As a domestic consumer, you can play your role in conserving the environment by using energy more efficiently. It is as simple as minimizing losses and using energy more efficiently to reduce the demand on the grid which calls for increase in generation. Another huge factor that can help you reduce costs and power usage is choosing the right Electricity company. For instance, if you look for TXU Energy reviews, you can find useful information and guidance from other customer’s experiences, helping you avoid energy bill surprises
There are ways you can conserve energy and save on electricity without necessarily making drastic changes in your home. You just have to make little adjustments and adopt certain habits to make your home more eco-friendly. The reward you get for your efforts is a safer planet and more savings on electricity bills.
Here are simple ways to save on electricity
Stock your fridge
The refrigerator is an important household appliance to keep your foods fresh for longer periods than leaving them in the open would allow you but it’s also a major consumer of electricity. No, you don’t have to throw your refrigerator in the basement. You can make it a little more energy efficient.
Save the amount of electricity your refrigerator consumes by keeping it well-stocked and minimizing the number of times you open it. An empty fridge has more air circulation meaning it takes longer to reach a specific temperature and therefore consumes more power. Opening the door several times raises the temperature and the fridge has to run for some hours again to realize the set temperature.
Turn off the lights
This point cannot be emphasize enough. Switching off the lights when you are leaving a room even for a few minute saves you a few units of electricity but which when added over time are quite significant.
Additionally, you can install dimmer switches so you can regulate the intensity of the light as you need further saving you more in electric bills.
Unless your house was designed in a way that is doesn’t receive adequate sunlight during the day, open your curtains and let your house be illuminated by natural light instead.
Unplug when not in use
Most people are prone to leaving their electronics and electrical appliances on standby mode when they are not using them. While this makes it easy for you to quickly turn them on when you need to use them, it wastes electricity since most appliances still consume up to 20% of rated power when idling.
This power consumed and paid for but not used – wasted. It is therefore important to unplug your electrical appliances when you are not using them.
Regular home maintenance
Regularly maintaining your home not only saves you huge repair bills but also helps conserve energy. A damaged insulation or a leaking pipe, lowers the efficiency of your home heating system since more energy is need to get the desired temperatures.
You need to hire a qualified contractor from Hvac Training Schools to conduct semi-annual inspections of your home and fix any damages.
Replace old appliances
You don’t have to buy a new appliance every time the latest model is released but you should think about replacing your 10-year old appliances. This is because an appliance becomes less energy efficient as it ages. Moreover, manufacturers are always working on bring the best energy-efficient products in the market and the technology in your old appliances are no longer the best in the market in terms of energy consumption.