You’d be surprised by how easy it is to cut down your power usage with just a few simple steps. And not just temporarily — but forever!
Everyone is looking for ways to go green and save up nowadays; whether you want to save planet earth or you’re interested in lowering your energy bills, a great place to start saving is by making small changes at home! To get you on track, we’ve summarized a few things you can do to help you start right now:
#1 Clean Out Your Fridge
Let’s face it: Fridges are one of the biggest energy hogs at home. They eat up electricity like Homer Simpson eats up donuts. For those of you that keep multiple fridges at home, consider scaling back to just one - you don’t need all those fridges!
To clean out your fridge, start by moving your refrigerator away from the wall and dust away the dirt from the coils. Remove items and food that you no longer need in the fridge for better air circulation, but remember not to leave it empty! For maximum efficiency, keep it around ⅔ full.
#2 Cold Wash and Dry Smarter
Did you know that most of the energy your washing machine uses goes to heat the water? To cut down on your energy consumption, use a setting of 30°C - 35°C and wash full loads in one go.
You’d also be surprised by how much you can save by getting rid of your dryer! Try using an outdoor line in the summer, and let mother nature take care of drying your laundry. If you don’t have an outdoor line, consider hanging your clothes on the shower rod. For those that still want to use the dryer, you can always opt to dry smarter. Establish a routine of drying two to three loads of laundry in a row to take full advantage of your already warm dryer.
#3 Switch to LEDs
Still using incandescent light bulbs? It’s about time you replace them with LED bulbs! They may seem to be more expensive initially, but you will save energy from the lower wattage it uses to power the bulb. Try switching out the most widely used light bulbs at home, then replace the rest when they burn out. Look into it - they are definitely worth the investment!
#4 Show Your AC Some Love
Ever felt too lazy to put your AC to service or changing out the filters just to avoid the cost? Truth is, if you wait too long to change your filters, it will make your AC less efficient and costs you more.
Spend a little to keep clean air flowing. Purchase a reusable filter that you can hose off easily when its gets clogged up with particles and dusts. This will also help to maintain peak efficiency of your air conditioner!
#5 Unplug Your Appliances
Most of us are probably guilty of this: We tend to leave appliances on when idle. That’s the TV, microwave, air conditioning, lights… that consume a fair amount of energy on standby.
Simply unplugging these appliances that will not be used for a while, or double checking all appliances are turned off before you head to bed, could help you save tremendously on your electricity bill! If your power sockets aren’t easily accessible for unplugging or switching it on/off, try using power strips. Then, all you have to do is flick a switch when they are not in use - No excuses!
Which tip did you find the most useful? Let us know in the comments!
