8 tips to use less energy in your household

Here are several tips on how you can make your home more energy efficient.

1. Some household appliances such as lamps, televisions, computers and etc, tend to emit heat. This means that if you place these items close to your AC thermostat the air conditioner will run longer than necessary as the heat from the appliances will trick the thermostat into believing that the rooms aren’t cool enough. So avoid placing such appliances in close proximity to your AC system.
2. Lighting makes up about 10% of your household’s energy consummation. However you can drastically reduce this number by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Aside of using less energy these light bulbs have a much longer lifespan which means that you will spend less money on bulbs in the long run.
3. Most people use their ACs to radically cool the temperature within their homes. The thing that these people don’t realise is that the higher the different between the outdoor and indoor temperature is, the higher the energy usage will be and therefore the higher their bills will be. So keep the different between the indoor and outdoor temperatures as low as possible. This way you will maintain a cool household in an energy efficient manner.
4. Lots of people neglect the importance of landscaping their backyards and front-yards. The truth is that landscaping doesn’t only affect the aesthetics of your household’s outdoor areas but your usage of energy as well. So make sure that you place your trees and bushes at the right spots in order to make your property more energy efficient. Know that landscaping projects tend to generate a lot of rubbish which can be removed only with the aid of a waste clearance company. Do not worry about the prices of junk collection services because nowadays most waste clearance companies work with highly affordable disposal fees.
5. On average, households can lose up to 20% of their cooled and heated air via the property’s ventilation system. So conduct regular check-ups of your duct system in order to be sure that it is sealed and insulated properly. Also keep the ducts closed when you aren’t ventilating your home.
6. By installing a ceiling fan you will be able to raise the setting of your AC thermostat by about 15°C which will automatically decrease your AC’s expenditure of energy. However you should always turn off the fan when you leave the room in which you have installed it, as ceilings fans cool people, not rooms.
7. Water heating boilers account for 15% to 25% of the energy that is consumed in a household. Still you can lower the amount of energy that is consumed by your boiler by setting it to a temperature of about 48°C. This way you will always have warm water without using too much electricity.
8. Instead of using the oven to heat up your cold meals or to toast bread, use a microwave, toaster or counter-top grill. The latter appliances tend to use less energy and unlike ovens don’t emit any heat.