There’s a good reason for that, of course. The more electricity that we need as a whole, the more CO2 emissions that we release. Although we can’t fully stop those gases from being released by us humans, we can at least work to reduce those emissions.
Today, we’ll be looking at some ways to do that, mostly in relation to power consumption. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your own usage of energy, then you’re certainly in the right place.
One: Energy Efficient Appliances and Windows
Perhaps one of the most popular ways of saving on energy usage is by looking into something known as “energy efficiency.” Essentially, it’s just when something uses less energy to complete the same exact task. There are special appliances designed with this in mind, and it’s no wonder that they’ve skyrocketed in popularity.
This does raise the question of how they work, though. Thankfully, it’s really not overly difficult to explain or to understand. As you can see here, https://www.eesi.org/topics/energy-efficiency/description, energy efficient appliances and windows are designed to work with lower temperatures and energy settings.
Something to keep in mind here is that conservation is not the same as efficiency in this context, although the mistake is easy to make. Conserving energy is the idea of unplugging appliances or electronics when we aren’t using them, while efficiency is just that they use less power from the start.
You can also have windows that are energy efficient, which might sound strange. The idea there is that they let less heat or cool air out of your home. So, basically, they’re better insulated and will help to save you some cash on your heating or cooling bill.
Two: Adjust Your Showering Habits
Something that a lot of people seem to forget is that showering takes up a surprising amount of energy. It’s mostly because of how much hot water that we end up using. So, there are a few ways that you can change your habits to help save energy.
The first is to take cooler showers. That’s not to say that it should be an icebox every time that you step in, but it probably doesn’t need to be approaching molten lava temperature to give you a comfortable experience. Even this small adjustment can make a big difference.
Another option is to actually make changes to your shower itself. There are ways to make it more energy efficient, and even to use less water if you want. It’s fairly flexible and customizable, so don’t be afraid to explore your options there.
Finally, consider taking shorter showers as well. Even the difference between a fifteen minute one and a twenty-minute one can be pretty staggering in terms of energy consumption.
Three: Always Turn Out the Lights
This is probably advice that you’ve heard before, but it warrants repeating. There’s a bit more information on this page, if you’re curious about the environmental impacts. Beyond that, though, this is a pretty simple concept.
When you’re leaving a room, it’s just general good practice to turn out the lights when you do so (unless you’re going right back in, but even then, it doesn’t really hurt). That way, more power isn’t being wasted to power a room that no one is even in. You can apply a similar principle to heating and air conditioning, although this is certainly a bit more complicated.
In general, though, just get in the habit of flicking that switch off when you don’t need it. Eventually, once you do that enough, it’ll become the new “normal” for you. Pretty simple, right?
Four: Change the Way You Use Appliances
Shifting focus a bit, let’s look at some slightly bigger changes that you can make in your life. Namely, there are some different ways to use your appliances that can actually help to save energy – and that’s beyond just buying different ones. First, let’s turn our attention to dishwashers.
Did you know that washing dishes by hand actually takes a lot of hot water and thus energy? A lot of people don’t realize that a dishwasher is actually the eco-friendlier option – even if we don’t think so at first glance. That said, though, there are ways to up your game even more than just that!
The big one here is to change the cycle that you run the dishwasher on. Most of them have an option called “eco,” which uses less energy than the other ones because it’s shorter and not as hot. In general, though, just do your best to avoid “sleep” or “standby” mode. These modes tend to suck up just as much power as other ones.
Five: Take a Look at Your Electricity Provider
The final tip that we’ll share here today is to take another look at who your power provider is. When it comes to spare strøm, it’s important to look at everything involved. That includes who your provider is in the first place.
Certain ones simply offer better energy efficient options compared to the others. There’s also just the matter of saving on your electricity bill in general. It’s easy to see why most people would want to do that, and this is just one way that you can accomplish that.
By combining both a lower initial power bill with a provider who offers more efficient electricity in the first place, you can score yourself a pretty nice deal. Of course, finding them isn’t always the easiest. Don’t be afraid to shop around a bit and do some research on the ones in your area.
You can always use a website that lets you compare the various rates as well. Just bear in mind that you’ll have to do a bit of math if you want to do that – namely, to figure out what your approximate kWh (kilowatt per hour) usage is. It’s not difficult, just something to think about as you do your searches.
At the end of the day, although energy efficiency is not a requirement, it is something that we can all strive for in our homes and in our daily lives. Even if you can’t do all of the things in this list, just one can make a huge impact on carbon emissions in your country. Here in Norway, we’re all working together to make those greenhouse gas emissions lower.
You can also take your time in implementing some of these changes to your routines. Certainly, no one is telling you to change everything overnight – and no one really expects that, either. Take things at your own pace.
No matter how small your contributions are, they’re meaningful. Beyond that, though, you’ll also appreciate the fact that you’re paying less on your power bill each month. It can really add up over time, after all, so any savings can help out.
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