Energy efficiency is a win-win for everybody. And when it comes to managing a household, paying a bit of attention to energy efficiency will both bring down your energy bills and decrease your overall impact on the environment. This simple principle is precisely why energy efficient products are as popular as they are – and the primary reason they are becoming ever more popular. The amount of pressure from myriad environmental concerns has never been higher (for good reason) and neither has environmental consciousness among consumers. People want to be environmentally conscious, which is probably the single biggest factor driving the ever-increasing sales of energy-efficient products.
Accordingly, many homeowners are continually striving to increase the energy efficiency of their home, while protecting the environment and hopefully bringing down their bills at the same time. There are many ways to potentially do this. Certain energy efficient products, such as the USB rechargeable smart batteries from Utah company Pale Blue Earth, are certainly one way to use electricity efficiently. These and other products like them are only becoming more efficient with time, with the amount of power wastage continually coming down. The Pale Blue Earth batteries, for example, can last for many hours on a single charge and can take over a thousand charge cycles before having to be replaced. This is what efficiency means.
Yet many of our homes are still filled with appliances that rather miss the mark where energy efficiency is concerned. And yet, this is something that is usually only noticed when the appliances are performing poorly. Some appliances that you don’t even think about, however, and which seem to tick along daily with no major problems, can actually be major energy wasters. It pays to know what to look out for.
Inefficient Appliance Usage
Sometimes, it isn’t just the appliance itself that wastes energy, but also how it is used. For example, a laundry cycle can be quite an inefficient process, with 90% of the energy used going towards heating up the water. By washing in cold water wherever possible, you can drastically reduce its energy consumption. This without any kind of technological upgrade.
Inefficient Appliances
The major culprits that waste energy about the home are, unsurprisingly, the high-energy appliances. The refrigerator is a major culprit here; it is estimated that a typical refrigerator uses up to 15% of the home’s energy usage. A single fridge may therefore seem necessary, but do you really need a half stocked extra one running all the time?
There is also the aforementioned washing machine and a dryer. We have already covered how you can make massive savings by simply washing in cold water wherever possible, but did you know that you can also dispense with the dryer too? Wringing out your clothes where possible and using a traditional washing line can go a long way to cutting your bills.
Electronics
And beyond the usual suspects, there is also now the phenomenon of “energy vampire” electronics. These are electronic devices that have a nasty habit of constantly drawing power, even when they are on standby mode – or apparently off. Going round the house and ensuring that these devices are unplugged when not in use can be a terrific way to make your household more energy efficient.
Where energy efficiency is concerned, things do seem to be going the right way, although many would argue not fast enough. New energy-saving technology will perhaps one day come to the rescue, but until then, paying attention to the energy suckers in your home and developing good habits regarding their use seems like the best way to go.