Domestic consumers have a huge role to play in energy management and conservation. While industrial customers take the biggest load and are now required by law to conduct energy audits of their plants in conformity with the best energy management practices, domestic customers can help bolster these efforts in their own small ways.
Research and development by labs such as the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia have led to the manufacture and production of more energy-efficient consumer goods, and while the big corporates are doing their bit towards conserving our environment, you can use the following tips to conserve energy in your home.
Use energy-saving appliances
Using energy-saving appliances can save you a great deal in electricity bills. Incandescent bulbs, for instance, produce more heat than light, resulting in a lot of energy losses. Replace them with the more energy-efficient LED bulbs which produce more light and consume less power.
When buying household appliances, always check for their power rating. It will surprise how the same appliance with the same performance specifications but from different manufacturers have different power consumptions. While at it, check the appliances for their energy ratings. Most countries now require manufacturers to put labels on the energy ratings of their products. The more stars an item has, the more efficient it is.
Natural cooling and lighting
Open your curtains and windows during the day to enjoy the sun’s natural illumination. The open windows will also let in fresh air to keep your indoors cool enough and eliminate the need for fans and air conditioners that consume power.
Additionally, you can install motion and presence sensors to turn on your lights (security lights included) when they detect someone’s presence in the room or compound.
Embrace technology
People frequently forget to switch off the lights when they leave a room. To counter this, install presence and motion detectors in your house thereby eliminating the need for manual switching on and off. These sensors will turn on the lights when someone enters the room and automatically switch them off when they leave.
Instead of leaving your security lights on for the whole night, you can also use motion sensors that only switch them on when there is an intruder in your home.
Eliminate ghost consumption
Electrical appliances still consume power even when they are on standby mode. Switch off and unplug your electronics including phone chargers when they are not in use. This will save you from paying for ghost power consumption.
Smart energy use
Fans consume less power than air conditioners but if you must use your air conditioner, close all the windows, and the doors so it doesn’t have to run for longer to attain the set temperature.
For your water heating requirements, install a solar water heating system. This reduces the demand on the grid and lowers your power bills.
When doing your laundry using a washing machine, run it at the lowest temperature possible and at full load. Iron your clothes in a bunch to save energy and always start with those that should be ironed at low temperatures.
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