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Have you ever looked at your electricity bill and wondered why your rates are so high? The answer, of course, lies in your home itself. We often use electrical appliances in our homes without remembering to turn off the power. Things we may not think about, like falling asleep in front of the telly, or putting up nice little lights around your home to make it look pretty may have noticeable impacts on your bill.
Conserving energy is not only crucial to saving costs, but it is also a good way of caring for the environment, and as Douglas Healy points out, this can also help us to weather the shift to sustainable energy we are currently going through — if we all try to use less energy, then there will be more available and so it will last us longer.
It can also be worth looking into whether you are getting the best deal with the electricity company you are with or whether there are cheaper tariffs around – it is even worth considering if switching to pay as you go electricity would work out cheaper for you.
When was the last time you kept your lights turned on by mistake? Surveys conducted in seven major power-consuming countries show that people tend to do this very often. Even if you don’t have some huge neon lights it’s important to turn your lights off and it can really make a difference. Minor work or events outside the house, like dropping by to the neighbours for tea or going to the supermarket down the road may still take some time, so remember to turn your lights out during this time.
Insulating the windows may seem like an optional thing to do — but it’s not if you want to save a lot of energy. Insulated windows keep rooms both cool and warm, depending on what you want, by trapping heat flow through gaps or crevices in the sills.
Steel is, of course, dazzling to look at, but did you know about its power-saving qualities? Steel structures do not allow an active flow of heat like in wood and thus keep the temperature in the house constant. Or maybe you have a garage and you’ve regretted not putting the car in on a very hot day. Steel garages can prevent your car from heating up inside so you won’t need to turn on the cooler for a while.
Using reusable items is a bonus for your bill as well as for the environment. Try to begin by using reusable bags, bottles or napkins which you can wash and use over and over again.
While cooking, ensure that the pots and pans are covered. This ensures better trapping of heat which in turn, results in the conservation of energy when cooking. Some chefs even say that your food cooks better and more evenly if it’s covered when cooking.
If you’re feeling hot, you may use air conditioning or a fan. But there is a much cheaper alternative. Drawing the curtains is a cool way of cooling your room and it takes no energy to do this. Keeping your curtains drawn can prevent large amounts of heat loss, letting you save more on your bill.
Try not to use a dryer for your clothes. Drying your clothes under the sun is a wonderful way of saving energy. You could actually end up conserving over 30% of your monthly electric bill.
Look for an efficient way of storing your veggies without using plastic bags, as well as when you buy them in the supermarket. You can now get little reusable bags in many supermarkets to protect your fruit and veg until you get them home, and you can use them again and again.
In the conservation of energy, it is of key importance to pay attention to detail. Small actions like washing your clothes in cold water, switching the lights off before leaving the room or using the power saving mode can make a big difference. Encouraging others in the house to adhere to these techniques also helps.
When you conserve energy, you not only save on your bill, but you help the planet too. In recent decades, we are battling environmental concerns that need to be resolved to help our common future. You could play a big part by taking small steps which begin right there at home. Start today and begin saving.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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