Here’s How you can Reduce your Electricity Bill!
The recent shortage of coal in India has brought the energy crisis and our dependence on non-renewable resources into perspective. As unlimited as electricity may seem, in our current state of technology it is very limited. Most of the energy produced in the world today comes from power plants that still rely on non-renewable resources which are predicted to run out in the next few decades. Saving electricity might seem trivial in an effort to save our planet but cutting down our consumption can play an important role in our efforts to build a sustainable future.
You can start saving money and electricity at your homes by incorporating some basic habits into your daily life. Switching off incandescent bulbs in your homes for an extra two hours a day could help you save a lot of electricity or better yet invest in some LED light fixtures for better lighting at lower energy consumption. The south-facing windows in your home are strategically placed to maximize the amount of daylight entering your home. Make use of the natural light during the daytime to illuminate your homes and avoid using artificial lighting during the day. Another way to illuminate your home with fewer light fixtures is to paint your walls white or any light shade to allow light to reflect on your walls. This will reduce the need to install more lights and overall make your house look cleaner and brighter.
We love taking hot showers but that heated water also comes at a cost that increases our energy consumption and also depletes our water reserve. By cutting down on your shower routine by 2 minutes every day you can cut down on your electricity consumption by 330 kWh and save gallons of water each year.
This also applies to other heated water sources in your home, including the faucets in your sink, make sure to turn the tap off when you are brushing your teeth.
We often leave all our electronics plugged into whatever power socket we can find even if they are not being used. But leaving them plugged in can also lead to a power drain, in the long run, it accounts for about 10% of your annual electricity consumption. Go the extra mile and unplug all your unused electronics to save some additional money and electricity. Make sure to run full loads of laundry in cold water whenever possible and avoid using your dryer. By reducing the frequency of washes combined with normal water and naturally dried clothes you can save up a lot of energy. Drying your clothes naturally and out in the sun is also good for your health as sunlight naturally disinfects.
You can make your fancy delicacies in your microwave or toaster oven in half the time as opposed to ovens. Though ovens are useful in many ways they also drain a lot of energy due to their functionality which requires energy consumption for long durations. By using ovens less frequently you can carve out a big chunk of your overall energy consumption budget.
Investing in energy-efficient appliances and renewable sources like solar panels can go a long way in achieving the goal of sustainability. But by altering our habits presently we can not only save a lot of money but also reduce our energy demands. Many disadvantaged communities struggle to get a regular electricity supply due to the uneven consumption and distribution among communities of varying classes. Reducing our energy consumption is the only way we can begin to tackle the problems plaguing our communities and the planet.
Sources & References
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/reducing-electricity-use-and-costs
https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/poster/top-5-steps-reduce-your-energy-consumption