The world is full of rules, and although some of them might seem a bit much at times, many of them are so important to follow, and the rules about being eco-friendly and energy-efficient are some of the most important of all.
We’re often told that it’s crucial to save as much energy as possible, but as well as saving energy, it’s a good idea to learn more about reducing energy waste, which can be a different thing. With that in mind, here are some ways you can reduce energy waste at home; put some or all of these ideas into action, and you’ll have a much more energy-efficient home and life. Read on to find out more.
Do An Energy Assessment
If you want to reduce energy waste at home, the first thing you’ll need to do is understand where you’re actually wasting energy in the first place. If you don’t do this step, you won’t know what measures to put in place, and it might end up with you not doing anything at all because you have no idea where to start.
Inspect your home and look at all the windows and doors to begin with. Not only is this easy to do, but you’ll instantly be able to see if there’s a problem – or rather, you’ll be able to feel that there’s a problem because you’ll feel a draft coming through from outside. If you can feel this, it means your heating and cooling energy is going to waste, escaping through the cracks and gaps in your windows and doors.
Another thing to look at is your appliances and lighting fixtures. Make sure they’re as energy-efficient as possible (with the best ratings), and if they’re old and you are going to replace them anyway, make sure you buy new ones that have the best energy rating you can afford.
You can also take a good look at your energy bills, as this will help you spot trends and notice when you’re using more energy – look for spikes in energy use and work backwards to find out what’s causing them, and once you know, you can deal with the issue, whatever it might be. Something else that can help in this regard is using energy monitors that sound an alarm when you use over a certain amount.
Improve Your Insulation
A well-insulated home is much more energy-efficient than one without much insulation or one with lower-quality insulation installed. That’s because good insulation keeps your indoor temperature stable, and it means you don’t have to use as much heating or cooling.
Look at your home’s insulation if you can get to it (the best place to see it is usually in the attic or loft area) to see if it’s old, thin, patchy, and so on. If you can’t get to it, you should call an expert to help you, as this could be a big reason why you’re wasting energy around your home, and just making this one seemingly small change could make a big difference.
Make Your Heating And Cooling More Efficient
One big waste of energy can be your heating and cooling, so it’s wise to make this as efficient as possible. One way to do this is to make sure you carry out regular maintenance (or have professionals carry it out for you) because that will make the units run more smoothly and efficiently and waste a lot less energy.
You can also invest in a smart thermostat. Using one of these means that you can turn the heating off when you leave the house and then turn it on again via your phone just before you get home. This means you won’t have to choose between coming home to a cold home or leaving the heating on all the time you’re out, for example, and you’ll certainly reduce energy wastage (because heating an empty house is definitely waste).
Invest In Solar Batteries
You might already think you’re being energy efficient if you have solar panels installed, but that’s only half the story – you might still be wasting energy even if it does come from the sun. The fact is that you’ll only be able to use some of the energy you make, and if you think of it that way, you’ll realize you’re wasting energy every day.
However, there is a solution. If you take some time to learn about solar batteries, you’ll see that by having one of these in your home, you can store all the energy that would have been wasted otherwise. Then, when you need it another time, it’s there, ready for you. Not only does this reduce energy waste, but it means you’ll always have an emergency source of power, just in case you need it.