Hey there!What happened? Are you stressed over your electricity bill? And cant find out why the electricity costs are increasing day by day? Do you want to reduce the electric bills at home?
Then you are at the right place. Here I have gathered all the information about the reason and causes of energy consumption at home.
But then comes the most important part of this topic: How to reduce energy consumption in your home?
Well, careful usage,avoiding phantom energy drain or using energy efficient products can be the primary solutions for this problem. But for a more permanent solution, referring to renewable sources, using technological thermostats,relying more on natural sources etc can be the ways.
In this article, I have talked about all those in detail and along with some tips and tricks which can help you greatly to reduce the energy consumption in your home.
Hope that it will help you out.
What is energy consumption?
The term “Energy consumption” refers to the total amount of energy used by a particular process,activity, system, or entity over a specified period of time.
Energy consumption is affected by factors like the number of people, their working or energy consumption habits and also the energy consumption of electrical or other household appliances.
It is usually measured in units like joules or KWh for electrical energy.
But the concept includes gas, electricity, heat, oil, biomass and diesel etc as well.
Energy consumption rate of home appliances:
In order to know how to reduce the energy consumption of your home, the first thing you need to know is what appliances of your home use the most of the energy.
| Appliance or process name | Percentage of energy consumption |
| Heating | Space heating (29-30 %) |
| Water heating (10- 13%) | |
| Lighting | (4-10)% |
| Kitchen appliances | Cooking 1.3 % |
| Other appliances (9-10) % | |
| Air conditioning/Space cooling | (7-10) % |
| Refrigerator | (4-5)% |
| Some common appliances | Washers (0.5%) |
| Dishwashers (0.4%) | |
| Freezers (0.9%) | |
| Computers (1.2%) | |
| Home entertainment equipments (3-4)% | |
| Internet (1-2 %) | |
| Others (extra electronic devices, pool heaters, motors,spa heaters,generators etc) | (25-27%) |
For knowing the energy consumption rate of specific household appliances in detail. Click here.
Importance of reducing energy consumption(Why should we do it?):
Importance of reducing energy consumption of your household appliances is much more than you could think of.
Reducing energy consumption is not only important for creating a sustainable environment but also helps to save your electric bills to a great extent.
This is discussed in details below:
Save your electricity bill:
In case of explaining the importance of reducing energy consumption to you, let’s first talk about your own personal benefits. Did you know that just by being a little careful about the energy consumption of your home, you can save a huge amount of money.
| Energy consumption activity | Saved amount of money(per year) |
| Switching off standby devices | ($60-$70)per year |
| Turning off the lights | ($25-$30)per year |
| Heating and Cooling | ($100 – $300)per year |
| Appliances and Electronics | Up to $300 per year |
| Water Heating | $20 – $50 per year |
| Cooking | $50 – $100 per year |
| Not using a Tumble dryer | $60 per year |
| Reducing dishwasher bill | $10 – $15 per year |
| Insulating hot water cylinder | $50-$60 per year |
Note: This table is made with approximate values. It can vary depending on the factors like location, energy rates, and individual habits etc.
For building up a sustainable environment:
Reducing energy consumption has a large impact on building up a sustainable environment for us.
- Mitigating Climate Change: One of the most pressing global challenges is climate change, driven largely by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
By reducing energy consumption at home, we can decrease the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, helping to slow down global warming and also can stop climate changing issues.
- Preserving Natural Resources: Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are finite resources that take millions of years to form. By using energy more efficiently, we extend the lifespan of these resources and reduce our reliance on them, which can lead to greater energy security.
- Meeting Energy Demand Sustainably: As global energy demand continues to rise, it is essential to find sustainable ways to meet these needs. Energy efficiency, along with the adoption of renewable energy sources, is a critical component of a sustainable energy in the future.
Lowering Energy Costs:
Energy bills can be a significant household or business expense. By using energy more efficiently, individuals and organizations can save money on their energy bills. This can free up funds for other investments or necessities. If there is a sufficient amount of energy, there will be a huge possibility that energy costs will be lower.
How energy is wasted at home:
Concept of Phantom Energy Drain:
You surely acknowledged the fact that you consume a big percentage of energy by using your electronic devices. But do you know, your electric devices also consume a huge amount of energy even when they are not in use? This consumption of energy of electronic devices is termed as phantom energy drain or vampire energy consumption.
Actually some electronic devices ( like Televisions, chargers, night lights,desktop computers, gaming devices, coffee makers etc) don’t turn off even if you stop using them. These devices rather go to a “standby mode” or “sleeping mode” and consume a huge amount of power even when not in use.
Surprisingly, from a report it has been seen that a family wastes almost $44o-$500 dollars per year because of this phantom energy drain.
Carelessness:
It is one of the major reasons behind your energy wastage at home. It may happen that you are going out for a long trip and you lock the doors, pull the curtains but you leave the lights on or forget to turn off the stove by mistake.
Then it will surely consume a huge amount of energy for no reason.
Using old or broken appliances:
Old or broken electric appliances may consume even 60% more energy than the fit devices. So if you are not changing a broken device just because of money, then replace it soon. You are wasting a lot more of your income just by using them.
Save energy at Home(Follow these ways):
There are a lot of ways for you to save extra energy consumption at home.
Let me mention the easy ones first:
- Don’t forget to turn off the lights, fans, oven, Tv, gaming consoles or any other electronic devices before going out. It consumes a large amount of energy as well as can cause an accident.
- Don’t use old or broken appliances.they waste more energy. Replace them just on time.
- Work smartly and don’t waste more energy than your requirement. For example, you should not keep your water heater on for hours before your work. It doesn’t take too long to heat water.
Try using the heater just a few minutes before work and save energy as much as you can.
- Adjust your device settings. Many of your electronic devices have adjustable low power settings. You can use them for using less energy. You can try out the lower brightness ,disable the quick start feature as well.
This will not affect the performance of your device that much, but surely will save the energy consumption of your device to a great extent.
- Insulating the water heater and using low-flow fixtures can save 10-20% on water heating costs. Try it.
- Highlighting simple and small changes in habits can lead to significant energy savings. This could include turning off lights when not in use, using natural light during the day, and being mindful of water usage.
Reduce energy consumption at home(Highly effective methods):
Now I will talk about some really effective ways to reduce your energy consumption per year to a greater extent.
These are mentioned below:
Use energy saving products:
First thing you can do to reduce energy consumption at home is to use energy saving products like energy saving bulbs or products that have a label “ENERGY SAVER”.
The energy efficient bulb can save 80% to 85% energy than the normal LED bulbs. On the other hand, energy efficient products can save upto 20% to 30% more energy than the normal ones.
Place a solar panel:
A solar is a scientific setup where there are photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity. It can help reduce energy consumption to a great extent.
Installing solar panels gives homeowners more control over their energy production. As the whole thing is dependent on sunlight it lowers the electricity costs to a great level.
So placing a solar panel at your home may be a solution to your problems.
DIY Projects:
Offer specific do-it-yourself projects that can improve energy efficiency, such as insulating hot water pipes, installing a programmable thermostat, or sealing air leaks.
Use renewable energy sources:
Renewable power sources like wind Turbines,low-impact hydroelectric, or geothermal etc. helps to reduce power or energy consumption to a greater extent.
Set up the ideal temperature for your electronics:
You should setup the ideal temperature for your devices for reducing energy consumption.
| Fridge | (4 to 5) degrees Celsius |
| Freezer | (-15 to -18 degrees) |
| Thermostat | In winter (18 and 20 degrees)In summer (up to 26 degrees or above) |
| Microwave Ovens: | 10°C to 38°C |
| Washing Machines | (10°C to 35°C) |
| Coffee Makers: | (65.6°C to 97.1°C) |
| Vacuum Cleaners: | (10°C to 35°C) |
| Dishwashers: | (48.9°C to 65.6°C) |
Rely more on natural resources:
Try solving the energy reduction issues by depending on natural resources. For example, you can set up big windows at your home for natural light and an airy environment. This will lessen your dependance on lights, fans etc and save a lot of electric bills of yours
Tips and tricks for managing electricity usage and reducing electric bills:
Now time for some simpler tricks for you to reduce your electricity bills:
- Try not using a dryer for drying clothes. Dry clothes on air.
- Try to wash clothes using cold water instead of hot water if possible.
- If possible remove the obstacles that block sunlight and fresh air from entering your room.it will lessen the cost of lighting and fans.
- Use smart and technological thermostats.it can cut energy consumption by 20% to 30%. That means you can save up to $150 dollars just by using them.
- Use shades in the house, try planting big trees around the house for creating a cool environment and reduce dependence on air conditioners.
- After coming out, turn off the ventilation fan of your bathroom and kitchen.
- Don’t charge your phone all night. It will cost a lot of electricity as well as can damage your phone.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it can be said that reducing energy consumption can save a lot of your electricity costs and you can add a lot to your saving list.
Also it can put a long lasting impact on the environment by saving a lot of energy. And you can ensure all these things only by ensuring a little bit of careful usage and choosing the right energy sources for your home.
Ensure all these things in order to add a little more to your savings and become a part of creating a sustainable world for all of us.
All the best to you all.
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