Ways to Conserve Energy at Home
Why Should We Try To Save Energy?
Saving energy is one of the best ways to live more sustainably at home. Energy production as well as consumption cause big environmental impacts. The less we use, the less we need to produce and the less damage we cause to the environment. Not only that but energy prices are rising every year. Reducing what we use at home is a great way to lessen our energy bills.
The Facts
Most of the worlds electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels (natural gas, coal and petroleum). Burning fossil fuels creates air pollution, water pollution and thermal pollution. The combustion of fossil fuels is currently the biggest cause of urban air pollution. This is also the main contributor to greenhouse gases and in all areas where petroleum is handled there is a risk of oil spillage on the ground or in nearby waters.
Personally, I would love to reduce the above mentioned damage we are making to our wonderful earth. Do we not all want a safe environment to live in? To make this planet better for future generations? If we all make small changes at home, we can help to bring that pollution down. As the saying goes “we don’t need one person doing it perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly”.
Easy Ways to Save Energy
Turn Off the Lights
This is one of the easiest ways to start saving energy and money. When the lights aren’t in use or it’s bright enough outside, turn the lights off. It’s so simple yet effective.
Turning Off the Switches
Did you know that the tiny red light on the TV and the clock on the oven both eat up energy? When they’re not in use, it’s best to turn them off from the plug. If phones and laptops aren’t charging, turn the plugs off and better still unplug the plugs. Turn everything off at night including the wifi so those tiny lights aren’t flickering all night long.
Turn Phones Off Overnight
Turning off our phones overnight helps to keep them charged for longer which means our next charge won’t be so soon. It will also help us sleep better. :)
Don’t Fill the Kettle
It’s common for people to fill the kettle to the max if making just one cup of tea. This wastes energy as it takes longer and needs more energy for the kettle to boil with more water in it. Make sure you only put the amount of water you need and if your kettle is anything like ours and boils over for far too long, stop it as soon as it boils.
Use Minimal Heating
This is difficult and sometimes cannot be helped but before turning the heating on, ask if the problem can be solved another way. Will another jumper, a hot water bottle or a warm cup of tea do the trick?
Is the AirCon Necessary?
The same as above but for hotter climates. Will opening a window, removing some layers or having an iced drink be enough to cool us down before turning on the AC?
Turn the Shower Off When Washing
Whilst washing your hair or your body, turn the shower off. Then put it back on again to rinse. This saves on some of the energy needed to pump the water to the shower and for heating it up. Easy! (in the summer :))
Walk, Cycle or Bus
A person once said to me “Just because we have a car, doesn’t mean we need to use it”. It’s so true and so simple. Can we walk, cycle or get a bus to where we are going instead to save on petrol? If not, try to combine journeys so that we don’t need to fill up as much.
Opt for Manual
Use a broom instead of a leaf blower, a dustpan and brush instead of a vacuum cleaner. You get what I’m trying to say. If the job is small or you don’t mind a bit of exercise then opt for the manual option instead.
Rewear Your Clothes
Avoid wearing your clothes only once before they go into the wash. Unless they really smell, get as much use out of them as you can. We need to try and be rid of this stigma that comes with rewearing clothes. It’s damaging to the environment and to our mental health. Read more about it here in this great article by Good on You.
Wait for a Full Load of Washing
Make sure you have a full load of washing before putting the washing machine on. If you only have a few things to wash consider hand washing them in the sink instead in a smaller amount of water.
Do you have extra tips for conserving energy that you follow in your home? Share them below in the comments, I would love to hear them and try to incorporate them in our home too.
Sources
[1] - European Environment Agency
[2] - U.S. Energy Information Administration
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