Saving energy (electricity) has the dual purpose of helping to stop global warming and saving a lot of money over time. Take a look around your home and office: any device that runs on electricity can be made more energy efficient. Using insulation for your home and changing your daily habits are also effective ways to reduce the amount of electricity you use. Read on for more information on how to save electricity.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Lighting
Step 1. Use natural lighting
Open your curtains and let the sunlight in! Using natural light whenever possible-instead of relying on artificial light-can reduce the amount of electricity you use throughout the day. The same is important whether you are working in the office or spending your days at home. Being exposed to natural light also increases happiness, even giving you a positive influence on opening the curtains.
- Try setting up your workplace so that natural light floods your desk. Turn off the top lights if possible. When you need extra lighting, use a low-power table lamp instead.
- Buy light-colored curtains or blinds that provide privacy, but still allow light from outside to enter.
Step 2. Replace your light bulb
Replacing ordinary incandescent light bulbs with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) or LED bulbs is a huge energy saver. Incandescent bulbs release more energy through heat, while CFL and LED bulbs are more energy efficient and last longer.
- CFL lamps were the first alternative to incandescent light bulbs, and they use only the energy of incandescent bulbs. These lamps contain trace amounts of mercury, so they must be disposed of properly when burned.
- LED bulbs are the newest light bulbs on the market. These bulbs are more expensive than CFL bulbs, but are more durable and do not contain mercury.
Step 3. Turn off the light
This is the simplest and most common way to save energy, and it does work. Start noticing how many light bulbs are on in your home at any given time. Start looking at how many lights you really need at once. Whenever you leave a room, make it a habit to turn off the lights.
- If you really want to save, have your whole family use a room or two at night, instead of splitting up around the house, and keep all the lights in the house bright.
- For maximum energy savings, use candles! This ancient system of providing lighting at night is effective, romantic, and calming. If you find it impractical to use candles every night, try applying them once or twice a week. However, be careful doing this if you have small children-make sure your entire family knows how to light and use candles safely.
Method 2 of 4: Home Appliances
Step 1. Unplug the appliance when not in use
Did you know that electrically plugged appliances continue to consume electricity, even when they are turned off? Even a small appliance, such as a coffee pot, slowly continuously drains electricity while it remains plugged in, long after the last cup of coffee has been consumed.
- Shut down your computer and unplug it at the end of the day. Computers use a lot of electricity, and when they stay plugged in, you're wasting both electricity and money.
- Do not keep your TV plug in all the time. It may seem inconvenient or a hassle to unplug when you're done watching TV, but it's worth the savings.
- Unplug your speakers and sound system. This sound system and speakers are the biggest culprit when it comes to wasting electricity when the equipment is not used.
- Don't forget small appliances like phone chargers, kitchen utensils, hair dryers, and all your other appliances that use electricity.
Step 2. Replace old equipment with energy efficient equipment
In the past, when old-fashioned equipment was produced, factories didn't think about saving energy. The latest models are designed to save energy, reduce household costs, and reduce your carbon footprint. If you have old refrigerators, old electric hobs and ovens, old dishwashers and dryers, or older, larger appliances, consider replacing them.
- Look for the energy star rating symbol on your new equipment. This symbol helps you assess (know) how much electricity the equipment is using. Many energy-efficient appliances cost more than equipment that does not have this feature. However, you will get your money back from over time through electricity savings.
-
If changing your equipment isn't an option, there are many ways to change your routine so that you use your electricity as efficiently as possible.
- Fully charge your washer and dryer before running, rather than running them with less load (fill).
- Do not open the oven while it is in use, as you will release heat and the oven will have to use extra electricity to generate more heat.
- Don't stand in front of the refrigerator with the door open trying to decide what to eat. You should also check your refrigerator's rubber seals and replace them when they become worn (broken).
- Use the washing machine when the pile of dirty clothes is large, instead of washing a small amount.
Step 3. Reduce your dependence on such equipment
In ancient times, humans did not use large tools to complete their homework; experiment with using only the equipment you really need. Using fewer appliances may take more time, but if you involve the whole family, you won't be spending too much time on household chores.
- Most people wash their clothes more often than necessary, so try to reduce the number of dirty clothes you have to wash each week.
- Hang your clothesline in the backyard and let your clothes dry on their own instead of using a dryer.
- Wash your dirty glasses and dishes by hand (using a water-saving method), instead of using the dishwasher.
- Limit your baking time to one day a week, where you make several dishes in the same amount of time. This way you don't have to reheat the oven.
- Get rid of small appliances that you don't really need, such as unplug the air freshener. Instead, open the window wide!
Method 3 of 4: Heating and Cooling the House
Step 1. Use insulation in your home
Ensuring good seals on doors and windows leads to substantial electricity savings. Insulation keeps your home from leaking cool air from the air conditioner during summer and warm air from heated air during winter
- Benefit from the services of a contractor (professional) to check the insulation of your home to ensure that the insulation is efficient enough. Also consider the insulation of attics, underground spaces for access to pipelines and cables (crawlspace), basements, walls and ceilings. Maybe you want to adapt your home to new insulation.
- Seal cracks around your home (weather strips) to reduce air or moisture leaks by using a caulk, sealing cracks around doors, windows, and around air conditioning windows. You can also buy plastic sheeting to cover the windows during the winter.
Step 2. Use less hot water
Heating water requires a lot of electricity. There's no need to take cold showers, but paying more attention to how much hot water you use, and how hot the water is heated can save a lot of electricity and money.
- Make sure your water heater is insulated so it doesn't lose too much heat.
- Consider using a water heater that is not operated continuously with the pilot light on.
- Take a bath with a shower (shower water) instead of taking a shower using a dipper or bath-up.
- Take shorter showers. Spending 20 minutes in the shower consumes too much electricity.
Step 3. Reduce the use of air conditioners or air conditioners
Sometimes using an air conditioner is unavoidable, but there's no reason to use it from early spring to late summer without ever turning it off. Find other ways to cool off whenever possible.
Step 4. Keep your home temperature low during winter
You save a lot of energy and money by keeping the temperature a few degrees lower than normal during winter. If you're cold, put on a sweater instead of turning on the thermostat.
Method 4 of 4: Energy Source
Step 1. Keep your home temperature low during winter
You save a lot of energy and money by keeping the temperature a few degrees lower than normal during winter. If you're cold, put on a sweater instead of turning on the thermostat.
