As time goes by, the question of sustainability and energy efficiency becomes more and more discussed in mainstream circles. To be quite honest, the environmental issues have become so apparent and bills so high that these topics had to resurface sooner than later. The thing is, most of us refuse to take some actions in this regard fearing that efficiency upgrades are expensive and inaccessible.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Let us take a look at some of the ways you can easily optimize your household for water and energy usage.
Replace your old bulbs
Believe it or not, but your good old incandescent bulbs are some of the biggest energy wasters in your entire household. For instance, if you take a look at an average consumption of the three most common bulb types, we can see that CFL and LED bulbs use as much as 80% less energy and last 25 times more than their incandescent cousins. Sure, they make a bigger upfront investment, but they recoup the spent money so fast you won’t even notice. Also, they make a much better visual impression as well.
Install low flow toilet
If we take Australia as an example of a developed country, we can see that an average Australian household wastes 341,000 liters of water per year – a pretty terrifying number, right? These numbers, however, shouldn’t be too big of a surprise if we take into account that every flush sends 18 liters of freshwater down the toilet. Put an end to such a horrible wasting and install a low flow toilet that will limit this number to 4.8 liters. If you can’t afford one, simply place some kind of container in the tank.
Take care of the air conditioning
No matter how frugal we are, we spend a good part of the year pushing our AC units to the limit. If we, once again, take for example Australia, the driest inhabited continent on the planet, such behavior is perfectly understandable. However, the Aussies are finding a solution to this problem. Take a look at Victoria’s capital and you can see that a professional air conditioning electrician in Melbourne almost always involves high-efficiency unit optimize consumption to much more manageable levels.
Take care of the doors and windows
Ideally, you should replace your old windows altogether and install the double-glazed windows that will keep the temperature where it belongs – indoors. You should also use this opportunity to expand the window space and get an opportunity to utilize more light. However, if these investments are too much for your budget, you can simply seal the cracks around the window and door frames and cover the windows with a plastic insulation film. Not the ideal solution but it has a great effect on heat transfer.
Replace the old appliances
This move may require more substantial investments, but it awaits you further down the road sooner or later. It is in your best interest to cut the waiting, stop wasting precious energy and move the appliances with a more favorable energy rating. Furthermore, try buying the units that feature a certain level of automation or IoT capabilities – you will be able to reduce the wastes to an even greater extent. Your old appliances can be sold to recover part of the investment.
Use solar energy
Now, solar energy doesn’t necessarily imply the expensive solar panels. If you can afford them – good. You will enjoy the years of free, renewable energy. However, this is not the only way to utilize solar power. For instance, you can buy affordable solar charges and use all of your household gadgets virtually for free. Other affordable devices that can be powered by the sun are various kitchen appliances, water heaters, outdoor lights, ventilation fans, and so on.
We hope these few suggestions showed you the way to optimize the energy and water consumption in your home without wasting tons of money. The most important thing you need to realize is that every contribution you make counts. Even if you put aside the global issues, your household budget will certainly feel less pressure after just a couple of upgrades.
