We can all remember learning about different sources of energy at school -- how some are renewable, and some are not -- but it is only recently that this difference has become so important and has begun to impact on our environment and on our lives. One thing we can be sure of: there is now a world-wide energy problem that we can no longer ignore. But should we wait for the government to do something about it, or can we all join in? The answer is that we can all do something to help with the energy shortage, and we can save on our electric bill at the same time.
There are several things you can do to make your power go further:
Turn off your computer monitor: many of us leave the monitor to go into standby, but if you do that you are still using electricity. Even better, turn off your computer too if you are not using it. If you do this at home and in the office you can be saving a significant amount of power and therefore money too.
Lighting: the traditional light bulbs use five times more electricity than the new energy-saving light bulbs (known as compact fluorescent light, or CFL, units). The arguments against them have been that they are more expensive than traditional bulbs, and that they take a long time to reach full brightness; while it is true that they do cost more, they usually last much longer (several years) and that, combined with the lower electricity consumption, means that you will very quickly make your money back and begin to save on your electric bill. As for the brightness: when CFL units first appeared several years ago they took several minutes to reach full brightness; nowadays they are very bright as soon as they turn on, and reach full brightness within 15 seconds or so, and in fact now work very well.
Air conditioning: alter this carefully to what you would just be comfortable with, and change it with the season. If you set it too high or too low then you are using energy unnecessarily and throwing money away.
Washing machines: your washing machine will typically use the same amount of electricity (and often the same amount of water) whether you are washing a full load or just a handful of clothes. Try to get into the habit of only putting on the washing machine when you can fill it, and you will be using your washing machine at optimum efficiency to save electricity and so save money.
TV: turn it off when not using it -- but don't just leave it in standby as that often uses significant amounts of electricity too. Instead, get into the habit of pulling the plug when it isn't on, and you will save money.
Hot water: keep the thermostat for your hot water at the minimum appropriate for your needs, and if you can control the timing too then only keep it hot at a time when you are likely to need hot water.
Regrigerator: only put cold food into the refrigerator -- if you need to put hot food in there, let it cool to room temperature first. Similarly, if you are going to cook food that is in the refrigerator, take it out for a while first, and you will need less energy to thaw it out, and save money that way too.
Automobile: don't use your air conditioning if you have your windows open! It just makes the AC unit have to work harder.
All of these tips are small, but in combination they can go a long way to help you save on your electric bill. Even better, you could generate your own electricity and save even more money.
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