looking to leave a greener footprint and conserve Mother Earth’s precious and fast dwindling resources. With tons of wind turbine blade manufactures, solar panel manufacturers and the like out there nowadays converting some or all of your systems into green power systems is no longer a difficult feat.

Even before you take bigger steps such as that, there are a few simple ways with which yo can begin to start saving electricity at home –

  • Getting up and leaving a room? Just turn the light and fan switches off before you go! One of the easiest changes you can make is turning off power suckers like lighting, cooling, heating etc. when you are not using that space any more. Even if it is just for a short while it is a simple step to take and will take you seconds.
  • Along the same vein turn off electronic devices in the room when you leave it. Turn off that TV, computer, DVD player etc. when you decide to up and move.
  • When not in use, simply turning the switch off is not enough. A simple way to save even more electricity is to unplug the devices and appliances from the main plug point when you are not using them. Appliances and electronic devices still continue to consume power if they are plugged in, even when the switched is turned off. This is known as a ‘phantom load’ and is one of the sneaky ways you drive up your power bills and usage without knowing why. You can make it easier by using a power strip to plug all devices in and turn that off if you are leaving the home.
  • You can save even more electricity at home and keep your power bills in check by setting temperature control modes on different devices. You can buy a programmable thermostat that has temperature control and save on your heating and cooling bills.
  • Switch out your light bulbs for another hassle free way to save electricity. You will find loads of energy-saving bulbs and tube lights in the market nowadays that consume less power than the conventional ones.
  • Use appliances like the dishwasher and washing machine once there are full and can be run at maximum capacity. This will cut down the number of loads you run on a day-to-day basis.
  • Cool your home more effectively by shutting all doors and windows when the AC is in use. Similarly use blinds or curtains to keep sunlight out of a room if it tends to get overheated, so you won’t have to use a cooling device as much.

Saving electricity need not be much of a lifestyle changing aim at all. Even simple fixes can go a long way when it comes to changing your power consumption habits. There are many more methods you can employ as well. It is time to give back to our planet!

Bio – Andrew Silverman is a wind turbine blade manufacturer who gave up a corporate career to focus on green energy. Passionate about environmental causes, he aims to educate people however he can. He loves taking long hikes outdoors and feeling one with nature.

 

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Category: Saving Money

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