With increasing electricity consumption and rising utility bills, we often underestimate our potential to act about it. May it be summers or winters, electricity bills skyrocket with almost everyone using ACs, heaters, geysers and other high power electric appliances.
What if I tell you that your
electricity consumption is not a matter out of your control, that you actually have the power of considerably lowering your electricity bill.
Moreover, while doing this for yourself, you will contribute in coping up with the drastic climate change that our Mother Earth, our only place to live, is facing today. Yes, you will! And for that you just have to follow some simple measures as given below:
1) Shift to LEDs and CFL
If you are still using incandescent lights at your home, believe me, it is high time you shift to LEDs and CFLs. The electricity used over the whole lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs approximately 5 to 10 times the original purchase price of the bulb itself. Light Emitting Diodes(LEDs) and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs have actually revolutionized energy-efficient lighting. LED bulbs drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and aid in saving electricity too.
If five incandescent bulbs are replaced with LED bulbs, the annual CO2 emission will be reduced by 278 kg, which is equivalent to planting 27 trees.
Hence, They prove to be much cheaper and environment-friendly than the incandescent lights.
2) Use 5-star rated electrical appliances
Now a days, we frequently hear about star rating of various electrical appliances in the market. What does that rating actually imply and is it really important to consider that rating while buying those appliances?
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Indeed, it is! That rating actually tells whether the appliance meets certain energy-efficiency guidelines or not.
In addition to this, the appliances that bear its label can cut down those bills by approximately 30 percent.
So, next time you buy a new electrical appliance, make sure you consider its energy label first.
3) Use Solar Voltaic Energy
Solar voltaic cells are a great means to save electricity. After a one-time charges of installation, they prove to the cheapest and the most efficient means of electricity.
To quote an example, a 64 WP Photovoltaic panel is capable of powering five tubelights and three fans for 300 days in a year.
No doubt such an installation results in a drastic reduction in annual carbondioxide emissions by about 617 kg, which is equivalent to planting 61 trees. Also, installing a solar water heater is a better way to go green & to reduce annual carbondioxide emission by 687 kg, which is equal to planting 68 additional trees.
4) Sustainable Use of Washing Machines
Washing machines are one of the most indispensable home appliances and are used almost regularly in households. But have you ever wondered how much water and electricity is wasted while using them?
On an average, a washing machine uses more than 20 gallons of water for a full load.
In order to use your washing machine sustainably, use the cold cycle in a washing machine; it would reduce the annual carbondioxide emissions by about 64 kg, which is equivalent to planting about six trees.
5) Tune up electrical appliances
Many of us ignore the importance of regular cleaning and checkups of the electrical appliances that we use.
But do you know that
these checkups and services are required to ensure that your appliances are running at their highest efficiency.
Hence we must ensure having professional cleanings and checkups of these electrical appliances annually or twice a year. To help you remember, you can schedule a service call with the service providers.
6) Unplug appliances while not using them
We often hear this statement whenever it comes to saving electricity ‘Unplug electrical appliances when not using them’. But do we actually let this statement reach our brain and change our habits? If the answer is No, then Act now!
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Now is the time to change yourself and be aware of the high time to act in the direction of saving the electricity and our resources. Make unplugging appliances while not in use your habit. Infact, you should remind such habits to your friends and relatives too.
This is probably the least we can do for our mother Earth.
7) Time to replace your appliances
A lot of times in our houses, we are using electrical appliances for years. We seldom care about whether they it’s time to replace them with the new ones because they might be consuming a lot of power that they are ought to be. If you are doing so, then it’s time to replace such appliances now!
Believe me, if you are worrying about the high costs of new appliances, then that cost will soon be covered in the electricity saved by you by replacing them.
If the major electrical appliances or air conditioners in your house are more than 10 to 15 years old, they are surely costing too much to run. Infact,modern appliances that conform to Energy Star efficiency are 10 to 20 percent cheaper to operate than other products, which will add up to big savings on your electric bills.
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According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, buying a new AC with an energy efficiency rating (EER) of 10, to replace an older one rated at 5, can approximately halve the cost of cooling that room.
8) Energy savings apps
In addition to these measures to save electricity consumption in daily life, in today’s era of smart phones, you can prove yourselves smarter when it comes to smart and sustainable electricity consumption.
All you have to do for this is install and use various online apps for energy saving.
What these apps will do is keep a track of your energy consumption and provide you with tips, advice and resources to save electricity as well as lower your utility bills.
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Conclusion
Last but not the least, saving electricity now is the need to the hour! Not only to reduce your expenses or lower your power bills, but to ensure that the light and facility that has been gifted to us from mother nature is transferred by us judiciously to our future generations too.
Moreover, if ever you confront the question of what difference you alone can make to the world by acting concerned to the resources, then remind yourself to ‘Act local, Think global’!
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