Save hundreds of pounds on your energy bill by reducing household energy consumption. You can reduce household energy consumption by making simple proactive adjustments to your energy consumption habits or extensive home improvements. The main goals for every consumer should be to conserve energy to lower bills and protect the environment. The following are the easiest and most intensive ways to save on energy bills.
What Is Energy Conservation?
At its essence, energy conservation is a way to utilize less energy to achieve lower costs and minimize the environmental impact. One of the simplest ways to do that is by using less electricity, gas, or any other utility you pay for periodically. There are finite resources on your planet, and proactively saving as far as possible is helpful on the individual level and for larger energy organizations.
1. Make Proactive Adjustments To Your Energy Consumption
You can reduce energy consumption by purchasing energy-efficient products because there is no denying the energy savings with energy-efficient products. But simple proactive adjustments you can make to consumption behaviour to reduce energy consumption. For example, you can switch off the lights or unplug appliances as you leave a room. Most people do not switch off the lights even when no one is home.
Another way to save energy is by not frequently using energy-intensive appliances. For example, you have a clothes dryer, and you also have space to hang-dry clothes. Consider hang-drying clothes more often and use the clothes dryer for urgent scenarios. Similarly, you can wash dishes by hand instead of putting them in the dishwasher.
2. Adjust The Thermostat For Heating Or Cooling
The heating system in the winter and the cooling system in the summer have the highest potential for energy savings. For most households, heating and cooling costs account for almost half of the energy consumption. In other words, you can make the biggest dent in your energy bill by making a simple adjustment to your thermostat. Just a single degree colder in winter can translate into significant savings, in the same way just a few degrees warmer in summer can lower energy consumption.
Since heating and cooling constitute a principal portion of household energy consumption. A recommendation is to switch off the heating or cooling system when no one is home.
3. Replace Light Bulbs
Conventional incandescent light bulbs expend an exorbitant amount of electricity and need to be replaced frequently. Energy-efficient alternatives such as compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), halogen incandescent bulbs, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have a higher luminescence and consume 25% to 80% less electricity. All of these lights last anywhere from three to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Consumers will make fewer electrical repairs around the house since these alternatives use less energy.
The only downside is that the energy-efficient alternatives cost more than traditional incandescent light bulbs. It still makes sense to purchase them if you consider the lifespan of the energy-efficient alternatives.
4. Use Smart Extension Cords
“Phantom loads,” or the energy consumption of appliances that are switched off but plugged in is a huge waste of energy. According to research, appliances use 75% of the energy when they are plugged in and on standby. Laptop or mobile chargers, electronic appliances, sound systems, entertainment systems, and kitchen appliances that are always plugged in but switched off still consume energy.
A smart extension cord has individual power switches for each connection as well as a main switch. You can use the smart extension cord to plug in similar appliances like several different chargers. Once your device is fully charged, you can switch off the energy supply for that charger. Alternatively, you can unplug the smart extension cord to ensure that all of the appliances do not consume electricity.
5. Install A Programmable Or Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat can be programmed to switch on or off at specific times during the day. For example, you can program the smart thermostat to switch off when no one is home. You can also program the smart thermostat to function efficiently during the night time when you sleep. Upgrading to a smart thermostat means that you can eliminate wasteful energy without upgrading the HVAC system.
You can potentially save hundreds of pounds annually just by installing a smart thermostat. Different models allow you to set daily or weekly schedules and the prices can vary. Some programmable thermostats also indicate when you need to replace air filters and perform other maintenance tasks on your HVAC system. Investing in a smart or programmable thermostat is worthwhile if you do not intend to upgrade your HVAC system any time soon.
6. Mitigate Water Heating Expenses
Hot water is a major increment to your total energy consumption. One way to lower the cost of hot water consumption is to purchase an energy-efficient water heater. Another solution is to use less hot water or lower the water heater thermostat. Both of these solutions may not always be practical in all situations.
Consider insulating your water heater and the first ten feet of hot and cold water pipes leading to and from the water heater. Think of the type of fuel the water heater uses if you are thinking about upgrading to an energy-efficient version. Also, take into consideration your hot water consumption when purchasing an energy-efficient water heater. A tankless water heater can be extremely energy efficient, but it will not be able to supply multiple simultaneous hot water connections if you have a high hot water consumption.
Energy-efficient water heaters can be anywhere from 8% to 300% more energy efficient in comparison to traditional water heaters.
7. Switch Energy Suppliers
You can search for the best energy suppliers on Utility Bidder because the last few months saw an increase in energy prices. You might be fresh out of luck looking for cheaper rates if you switched energy suppliers more than a few months ago. Consumers with energy suppliers that have recently closed need to shift to a new supplier because the out-of-contract rates will increase on 1st April 2022.
Out-of-contract rates were some of the worst rates at some point in time. But now they are probably some of the cheapest rates you can get. Make sure you choose a new provider and get on their cheapest plan before April 1st if you are paying out-of-contract rates.
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