If you want your family to start being more energy-conscious, then this is great. After all, if you can get everyone on board, then this will not only help everyone to do their bit, but it will also help the environment and your budget.
If you want to make some very simple changes to the way that your family are around the house, or if you want to make sure that you tell everyone the importance of being energy-efficient then this is the guide for you.
Wear the Right Clothes
It’s easy to turn the heating on when you get a bit cold. That being said, most of the time you can avoid this entirely by simply wearing a few extra clothing layers. You have to remember that the warmer you are, the less you have to rely on your heating.
Every degree you go over 20°C can add a whopping 10% to your energy bill, so it is imperative that you look into this as soon as possible. If you want to make your home more efficient in terms of energy, then you may want to explore the All Seasons ECO scheme.
When you do, you may find that you are able to boost your home’s efficiency rating, and this could even add to its value. If you have an older property then it is even more important that you look at the amount of money you are spending on heating, so keep that in mind.
Turn the Lights off
You don’t need to try and turn the lights off while you are in the same room, but empty rooms should always be kept in the dark. If you have kids, then you may find that you end up needlessly spending money on energy and this is the last thing that you need.
If you want to find a solution here, then it is a good idea for you to get some smart bulbs. If you can do this, then you may find that you can cut down on your bills significantly and this can work in your favour more than you realise.
Get some Energy-Efficient Bulbs
If your home is one of the many properties that still uses incandescent bulbs, then now is the time for you to change that. Lighting could well be contributing up to 19% of your energy bill and this is because older bulbs are only 10% efficient. If you want to benefit your energy efficiency, then it is vital that you try and make sure that your bulbs are changed out as soon as possible.
You can even get lights that turn on automatically when you enter the room, and this is ideal if you know you have young children who are yet to understand the concept of saving energy. It also eliminates the chances of you accidentally leaving on the lights when you go to work in the morning, which is great if you are naturally forgetful.
Don’t Leave Devices on Standby
Sure, it may be easier for you to just put the device on standby when compared to turning it off altogether, but you would be surprised at how much energy this uses.
Devices can make up 10% of your energy bill just by being on standby. Some of the most common devices that are often left on standby include games consoles, so if you want to avoid this, then you have to make sure that you pay attention to this.
Talk to your kids about leaving the television on when they play a video game and also look into their laptop usage too. Sometimes kids leave things on without realising but if you can talk to them about this, then you may find that it is easier for you to get them to change their ways.
Manage Hot Water
You will probably use hot water for a huge amount of things in your home, that being said, it could be having a huge impact on your energy consumption. Dishwashers do have a bad reputation, but they only use a couple of gallons of water.
This is the same amount of water you would use if you ran the hot tap for a few minutes. Washing clothes also uses up quite a lot of energy, especially if you wash at a higher temperature. If you can turn down your wash to 30 degrees, then this will help you to conserve energy far more than you realise.
Why not see what changes you could make today?
Got Something to Add?
Share your energy saving tips with us in the comments section below.
Until next time, thanks for reading.
Helen, Nial and Lewis.
Welcome to Pikalily, an award-winning food, travel and lifestyle blog. We are Nial and Helen, a happily married couple from Northern Ireland, who share a passion for food and travel among many things. We became parents to our beautiful boy Lewis in 2017. Follow our adventures through the blog.
