As bills rocket across many parts of the world, it is time to ask ourselves, ‘why is my electricity bill so high’? It’s time to look at how we use electricity in our daily lives. The more efficient we are, the less energy we need, the less we pay.
On top of that, recent extreme weather has been a sober reminder of how supplies can be disrupted by strong winds, flooding, and rainfall. Increasingly, storms have swept across Northern Europe leaving hundreds of thousands without power, and in Brazil, rains have caused landslides, devastating people’s homes.
Whether it’s price increases, power cuts from extreme weather, or concerns about the size of our carbon footprints, there are many good reasons to be more efficient about the way we use energy.
So here are a few energy saving tips in our day-to-day lives which can reduce the amount of electricity we need.
When you leave rooms, turn the lights off
Turning lights off in empty rooms when they are not needed is a simple and easy way to save energy, reduce electricity bills and your carbon footprint.
Switching to LED lightbulbs will save you even more money, as they use 80% less energy than old fashioned incandescent bulbs.
When you make your next hot drink, make sure to boil the water you need
A kettle can use 2,000 Watts of power, which is more than your TV, laptop and fridge put together.
When you turn on your dishwasher, try the eco settings
Using the eco mode on your dishwasher is a great way to save water, energy and money. The water in eco mode gets heated to 50C rather than 60C.
Try and run a full dishwasher to be even more efficient.
When you are cooking, try the microwave
Not only is it quicker, but it is also a lot more energy efficient than other forms of cooking. Microwaves use less than half the energy of cooking on a gas hob.
Hang out your clothes to dry
Tumble dryers are one of the most energy intensive appliances in your home. When you get clothes out of the washing machine, try hanging them up to dry naturally, rather than use the tumble dryer.
Turn your devices off at the wall socket
The fewer electrical items that are plugged in and on, the less electricity you’ll use. Even on standby, each device will have a small impact which when added together could be significant. Some estimates suggest that standby power can account for 10% of your annual electricity bill.
Switch them off when they’re not in use rather than leave them on standby.
Go for renewable power
And if you want a planet-saving step when it comes to electricity, go for renewable power. Electricity made by the power of nature, rather than burning fossil fuels is the way of the future. Start today and buy electricity from a renewable electricity provider.
Want to find more energy-saving steps? There are plenty more on Giki Zero, and you can start for free or sign up to our newsletter.
