How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint or just save a bit of money, you can do both by making your home more energy efficient. Here are some things you can implement and changes you can make to help towards this.
LED Light Bulbs
If you haven’t already, install LED light bulbs instead of regular light bulbs. LED bulbs are much more energy efficient compared to other types of lighting. You can also get smart LED bulbs, which you can turn on and off with an app. This means that if you have gone out and forgotten to turn off a light, this can easily be done when you are away from home, and you are not wasting unnecessary energy.
Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat is another great way of saving energy as it lets you have more control over your heating. If you go for something like a Sensi smart thermostat, then you can have easy remote access and change the programming of your thermostat from anywhere. You can also create a schedule for every day of the week to suit your lifestyle, so that you are not using heat energy inefficiently.
Defrost Your Freezer
Defrosting both your fridge and your freezer regularly helps them to run more efficiently, costing you less money to run them. It is also a good idea to keep the fridge and freezer fully stocked, as then they have less time to run to remain cool.
Washing and Drying
By washing your clothes at a lower temperature than normal you are using less energy, and it is also better for the environment. Also, make sure you are washing full loads. If you do more loads with less inside you are using more energy, so it is better to do fewer washes with larger loads. Then, why not hang your clothes on a line outside instead of using the dryer? Clothes dryers use a lot of energy, so if the weather is nice, hang the washing outside instead.
Turn Down the AC
If you have air conditioning, why not turn it down a bit? You could even turn it off entirely and use an electric fan instead. While you would still be using electricity, they use much less energy than air conditioning and could save you a bit of money.
Don’t Leave Anything on Standby
Try not to leave appliances on standby. When you are going to bed or leaving the house for a long period of time, make sure to turn everything off at the plug. Also, don’t charge your phone overnight – it uses a lot of electricity, and your phone only needs a couple of hours to fully charge. Don’t leave bathroom or kitchen ventilation fans running for longer than necessary – remember to turn them off once they have done their job.
These are all things that can help you save energy, and therefore money, in the running of your home. They are simple things that can easily be changed in everyday life, so why not give some a try?
