How To Save On Electricity
Save electricity at home
What keeps us warm, gives us light, washes our clothes and cooks our food? That’s right it’s electricity. We can’t live without it can we? The only problem is we’re paying more and more for this precious resource. Here are a few useful tips on how to save on electricity.
Conserving electricity doesn’t mean turning off the heater or air conditioner, there are simple tactics we can use to save electricity at home and help both our hip pocket and the planet…
1 ~ Find and eliminate leaks.
When you heat your home in winter, some of that heat is probably being wasted. Heat can leak out of your house through doors, windows, ceilings, vents, fireplaces and even holes in walls! And if warm air is leaking out, you can be sure that cold air is leaking in.
The answer is simple. Test all doors windows for leaks and make sure you put insulating tape to seal them. Board up fireplaces if you’re not using them and put insulation in the ceiling. You will outlay a bit of cash to start with but this will pay for itself over time with cheaper fuel bills.
2 ~ Turn down the thermostat on your heating system
You won’t even notice it if you reduce your thermostat by one or two degrees but your electricity bill will! One degree works out to be a 5% saving in power. You can further lower your thermostat when you go to sleep at night. Of course the reverse applies to your cooling system. Your home’s heater and cooler are the largest consumers of power.
3 ~ Do you really need hot water for everything?
Of course I’m not suggesting cold showers, but your clothes can be washed in cold water. The only exception is if your clothes are covered in grease or oil. The water heater is the second most power hungry appliance in your home.
Hang your washing outside to dry and don’t use the dryer unless it’s pouring with rain. This will save you even more.
4 ~ Switch off other appliances
Turn everything off when you’re not using it. This includes computers, phone chargers, vacuum cleaner chargers and any lights. Turn your TV off at the wall at night, don’t leave it on standby.
It may not seem like much but it all adds up!
5 ~ Keep your roof cool in summer.
Firstly make sure your ceiling is insulated, secondly install whirlybirds on the roof to expel the hot air. These mechanical devices work without power to suck the heat out of your roof area.
Your attic door needs be sealed with weather strips to ensure that warm air from the house does not go through it and cold air doesn’t leak out.
These are just a few simple tips on how to save on electricity at home. I hope you find them helpful.
