Tag Archives: energy consumption

5 Ways In Which You Can Reduce Energy Consumption In Your Home

Be “green” from now on and protect the environment by reducing the energy consumption in your home, saving some money on the bills while doing this as well. Unless you’re a billionaire you definitely want to save as much money as you can. Here are 5 ways in which you can reduce the electricity consumption in your home to pitch in the fight to protect our beloved planet.

1. Unplug

By unplugging your electronic devices after you are done with using them, you save about 10% of your home’s energy consumption. In addition, by unplugging them you protect them from getting fried in case of a power fluctuation. For example, after the phone finishes charging you should unplug the charger from the socket, or if you are done with using the computer, unplug both the computer and the screen.

2. Use energy efficient appliances

To recognize an energy efficient device or appliance, look for the Energy Star label on it. Energy Star is a voluntary program sponsored by D.O.E. and E.P.A. that identifies and labels all energy efficient products. Energy efficient appliances include dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, computers, dryers, and more. Such an appliance or device can go as much as to consume half of what a typical model would, reducing energy consumption considerably, and saving you a lot of money by doing so.

3. Turn on the ceiling fan

Use the ceiling fans in your advantage, and reduce your energy consumption by doing this. When it’s summer simply set the ceiling fans to spin counter-clockwise, pulling the hot air to the ceiling, keeping it away from the living space, and during winter just reverse the setting and the hot air will blow down, making the heating more efficient.

4. Energy efficient light bulbs

As soon as the evening sets in, all lights are turned on. Therefore, finding a method to make lighting more energy efficient is important. To have “green” lighting, simply replace all your incandescent lights with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights. Beside consuming 60% less than the incandescent light bulbs, they have a bigger life span as well. To be more precise, an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb lasts 10 times longer than an incandescent light bulb.

5. Close your doors and windows

During winter when you turn on your central heating, if you don’t make sure that all the doors and windows are shut, you waste a lot of heat. This goes for the hot summer days as well, because you will have your air conditioner consuming more than it’s needed if you don’t close the doors and windows. In summer, it’s a good idea to not only close the windows, but pull the shades as well. Around 40% of the heat comes from the fact that the sun is invading your home through them anyway, so deny it entrance to keep cool and consume as less energy as possible.

How to Minimize the Energy Consumption of Your A.C

Air conditioners are efficient ways of cooling your home during hot days of summer or even heating them during winter, but they are also one of the biggest energy consumers in your house, with more than 40% on the electricity bill. Considering the costs, no wonder you will want to use it less and more efficiently, and here are some ways to minimize the energy consumption of your AC.
  • Don’t let the AC running in rooms where you don’t stay because that would be energy waste. A responsible use of all your appliances means less overall energy consumption, so make sure you limit the use of the AC in rooms where you don’t sit and transitory rooms like hallways. Also, you can raise the thermostat’s setting throughout the night or when you are away and don’t need cooling. This can help you save up to 15% on the electricity bill.
  • Keep the doors and windows closed while you have the AC running in order to keep hot air from coming inside. The room where you turn on the AC should be closed tight in order to minimize the effect of using the air conditioner. Once the temperature is lowered to a comfortable level, you can turn the AC off and enjoy the cool air while making sure no hot air comes from the outside.
  • A humid air can make you feel a hotter temperature than it normally is, which influences how much you use the air conditioner. The moister the air, the hotter you feel, so lowering the air humidity level is a smart step in reducing the energy consumption of your AC. Dehumidifiers do a great job in reducing the air moisture but make sure you get an Energy Star rated unit that uses 15% less energy than other models.
  • A tower fan that would disperse the cool air created by the AC on a wider area can maximize the performance and minimize the energy consumption. If you manage to spread the cool air faster, you will need the AC to operate less, thus minimizing the energy consumption. Visit towerfan.reviews in order to find the most efficient and affordable tower fan.
  • Sunlight that gets inside your house through the windows also works as heat, so you should keep the rooms as shady and dark as possible if you want to use the AC less. Use blinds and curtains to keep sunlight from heating the windows that could emit heat and you will notice that your house will need less cooling.