Top ways to conserve energy at home

Homeowners know better than most that saving energy also saves money. While there are a lot of big steps you can take to help the environment, like starting a waste management system in your building, there are also smaller steps you can start implementing around the house to cut down on costs, as well as reduce your carbon footprint. Every little bit counts, and there are many different ways to conserve energy.

Turn off appliances

When an appliance is on standby, it still consumes power. This is why you should turn off the switch of your TV, desktop, phone charger, and even your microwave when it isn’t being used. This will help you save energy at home. If a room has many appliances that are often used all at once, you may forget to turn off each switch. In this case, it may be more convenient to plug them all into a power strip. For example, you can plug in an electric fan, desktop computer, printer, and charger, and turn a single switch off when you’re leaving the room. 

Use cold water

A lot of electricity goes into heating up water. That’s why using cold water for your showers and in your washing machines is a great way to save electricity. Most clothes are designed to withstand cold washes, and detergents nowadays work just the same in cold water as they do in warm water. 

Insulate your home properly

On the other hand, hot showers in the winter are unavoidable. However, a lot of heat is lost from pipes and heaters, no matter how long you leave the geyser on. Reduce standby heat loss significantly by adding insulating blankets to your bathroom’s water heaters. This will help keep the water hot for longer, helping you save energy at home as you won’t have to keep it turned on for very long. If you experience winter where you live, you should also consider upgrading the insulation on your windows and sealing cracks through which air circulates. Doing so will help trap heat in the house, reducing the amount you use your heater. The same goes for summers – you’ll find you use your air conditioner less once the cool air stops escaping through the cracks and gaps.

Run full loads

Another significant way to conserve energy is to run the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads. Running them half-full is both a waste of water and electricity. In case you find this cannot be helped, consider investing in a smarter appliance, which can estimate how much water to use for a shorter cycle based on how many clothes or dishes you put inside. You can also add aerators to faucets around the house to save water.

Upgrade and maintain utilities

It’s also important to properly maintain major appliances around the house which consume a lot of electricity. Cleaning or changing your air conditioner’s filters every few months will go a long way in saving energy around the house. This is because dirt will slow down airflow, which causes the unit to work harder and use more energy. The same goes for cleaning out the lint trap of your washing machine in between cycles. If your appliance is extremely old, it would be best to swap it out for a new appliance since older ones consume more energy as they work a lot harder to function, no matter how much you maintain them.

Opt to air-dry 

There are many ways we use dryers around the house. We use dryers for our clothes, dishes, and even our hair. But the eco-friendly alternative would be to air-dry all of them. Towel dry your hair after washing it, or simply sit under a fan for a while. This is a very simple way to save electricity. For your dishes and clothes, buy drying racks, and put up clotheslines or drying stands out on a terrace or in a balcony. Many clotheslines are available as attachments that you can place overhead in a balcony, allowing you to lower them with a drawstring to fan out clothes, and then pull back up to keep clothes out of the sun to prevent fading. Stands are also most often foldable to help you save space. 
These energy-saving tips will help you cut costs drastically at an economical charge, and will also help you incorporate sustainable living in your life with ease. If you’re interested in green living, head to Assetz Property Group for environment-friendly developments.