The cost of living is increasing, with utility bills leading the assault on the average household income. There’s no sign of it getting better. In Queensland, Australia for example, electricity price increases of up to 14% will take hold soon. Nevertheless, there are things that can be done to reduce the average household power usage, in turn reigning in monthly electric bills. And saving power is easier and cheaper than it may first seem.
Reducing Electricity Consumption in the Modern Home
Electricity consumption has become a necessity for most modern lifestyles, fuelling PCs, iPods, mobile phones and plasma televisions. Power bills are now a significant component of monthly household expenses. Nevertheless, whilst the bills keep coming and the prices get higher, reducing household consumption is both achievable and easy.
Here are some ways to reduce home electricity consumption that take small investments of time and money, but stand to reward homeowners with a smaller power bill.
Energy Efficient Lighting
After heating and cooling, lighting accounts for the biggest portion of the average household electric bill. Halogen downlights and old-style incandescent bulbs can account for a significant portion of average household energy wastage.
The simplest tip is to replace all light bulbs in the house with an energy efficient equivalent. Most traditional incandescent bulbs, and even some downlights and feature lights, can be replaced with CFLs or compact fluorescent lights. This simple step can reduce energy consumption through lighting by up to 70%.
Mains Power Consumption Monitors
Previously costly, power consumption or energy monitors are now an affordable and simple way to scrutinize, in real time, household electricity usage. The premise is simple, a small transmitter unit is fitted at the home meter box, by a licensed electrical contractor, and then the wireless receiving monitor can be placed anywhere in the home. Energy monitors provide real time information on household power usage, allowing members of the household to change electricity usage habits.
It’s a trifle Pavlovian but setting an alarm to sound when you exceed a certain rate of power consumption is a quick way to identify greedy appliances that are left on needlessly such as air conditioners, irons and cooking hot plates.
Products such as the Cent-a-meter and eFergy e2 retail for less than $150 and can pay for themselves in energy savings within months.
Automatic Power Timers
Although older technology than energy monitors, automatic power timers, or 24-hour switches, are still a great way to reduce electricity usage. The concept is simple; you place a timer at the outlet into which things like aquarium accessories and garden lights are plugged, and set the timer to switch them on and off at required intervals. You’ll never forget to turn something off, wasting power in the process; the switch will do it for you.
Automatic timers can be placed on a myriad of household appliances including, but not limited to:
Electric hot water systems are often the culprits behind excessive household energy consumption. Excess energy use of hot water systems can be minimised in a number of ways. However, one key way in which to do so is to lower the temperature which the water heats to.
The ideal temperature setting for an electric hot water system is 60 degrees (Celcius). Anything higher and water is boiling needlessly, just wasting electricity. Setting the temperature any lower however introduces other problems such as bacteria proliferation. Usually the homeowner can adjust hot water system temperature, but in some cases a licensed plumber or electrician may be needed.
Stand-by Power
Finally, the biggest enemy in terms of power consumption is stand-by power. Stand-by power can easily be identified by those seemingly innocuous lights glowing on the television, computer, coffee machine and other such appliances when they are not being used. The trick is simple, turn off all appliances that aren’t being used, at the power outlet. Standby power can account for nearly 20% of a household’s electricity usage.
Stand by power includes mobile phone and iPod chargers. These chargers actually draw power from an outlet, even when there is nothing charging. As soon as a phone or other gadget has finished charging the charger should be unplugged.
More Ways to Reduce Household Energy Consumption
The preceding tips are just a start. There are many other steps that can be taken to reduce household power consumption, in addition to those detailed above. Some things include:
Applying these tips will not eliminate the average household electric bill. But they are simple, quick and cost-effective ways to reduce the average bill by hundreds of dollars a year, every year. Not a bad return on an investment of less than $150.
Reducing Electricity Consumption in the Modern Home
Electricity consumption has become a necessity for most modern lifestyles, fuelling PCs, iPods, mobile phones and plasma televisions. Power bills are now a significant component of monthly household expenses. Nevertheless, whilst the bills keep coming and the prices get higher, reducing household consumption is both achievable and easy.
Here are some ways to reduce home electricity consumption that take small investments of time and money, but stand to reward homeowners with a smaller power bill.
Energy Efficient Lighting
After heating and cooling, lighting accounts for the biggest portion of the average household electric bill. Halogen downlights and old-style incandescent bulbs can account for a significant portion of average household energy wastage.
The simplest tip is to replace all light bulbs in the house with an energy efficient equivalent. Most traditional incandescent bulbs, and even some downlights and feature lights, can be replaced with CFLs or compact fluorescent lights. This simple step can reduce energy consumption through lighting by up to 70%.
Mains Power Consumption Monitors
Previously costly, power consumption or energy monitors are now an affordable and simple way to scrutinize, in real time, household electricity usage. The premise is simple, a small transmitter unit is fitted at the home meter box, by a licensed electrical contractor, and then the wireless receiving monitor can be placed anywhere in the home. Energy monitors provide real time information on household power usage, allowing members of the household to change electricity usage habits.
It’s a trifle Pavlovian but setting an alarm to sound when you exceed a certain rate of power consumption is a quick way to identify greedy appliances that are left on needlessly such as air conditioners, irons and cooking hot plates.
Products such as the Cent-a-meter and eFergy e2 retail for less than $150 and can pay for themselves in energy savings within months.
Automatic Power Timers
Although older technology than energy monitors, automatic power timers, or 24-hour switches, are still a great way to reduce electricity usage. The concept is simple; you place a timer at the outlet into which things like aquarium accessories and garden lights are plugged, and set the timer to switch them on and off at required intervals. You’ll never forget to turn something off, wasting power in the process; the switch will do it for you.
Automatic timers can be placed on a myriad of household appliances including, but not limited to:
- Aquarium heaters, lights, filters and air pumps
- Low voltage garden lighting
- Lights and lamps
- Water feature pumps and filters
- Electric Hot Water Systems
Electric hot water systems are often the culprits behind excessive household energy consumption. Excess energy use of hot water systems can be minimised in a number of ways. However, one key way in which to do so is to lower the temperature which the water heats to.
The ideal temperature setting for an electric hot water system is 60 degrees (Celcius). Anything higher and water is boiling needlessly, just wasting electricity. Setting the temperature any lower however introduces other problems such as bacteria proliferation. Usually the homeowner can adjust hot water system temperature, but in some cases a licensed plumber or electrician may be needed.
Stand-by Power
Finally, the biggest enemy in terms of power consumption is stand-by power. Stand-by power can easily be identified by those seemingly innocuous lights glowing on the television, computer, coffee machine and other such appliances when they are not being used. The trick is simple, turn off all appliances that aren’t being used, at the power outlet. Standby power can account for nearly 20% of a household’s electricity usage.
Stand by power includes mobile phone and iPod chargers. These chargers actually draw power from an outlet, even when there is nothing charging. As soon as a phone or other gadget has finished charging the charger should be unplugged.
More Ways to Reduce Household Energy Consumption
The preceding tips are just a start. There are many other steps that can be taken to reduce household power consumption, in addition to those detailed above. Some things include:
- Turn lights off when not in use – It seems simple, but many people forget this basic tip
- Run air conditioning at 24 degrees (Celsius) – This temperature will keep things comfortable and anything more will use power excessively
- Ensure draughts around doors and windows are sealed – Air conditioners and heaters will be working much harder and draining far more power if the cool or heated air is just seeping straight out of the home
- Cook with microwaves wherever possible – Electric cook tops and ovens use exceptional volumes of electricity for extended periods whereas microwaves use less and for far shorter periods
- Use the clothesline and avoid the clothes dryer – Clothes dryers consume phenomenal amounts of power, even the new energy efficient models, so if the sun is out so should your washing be
Applying these tips will not eliminate the average household electric bill. But they are simple, quick and cost-effective ways to reduce the average bill by hundreds of dollars a year, every year. Not a bad return on an investment of less than $150.
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