For those of us trying to live greener lives, the home is a constant battleground. We’d like to believe that we’ve covered all our bases. But in truth, we probably haven’t.
Here’s a sobering list of all the ways that you waste energy in your home.
Failing To Program Your Thermostat
Official figures suggest that heating and cooling consume around half of all the energy that our homes use. Programming your thermostat correctly, therefore, is critical. Even if it slightly out of whack, it could have massive ramifications for your energy consumption.
Overall, smart thermostats tend to more efficient than their manual counterparts, but both are essential in the battle against waste. The more tightly you regulate the times when it comes on and off, the less CO2 you’ll emit.
Replacing Appliances When They Can Be Repaired
We live in a “throwaway” culture. Contrary to the past, most people can now afford to replace things when they break. But buying a brand new appliance is wasteful when all you need to do is replace a single component. It doesn’t make sense, especially now that you can get parts to fix your dryer, washing machine, or dishwasher quickly.
Running Your Dishwasher Half Full
Speaking of which, running your dishwasher half full is yet another eco faux-pas. Remember, your dishwasher just goes through the motions. It has no idea that it is half full or that it should try to use less water. It just does what it does.
Browsing With The Fridge Door Open
A lot of modern refrigerator manufacturers now deck out their appliances with a door-mounted screen and an interior camera that allows people to see what’s inside. Opening the door is an energy conservation nightmare. When the cold air escapes – which it inevitably does – the compressor has to spring into action and cool it down again. And when that happens, it guzzles more energy – not what you want!
Using Old-Fashioned Lightbulbs
The incandescent lightbulb changed the world for the better. But it wasn’t energy-efficient. Around 90 percent of all of the electricity that goes into it gets converted into heat and is wasted. Only 10 percent becomes the photons that you actually see.
Compare that to LED bulbs where 90 percent of electricity creates light, and just 10 percent is wasted heat, and you soon see why the world is going bonkers for them.
Leaving Lights On When You’re Not Using Them
Some modern smart homes now have lights that automatically switch off when you leave the room – similar to those used in retail. This solution is actually a good idea. It takes away the hassle of having to interact with the switch. And it works, regardless of whether you remember to use it or not. Plus, it has the “cool factor.” You can just walk into a room, and it’ll illuminate as if by magic.
Managing energy use in our homes is the primary way that we can live more eco-friendly lives. Even small changes can add up to make a big difference.
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