Since the electric grid was first used in the late 19th Century, the world has consumed more and more energy, now it’s time to reduce your power usage. Until recently, inefficient devices were used to light our homes, keep our food fresh and entertain us. But, as we entered the 20th Century, our dependency on energy and our inability to sustain massive amounts became apparent.
The renewable energy and sustainability movement contributes a lot to raising awareness of power consumption. Whether you are involved with or believe the campaign or not, you will benefit from embracing the ideals. On a personal financial level alone, actively working on cutting power consumption in your own home will lower your bills. Ethically and morally, you will contribute directly to reducing our need for fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.
Reduce Your Power Usage
1. Energy Efficient Devices
One of the most effective solutions to reducing energy consumption is replacing outdated and inefficient appliances and devices. Some older machines of 10 years or more are incredibly inefficient and use far more energy than newer ones. Instruments like this include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers, televisions and computers.
Replacing older light bulbs from the filament type to LED is also an excellent way of reducing power consumption. LEDs are available from outlets such as Lepro (https://www.lepro.co.uk) and come in all shapes and sizes – as many as you need to suit your home. Additionally, they use 75% less power than standard light bulbs.
2. Use Only What You Need
A contributing factor to power overuse is using more than is required. For example, there is no need for lights to be on during the day. Yet, many people still do this. One survey found that 90% of Americans admit to leaving lights on when they aren’t needed, either during the day or at night when everyone is asleep.
Other examples include leaving devices such as the TV and computers switched on when going out. Many of these devices typically use a lot of power, and being left on will cost you more. If you are prone to forget to switch off appliances, then you can use power-saving features. Power-saving features such as auto-standby will turn off devices after a set amount of time has elapsed.
3. Don’t Rely on Electrical Appliances
Of course, you can save energy by simply doing some jobs yourself. For example, waiting until the dishwasher is full is good advice for saving power. But doing the dishes yourself is often better if you are conscious of your water usage. Opting for the economy wash setting and only doing a couple of full loads each week is the most eco-friendly option.
Fun fact: If you run your dishwasher in the middle of the night when the grid has less demand and is more efficient, this will make using your dishwasher even more environmentally sound.
Other high power devices also include hair dryers, electric heaters and air conditioning systems. If you have the time, towel drying hair will save a lot of energy and lower expenses. Other appliances with heating elements also draw a lot of power but aren’t always necessary. Unless it’s winter, the sun can help warm a home. Conversely, closing the curtains in the summer can help keep a room cool, so curtains are a great tool when aiming to reduce your power usage.
