Energy Efficiency In The Home

The growing awareness of how much energy we use and where it all comes from triggers most to think – how can I be smarter with my energy usage?

Energy efficient habits are easy to adopt in an everyday lifestyle – no changes to your eating habits or to your leisurely activities. Our lives are moving at an incredible pace, steering most of us to take the faster, more convenient option as opposed to the latter which might take longer or requires more thought and effort.

Knowing where all our household energy comes from, whether it be non-renewable or renewable sources makes us all aware of the impact we are having on our environment and because of that the changes that we may experience during our lifetime as a result of that energy generation. 

There are very easy methods of being more energy efficient in the home, and here are a few to start you off:

• Turning the lights off when necessary

It might seem like a no-brainer, but most of us are guilty at some point in our day for leaving the lights on when we aren’t in the room or there’s no one using it. By switching off the lights, you’ll save on your energy usage and see the consumption slip straight off your energy bills. E.g. if you’re leaving for the evening, instead of leaving the kitchen, laundry and lounge room lights on maybe leave just one on so that when you return you’ll still see where you’re going.

• Switch off your entertainment unit

Standby power for entertainment units draw a considerable amount of energy over time and simply is not needed if you’re not using it. Why pay for energy if no one is using it? By switching the entertainment unit completely OFF at the end of use, you will not be drawing so much energy in the evening.

• Set your pool pump to work during off-peak times / daylight if you have solar

Pool pumps consume an astonishing amount of energy, by setting the timer to work during off-peak rates (when energy rates are at their lowest during the week) you’ll still have your pool water filtered but it will be more economical for you. If you currently have solar, it’s always best to set your pool pump to daylight hours so that it’s using all the energy from your free solar power instead of the grid.

• Energy management system to track your usage

Energy management systems provide you with accurate information on the energy that your home consumes as well as the time that you’re using energy. With this information you will be empowered to pin point times that you use the most energy and make changes based on this.

Being smart about your usage will pay off on your bills, adopting cleaner energy habits will see savings instantly on your consumption.