As talked about in our previous article, the emissions of greenhouse gases brought about by human actions such as burning fossil fuels and clearing land is leading to increasing global warming. However, these emissions can be significantly reduced by a change in attitudes of our communities, industries and societies. While being "energy smart" and helping the environment, we could also benefit ourselves. Perhaps we should think of this as killing two birds with one stone. By decreasing our energy consumption are saving our environment while at the same time reducing our costs and saving up more money which could be put into other uses. The following are tips that you could use in your homes to save energy.
Heating Tips:
- Minimize the area to be heated by closing off doors to unheated areas and closing curtains and blinds, especially at night. Use curtains to close off archways. Increasing the size of an area to be heated also increases the running costs.
- Ensure your heater is correctly sized. Small heaters are inappropriate for heating a large area; likewise a large heater is inappropriate for heating a small area. A correctly-sized heater will reduce costs and ensure that it runs efficiently.
- Turn the thermostat down to the lowest comfortable temperature setting. Each degree lower can reduce running costs by up to 15%.
- Don't leave the heater running overnight or while you are out during the day. If possible, install a time switch so that the heater turns on when you wake up or arrive home from work.
- Turn the pilot light off over summer.
- Open curtains on north-facing windows on sunny winter days. This will allow the free, natural solar energy to warm your house.
- Close off chimneys using an openable damper. This will stop major heat losses through the chimney cavity.
- Insulate your home. Insulation significantly reduces heat entering and escaping the house, making your heating system more effective.
- Reduce draughts. Use draught excluders on doors and windows and seal gaps to the outside to limit air entering your home.
Cooling Tips:
- Insulate your home. Up to 60% of the heat entering your home comes through the ceiling and walls. Insulation is the single most significant thing you can do to reduce the amount of heat gain.
- Ensure windows are well-shaded from summer sun by external blinds or awnings. Unshaded north, east and particularly west-facing windows can contribute to the overheating of a building in summer.
- Open windows and doors for natural ventilation when the outside temperature is lower than inside. At night, consider leaving windows open to flush out hot air.
- Close blinds, curtains, windows and doors early on hot days to keep the heat out.
- Set thermostats between 25 degree - 27 degree C. each degree you lower the thermostat can increase running cost by up to 15%.
- Use programmable timers to allow the cooling system to be automatically switched on or off as required.
- Use fans to provide cooling breezes. These generally cost less than one cent per hour to run.
Hot Water Tips:
- Use a cold rinse for clothes washing and dishwashing.
- Install an energy efficient hot water system and locate it as near as possible to kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas.
- Fit low-flow shower-heads.
- Ensure hot water taps are in good repair, with no leaks or drips.
- Have short showers instead of baths to save energy and water.
- Regularly maintain the hot water system and check that the heater's relief valve is not leaking excessively.
- Check that hot water is optimum temperature. Set your thermostat to deliver water at around 60 degree C.
- Use cold water whenever hot is not necessary.
- Turn off your hot water system if going away for extended periods.
- Consider installing a solar hot water system. This can reduce your household hot water bills by more than 60% each year.
Lighting Tips:
- Turn off lights when not required.
- For general lighting use fluorescent lighting or compact fluorescent lamps in the kitchen, lounge, family room and other areas where lights are used for more than four hours each day.
- Use fluorescent or compact fluorescent lamps fitted to security lights and outdoor lights that are on for long periods.
- Use programmable timers or daylight sensors to control outdoor and security lighting.
- Regularly clean light fittings, reflectors and lampshades.
- Use task lighting rather than whole-room lighting when a small amount of focused light is required.
- Use the lowest wattage lam needed to adequately light up an area.
- Avoid using multiple-globe fittings.
- Avoid having several lights activated by one switch. Use separate switches for each light.
- Make good sue of natural light, particularly from north-facing windows.
Appliance Tips:
Clothes dryers:
- Avoid using clothes dryers whenever possible. Use the clothesline instead as the sun's heat is free.
- Run your clothes dryer with full loads only and don't overload.
- Clean the lint filter after each load.
- Avoid mixing heavy and lightweight articles together.
- Spin dry items before putting them in the clothes dryer.
- Use the correct temperature setting. This will minimize the amount of electricity consumed.
Clothes washers:
- Front loading clothes washers use considerably less energy and water than top-loading machines.
- Run the clothes washer with full loads when ever possible.
- Use the appropriate cycle for the type of clothes you are washing. Wash heavily and
- lightly-soiled items separately.
- Take advantage of the special features on the clothes washer to save energy and money. For example the suds-saver feature allows you to recycle sudsy water, using less detergent, water and energy.
- Wash in cold water.
Dishwashers:
- Run only when fully loaded.
- To optimize efficiency, load the dishwasher according to the manufacturer's instructions with plates, glasses etc., in the correct position.
- Remove large food articles from dishes and run shorter wash cycles.
- Use the economy cycle for lightly-soiled dishes.
- Turn the dishwasher off before the drying cycle and open the door to let the dishes air dry. This can reduce energy consumption by up to one-third.
- Clean the filter after each wash.
Refrigerators and freezers:
- Defrost and clean the inside of your refrigerator and freezer at least every six months. Frost build-up should not exceed 6 mm.
- Clean the coils behind your refrigerator at least once a year.
- Set the temperature of your refrigerator between 3 degree C and 5 degree C.
- Set the temperature of your freezer between - 18 degree C and - 15 degree C.
- Ensure door seals are tight fitting. Door seals should hold a piece of paper in place when
- closed.
- Open the doors only when necessary and leave them open for as short a time as possible.
- Switch off additional refrigerators and freezers if they are mostly empty or only used occasionally.
In order for us to make a difference to the current global environmental issue through saving energy, we must all attempt to follow the above tips to the best that we possibly can. We urge you to change the ways that you treat energy and use it wisely and sustainably. Saving energy is only one of the many things that we could do to save our environment. So let this be our first step to saving the environment that we live in. If we aren't responsible for our environment then who will be? The journey to environmental protection must start some where right?
As they say, charity begins at home. Similarly, we must first decrease energy consumption in our homes. So let this be our first step to saving the environment that we live in.
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Source: Squidoo.com
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