Have you ever received your electric bill and wondered, “What the heck happened here?!” or “Who used all this power?!”? I have. The days of paying a couple of hundred bucks for a few hundred-kilowatt hours of electricity have long since passed. Peak, off-peak, summer, and other seasonal tariffs can make it difficult to understand how your utility company will ultimately generate a final charge. What’s the deal, though? ‘Donating’ to utility corporations is the worst. My number one pet peeve. When possible, I turn off the lights. They make millions off of you every year, but when you need them the most—when it’s 100 degrees in the shade and there are blackouts—they’re not there. Or there could be “brownouts,” which happen when the power goes out instantly and damage whatever you are doing on your computer or DVR. The government has sprung up with platitudes like “the population explosion creates a high demand on resources” and “the increasing burden on our infrastructure.” Now is the moment to take action. The ‘donating’ must end immediately!
Do you think your children know these simple ways to conserve energy? Or put them into action.
No, I doubt it. Educate them, too.
Some suggestions for reducing energy consumption:
When leaving a room, please turn off the lights.
Turn off electronics on the wall while not in use. When the PP switch is activated, some power is consumed.
Turn off the standby switch if you’re not using your television, stereo, video player, or DVD player.
It would be best to replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) because their price has dropped dramatically recently, and they survive for thousands of hours.
LED downlights are an excellent replacement for halogen bulbs and a great option for standard lighting if you already have them or are considering getting them for your home.
Are new home appliances on your mind? Look at their star rating to see how efficient they are with energy.
Most new front-loading washers only need to utilize cold water and can heat it on their own if necessary, reducing energy consumption even further.
Do you own a dryer? Use it only when necessary and hang up your things (or enlist the kids’ help)!
In addition to draught-proofing windows and doors, attic insulation is essential for maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature year-round. Do your windows have sash panes? These are highly drafty, so heavy drapes or replacement with double glass or laminated windows is a viable solution. As your energy bills go down, you’ll have more money to invest in them.
If at all possible, use substantial batts for your roof and walls. You might also opt to have insulation made from recycled paper “pumped” into your ceilings and walls. I installed it on my daughter’s bedroom roof, completely transforming the space. Thanks to the government’s generosity, I got my hands on this, and as a result, I’ve been able to cut down on my energy bill and, even better, my monthly spending.
Window and door architraves, eaves, and loose roof tiles are only some of the exterior openings that should be sealed.
In the heat of the summer, raise the thermostat 5 degrees higher, from 65 to 70, to a more comfortable 75 to 80. Ensure your split-system air conditioner’s inverter or compressor unit is kept in the shade or a more relaxed area. However, I have seen a fantastic system that uses the “latent heat of vaporization” to cool the region around the inverter. This is done in some greenhouses. Reduces your home’s electrical system strain, resulting in significant cost savings.
Water heating systems. Adults can handle a range of 140–150, whereas 120–130 is appropriate for children. Turn it off if you’re going to be gone for a while. Solar H/W systems are fantastic but must be installed with the north side permanently towards the sun. You may still require the H/W boost during the short winter days and obviously cloudy days, depending on your latitude and the amount of sunlight you receive each day. To heat water on cold days or to a specific temperature, “heat pumps” have recently emerged as an innovative technology that takes advantage of latent heat in the environment. I recently had one put in, and it’s excellent; it’s cheaper to operate than my previous solar H/W system. What’s the benefit of using this system? Yet another opportunity to practice one of my favorite pastimes—energy conservation. They’re pricey, but I can justify it because of how well they conserve electricity and water during downpours.
Making a meal. In comparison to a typical electric oven, which heats food in addition to cooking it, your microwave oven is a very efficient energy user. Plan and let nature defrost your food instead of employing this method. A fan-forced oven is more energy efficient, so it’s worth the investment if you can afford it. Use precautions, like covering your cooking utensils, whenever possible. You don’t have to stick to just one cooking technique, even if you’re a carnivore; try using a grill occasionally, or invest in a kettle oven. The flavor is out of this world, and you may use various fuels, including briquettes, charcoal, wet and dry wood, etc. It’s a plus because it helps you save money and energy.
Solar energy. A costly alternative. Those who tell you it can be done cheaply are likely trying to convince you otherwise. Put in place and run a system for under $200? A system like that seems dubious to me. If you want to make a serious dent in your electricity cost, you may have to make a severe dent in your pocketbook if you go this route. However, it would be best if you considered the benefits and drawbacks. Where do you call home, and is it a sunny one? Could you construct your own solar panels and install the array and infrastructure if you had access to the necessary tools, materials, and information? Or do you hire a professional to do it for you? Is your primary goal to reduce your electricity bill, or can your system reverse the rotation of your meter? Depending on where you reside, the feed-in rates for the power grid might be pretty lucrative. In addition, if you have access to a separate energy meter in a detached garage, workshop, or barn, you can generate your electricity and cash in on feed-in tariffs while also doing good for the neighborhood.
“Wind energy.” Again, the average person with some essential tools and some time to spare can construct their system or turbine from a kit or scratch. The reliability of the wind in your area is a critical factor in how effectively they generate electricity; if it’s not entirely up to snuff, supplementing them with a solar-powered system may be necessary. Research whether using such energy sources to power your home (through meteorological sites, etc.) is possible.
When it comes to reducing my energy use and hence my carbon footprint and helping the environment, I try to put my advice into practice every day. Visit this site to learn more about solar panels, energy efficiency, and other home renewable energy options.
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