With growing recognition across the world that we need to use less energy, there are a lot of measures around the home that many of us could be employing. Here are some of the best ways to make your home more energy efficient.
Across the world, we use approximately 14,000 Mtoe of energy a year. Mtoe is a mega ton of oil equivalent, and is an internationally recognized way of measuring energy consumption. Although energy usage declined slightly during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is predicted to rise again at a fast pace.
There are several reasons for making your home more energy efficient. Climate change is a compelling one, as damage to the world escalates due to fossil fuel usage. Even with alternative forms of energy, we still need to be mindful of trying to live more sustainably. The cost of energy has also been going up gradually for many people across the world, and this is set to continue. Thus finding more energy efficient ways to run your home should save you money in the long run too.
Here are some of the key ways you can make your home more energy efficient.
Solar Energy
Solar panels were invented some time ago, and they are used to varying degrees across the world. However, tapping into the energy of the sun that is shining down on us anyway is a brilliant example of using what we have to better effect. In some countries, solar power can be the only source of energy in a home. In countries that have greater temperature differences between seasons, solar power can be used to provide most energy needs, with perhaps a little top up from more traditional sources.
The element that makes a big difference to the usefulness of solar panels is solar batteries, which store any excess energy captured by the solar panels for later use. In some countries, you could even send some of this stored energy back to the electricity grid, and get paid for any additional electricity you supply in this way.
Add Insulation
Better insulating your home means that less heat can escape, which means that you need to switch your heating on less. Ensuring all your walls are adequately insulated is a good first step. Also remember that heat rises, and a lot of heat can escape through a roof that is not insulated. This is why having your roof properly insulated is very important too. People often say their house feels instantly warmer as soon as their roof is properly insulated.
Windows are another key source of heat loss from a home. Ensuring window frames are all properly sealed to prevent draughts is very important. Getting double glazed windows is also vital for energy efficiency. And if you have already had double glazed windows in your home for a number of years, check the seals every once in a while, as these can degrade over time.
Switch It Off
An unnecessary waste of energy from many homes is when lights and appliances are not switched off. When it comes to lights, try to get into good habits by switching a light off every time you leave a room. This is especially important in bathrooms, where some light switches are linked with extractor fans too. Leaving these lights on means you are draining energy in two ways.
The same rule goes for appliances – if they are not in use, switch them off. Televisions and music players are good examples of this. And remember that switching something off means switching it off of standby mode too. Sometimes it can be difficult for everyone in a household to amend their habits, so consider a punishment jar, where people have to pay a little money into a jar every time they leave a light or appliance on unnecessarily!
Buy More Efficient Products
When it is time to upgrade your current appliances, pay attention to the energy ratings of the new appliances you want to buy. Appliances that are sold in many countries will have an energy rating assigned to them, making it easier to find the better options. If it’s not easy to find energy ratings for some products, look for online reviews for the best rated products for energy efficiency, as a lot of official testing is now done for this purpose.
You could also install a smart meter in your home to keep an eye on your energy usage. Not only does this give you an overall picture of energy consumption in your home, you could experiment by switching off certain appliances for a day at a time. For example, see how much energy you save by switching your television off for a day, or how much less it is if you don’t use your kettle for a day. This will also help to show you which particular appliances in your home are costing you the most energy.