Electricity costs money and often it costs the earth too. Being energy smart means only using as much as you need, cutting costs and reducing your environmental impact. In this article we will discuss some simple ways you can minimise your energy footprint without entirely abandoning civilisation to live off the grid.
ENERGY SMART APPLIANCES
Appliances have come a long way in the last few years to kerb their electrical appetite. Due to a preference for smarter materials, cutting inefficiencies and the introduction of new technology appliances today use less resources than ever before. Of course, not all appliances are made equal and there may be a slightly higher monetary cost associated with energy smart appliances but this cost is likely to be mediated by the savings it passes onto you over its many years of reduce energy consumption.
A crucial element of reduced energy consumption is the increased prevalence of sleep and power saver modes. These reduce the appetite of many appliances down to the smallest trickle of electricity unless the appliance is physically in use.
Additionally, electric water heaters and air conditioners now benefit from smarter technology that reduces the amount of energy required for the same amount of work.
SOLAR SAVES THE PLANET
Reducing energy consumption is the simplest way to be smarter with your electricity, but there is a smarter way too. The smarter way to be smart with your electricity is by installing solar photovoltaic panels on your roof. Solar panels will mean you start generating your own electricity at home, so ideally you no longer have to buy any from the grid and may even make a small amount of money selling electricity back to the grid. This approach means you can get on with enjoying all the benefits of electricity without having to feel guilty about using fossil fuels.
ENERGY TIMERS
Use energy timers to get clever about your electricity consumption. In most situations, a stereo or home theatre system is going to spend more time off than on.
There are multiple versions of energy timers, including some that work like a regular egg timer and will give you a few hours of power to a particular circuit before automatically shutting it off if no change is detected for an hour or two. There are also programmable timers that will regulate power at different times of the day. Which is ideal for outdoor lighting that you only want to be able to turn on at night time and air conditioners you want to automatically shut off at night.
ADDRESS WIRING PROBLEMS
Think of your house’s energy requirements like you needing to take a bath. You will fill the bath with a bucket you walk to your nearest swimming pool and back. You are paying for the number of buckets you take from the swimming pool. If your bucket has holes in it, you are leaking water before it gets a chance to enter your bath and you will be paying extra compared to someone with a bucket without holes. A good bucket in this scenario is a well wired property.
Wiring problems and shoddy electrical circuits can cost you more electricity than you will save by implementing all of the above improvements. Poorly connected wires can be a constant drain on electricity and cause excess heat build-up at junctions.
CONTACT DR SPARKY ELECTRICAL FOR TROUBLESHOOTING AND UPGRADES
Dr Sparky Electrical are professional electricians that can assist you with all of your electrical issues. Whether you need to rewire a house, install a new air conditioner or have a set of solar panels installed, we’re here to help. Call us today on 1800 377 727 or get in touch with us online.
