Government organizations around the world, activists and NGOs repeatedly keep telling us to save energy and electricity. But have you ever wondered why they do that? Why should you save electricity? Well, here’s why.
Most of the electricity generated in the world today is generated from fossil fuels, oil, natural gas and coal. And, in India upto 80% of its electricity is generated from fossil fuels like coal. These fossil fuels are found underground and usually require mining and drilling to collect and process them. This process of electricity generation and consumption does irreparable damage to the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases and CFCs released in this process are responsible for climate change, global warming and depletion of our ozone layer. This means that the more electricity we use, the more we are damaging our planet.
Yes, we are trying to transition to clean energy sources. But this transition could take decades. Till then, we all have to do our bit in saving electricity. In this article we have listed the ways in which you can save a good amount of electricity at home.
12 Tips to Save Electricity At Home:
1) Unplug devices when not in use
Okay, let’s start with the basics. Look around your house and see how many appliances are plugged in unnecessarily. TV’s, gaming consoles, computers and sometimes kitchen appliances are usually plugged in and left unattended for hours. These appliances burn a significant amount of energy even on standby mode. So, go around your house and unplug all the unnecessary devices. Plug them in only when you use them.
2) Turn off all unnecessary lights
Just like electronic devices, we also leave a lot of lights switched on throughout the house. Tubelights or 100 watt incandescent bulbs burn a lot of energy when left on. To save energy, switch off all the unnecessary lights in your house. During the day, try and open your windows and doors to let the natural light flow in. This will help you save electricity on light usage during the day.
3) Switch to smart bulbs
If you still have tube lights or incandescent bulbs at home, it is high time that you ditch them and switch to LED bulbs. The US Department of Energy stated time and again that LED bulbs use 75% less energy when compared to traditional bulbs. Apart from this, LED bulbs also last longer than incandescent bulbs. The light coming from LED bulbs is clean, natural looking and also better for your eyes. So, what are you waiting for? Switch to LED bulbs as soon as possible.
4) Use washing machines wisely
In today’s times, almost all of us use washing machines. They help us save a lot of time by doing our laundry for us. But, these machines also waste a lot of energy if not used wisely. By making some small changes to your laundry routine you can save a lot of electricity while using the washing machine.
First of all, use your washing machine only when you have to run full loads. Don’t use it for smaller loads throughout the week. Second, use cold water to do your laundry. This will help save electricity on water heating. Lastly, consider drying your clothes naturally. The dryer built into a washing machine uses a lot of energy to dry clothes. So, get a laundry stand, hang your washed clothes on it and dry it in the sun.
5) Air-dry dishes
Dishwashers use electricity but they save a lot of time, money, water and manpower when compared to traditional hand washing. So use your dishwashers. But, use them wisely. Just like the washing machine, use your dishwasher for full loads only. Try using it just once in a day. Then, opt out of the heat-dry setting on your dishwasher. This setting uses a lot of power to dry off dishes. Instead, let your dishes dry naturally.
6) Forget traditional computers
Are you still using your old desktop computer? Then you might want to make the change now. Recycle your old computer and get yourself a laptop. Traditional computers use a lot of electricity as they have to stay plugged-in at all times. Laptops, on the other hand, need to be charged only for 1-2 hours a day. They are efficient, portable and convenient. So, forget traditional computers.
7) Clean your refrigerator coils
Most of us never seem to bother about this one but it’s important. Your refrigerator has coils outside of it that let it run efficiently. These coils get dirty overtime and it reduces their efficiency. So, clean these coils every six months to make sure that your refrigerator runs at maximum efficiency. Apart from this, keeping your refrigerator on a medium cooling setting helps save a lot of energy. When the cooling is too low or too high, the efficiency of the refrigerator is compromised.
8) Consider upgrading to energy efficient appliances
It is high time now that you get rid of all the appliances in your house that are a decade old. It could be your TV, Air-conditioner, ceiling fan or refrigerator. Technology has advanced vastly and these days we have energy efficient appliances available in the market. Also, as the devices get old, their efficiency reduces and they start consuming a lot of energy. So, if you have any old appliances in your house recycle them and upgrade to the latest appliances in the market.
9) Cut down shower times
We often tend to overlook this but, the process of heating water consumes a lot of energy. Geysers and other appliances that we use to heat water, drain out a lot of electricity. We can save this by cutting down on shower time. If you spend 30 minutes in the shower, try cutting it down to 15 or 20 minutes. This will reduce your hot water usage to a great extent. Also, try using lukewarm water for bathing. If you live in hot tropical conditions, you can also try cold water showers in summer months.
10) Be efficient while cooking
The process of cooking also drains a lot of your electricity. In order to save electricity, we have to be smart while cooking. We recommend using a gas stove instead of an electric stove. Toast your bread on a pan instead of a toaster. Use your coffee maker wisely. Make large batches. Use pressure cookers instead of rice cookers. Use microwave ovens instead of traditional ovens, they consume way less electricity. Try boiling water on the stove instead of the kettle and always make sure that you unplug all appliances immediately after use.
11) Switch to smart home solutions
In this age of technology, there are a lot of ways in which you can save electricity. Smart home solutions is one of those ways. These smart home automation systems enable you to control the lights, temperature, CCTV’s, electronic devices and all the other appliances of your home. These smart technologies respond by switching off lights, AC’s and other appliances in a room when no one is around. If you leave the house in a hurry, you don’t have to worry about switching off appliances. You can also remotely control them using an app on your mobile. This will help save a lot of electricity.
12) Consider going solar
Finally, if you want to take things to the next level and seriously save electricity then you must consider investing in solar power panels. By using solar panels, you will be generating your own electricity instead of relying on the power grid. In the long run, this will save you a lot of money on power bills and what’s more? Solar energy is safe for the environment. By going solar, you might play a small part in saving the planet.
Conclusion:
Well, there you have it. All the ways in which you can try to reduce your energy consumption at home. Remember that small drops of water can make an entire ocean. These small steps might seem trivial at first, but in the long run, they all add up and save a lot of electricity. Taking these measures will not just save the planet from climate change but also help you save a lot of money on electricity bills each month. A win-win situation overall.
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