7 Ways to Conserve Electrical Energy

How much do you currently spend on your electricity bill monthly? It is time to think of ways to reduce that cost and still maintain 100% efficiency. There are workable steps you can formulate into habits. 

1. Use Smart Power Strips

A good habit everyone should learn is to put off all appliances when leaving. But these days, you may have a lot on your mind and forget to do the needful. If that happens, your energy-hungry devices will continue to run even if they are only on standby. Is there a way to automate the energy conservation process even with the possibility of forgetting? 

Here is a technical solution: installed intelligent power strips. This tool helps to shut off power from electronics when they are not in use. All you need to do is to set the time of period of inactivity for these switches to take action. This power strip does the automatic job and helps you save energy by setting timers to shut your electricity down. 

2. Install a Solar Home System (SHS) 

Based on the energy audit of your home, which shows the amount of electricity consumption at a time, you can install the right solar home system. A solar home system is the best way to achieve net-zero carbon. You can learn more about solar energy to maximize the solar advantage. 

Solar energy can save up to 40% of your total electricity cost while providing a 24/7 power supply for your home and business. Installing solar for your business can reduce the dependence on the on-grid power supply and save the company the running cost of generator fueling and maintenance. 

3. Unplug your appliances when not in use

The electricity your home appliances consume when they are not in use, also known as phantom loads, is significant energy waste. Statistics show that 75% of the energy consumed by electronic appliances occurs when switched off or in standby mode. That waste was estimated the cost over $200 per year. 

To make a change, you must first identify the appliances that consume the most energy in the home. Next is to turn off all devices that are not in use from the source. You may assume the consumption is small because the appliance is on standby, but continuous use accrues the consumption. Generally, older devices consume more energy than energy-star-rated ones. 

4. Use energy-saving appliances

Another strategy you can begin to put in place is to buy only energy-saving appliances. These appliances often come with a blue sticker that reads “Energy Star”. Most modern home appliances come with this rating to show that they have been optimized for saving energy. Sometimes, you may need to switch some devices to the energy-saving mode.

Apart from appliances, you can also ensure you have energy-saving insulation. A poor insulation system can affect the energy required for cooling or heating the home as needed. During summer, you want to ensure that you have the proper insulation to prevent your AC from overworking. Inexpensive insulation materials include natural fibre, fibreglass, and rigid foam.

5. Daylight energy management

Lighting is a significant part of your daily energy usage. But does it have to be when there are long hours of daylight? Intuitively, we can factor this advantage into how we design and construct our houses. For instance, expert architects say it is better to have houses facing north/south than east or west. That way, light glances through without direct heat into the room.

A unique way to reduce the energy you consume at home or in the office is to use more natural light often. So, instead of always leaving light bulbs on during the day, you can entirely depend on natural light. On the other hand, installing solar power will ensure that you store energy during the day to be used at night. 

6. Cold wash when necessary

One of the highest energy-consuming activities in the home is doing laundry, which can be a weekly routine. It is energy intensive because of machines, mainly if you use warm water. In such a case, most energy consumption is heating the water before washing. So, a simple way to save energy is to wash with cold water. 

Other benefits of using cold water to wash your clothes and plates include the ability to prolong the lifespan of your items. In addition, you can save up to $50 yearly by reducing the washing water temperature by just 15 degrees. Other water heaters in the home can also follow suit in this new management strategy if you intend to conserve electrical energy. 

7. Use energy-saving bulbs

To consume less energy, you must be ready to replace all old-generation bulbs with energy-saving bulbs. These old bulbs consume excessive energy, although they are cheaper than newer ones. The new options include halogen incandescent bulbs, light-emitting diode bulbs and compact fluorescent lights. 

Moreover, these energy-efficient bulbs can last much longer, which is another advantage of choosing them. In straightforward terms, these modern bulbs consume between 25 and 80% less energy and can survive 3 to 25 times more than old bulbs. Energy-saving bulbs are great for conserving energy.