Most of us will admit that the utility bills we pay are among the most expensive monthly bills. Not only do they hurt the pocket but there is a lot of wasted power, especially electricity. Therefore to live a more sustainable life and also save money, you need to look at how to conserve energy in your home.
There are lots of little steps to take to conserve energy, waste less and cut back on utility bills. Here are a few you can start looking at today.
1) Use Natural Lighting And Air conditioning
The best source of light is the big ball in the sky, the sun. And while it might not always be around, depending on where you live, it is great to use it when it is. Natural light is the best way to light your home and doesn’t cost anything. So open up those blinds, pull the curtains right back and ensure plenty of that natural light can get into your home. It can also help warm the house in cooler months.
You should also consider opening the windows and letting the air flow through your home, rather than using air conditioning systems, or a fan. Open windows don’t cost anything and the air flow is less likely to contain any bugs that can build up in air con units.
2) Turn Off lights When Leaving The Room
There are times when using lights are unavoidable, especially in winter. But a way to help conserve energy is to turn off lights when leaving the room. This means they aren’t using power lighting an empty room. Your bulbs will last longer and can even remove the risk of problems such as fires from electrical circuits. If you are a fan of smart tech, you can get connected lightbulbs with motion sensors to set up that they turn out when you leave the room!
3) Switch To LED Bulbs
There’s a reason that people are advocating switching to LED bulbs, well, there’s a few reasons. For starters, they last a lot longer than conventional bulbs. Yes, the initial cost is more, they definitely pay this back. They are also far more energy efficient:
| Traditional Incandescent | Halogen | CFL | LED | |
| Energy Efficient | Very Low | Low | High | Very High |
| Colour temperature | Warm | Warm | Warm to cool | Warm to cool |
| Lifespan | 1,000 hours (1 year) | 3,000 hours (3 years) | 8,000 hours (8 years) | 25,000 hours (25 years) |
4) Energy Efficient Appliances
When it comes to replacing appliances that use electricity, look at the energy efficiency of the new one before committing to it. From kettles to fridges, washing machines and dishwashers, even boilers, they all have to have a rating on them with ‘A’ being the best
5) Use At Capacity
It can be tempting to run a dishwasher half full, or just put a half load into the washing machine, but this is a waste of power and water. Instead, make sure you use everything to capacity, even if it means leaving some dirty dishes from lunch lying in the dishwasher until dinner. That way you get the most for the electricity used.
6) Check Your Home’s Insulation
One of the biggest causes of wasted energy is poor insulation. Heat rises, vanishes through the roof and is lost. Therefore looking at the quality and thickness of the insulation in your roof or loft can be key to improving the home’s energy efficiency.