Ways to Reduce Electricity Consumption at Home

Summer is coming and we can already feel the warm teaser of the dry hot season in the Philippines.

Imagine, it's hot and muggy outside and you've just returned from a COVID walk-around-the-block breather from your bedroom office. You just want to open the fridge door and stand there in front of it—and to think it’s not yet officially summer season in our country! Well, that's not so effective way to reduce your energy at home.

If you’re looking for ways how to reduce electricity to save money or lower your carbon footprint, you may make minor modifications to your daily energy use that have a good impact on the environment and reduce the amount of energy utilized in your community in heating and cooling your home.

You may save a lot of money and assist the environment at the same time by following a variety of energy-saving strategies around the house, from simple changes in daily routine to significant financial expenditures like considering the energy star of the appliances. Which brings us to our next question: what are some easy ways to lower your household's energy usage?

Ways to save energy at home

There is a wide range of options available for using less energy at home and increasing your savings, from small behavioral changes to major home renovations. Here are some of the saving tips that you can apply in your home in order to reduce your electricity consumption:

Energy efficient cooling techniques

Our country mostly has warm weather compared to cooler days so many of us are wondering how to prepare for the upcoming summer season making our homes cooler and reduce or electricity consumption.

Energy saving tip # 1: Insulate the roof or ceiling of your home.

This will maintain your house at a comfortable temperature throughout the year. You'll save money on your energy bills, and the expenditure will pay for itself in a short period of time.

Energy saving tip # 2: Draught proof your room or unit.

Make sure your doors and windows are securely sealed to prevent draughts from entering your home. Exclude the hot humid air from coming into your air-conditioned room or seal windows cheaply by using draught-stoppers or window seals.

Energy saving tip # 3: Invest on LED lights.

LEDs are the most energy-efficient light bulbs for the majority of applications, and you've probably already got a lot of them in your house since they've become the industry standard in recent years. However, if you have any outdated halogen downlights, you may want to consider switching to LEDs instead. You may need to hire an electrician to replace the drivers or transformers as well since while LED downlights can function with an old driver, they will run better and last longer with a good LED driver.

With downlights, there is a possibility for heat loss via the ceiling and insulation. This means that more energy is needed to cool the space. It is recommended that you choose downlight fixtures that have an IC or IC-F rating, since they may be insulated over. Insulation should not be applied to other downlights since the stored heat might provide a fire hazard. You can also use natural light.

Energy saving tip # 4: Make sure that all your doors and windows are closed.

This is important to remember and do especially if you’re using your air conditioner unit.

Energy saving tip # 5: Block the sun from entering your home using drapes.

On hot summer days this will help keep the heat out and on chilly nights curtains or blinds will assist to keep the heat in.

Energy saving tip # 6: Turn on your air conditioner early.

It is best to use your air conditioner only on very hot or humid days. If you know it's going to be a hot day, put on the air conditioning and close the doors and windows. As a result, the air conditioner will use less energy and assist in keeping the house cold throughout the day. This only works if your house is well sealed and insulated, otherwise you'll be squandering a lot of your air conditioning's energy.

Set your air conditioner to the highest temperature level you can comfortably maintain (24 or 25ºC). Every 1°C rise in temperature results in a 10% reduction in energy use. It’s also best to use the Economy mode if your air conditioner unit has one.

Energy saving tip # 7: Switch to ceiling fans.

The environmental effect of using a ceiling fan is substantially lower than that of air conditioning. And if the weather is too hot, you can also use it to help cool down your home along with the air conditioner.

Tips in using your appliances

Energy saving tip # 8: Turn off and unplug your appliances when not in use.

A "standby" mode is activated when your TV, computer, microwave, and even certain washing machines are not in use. To save electricity, disconnect them from the outlet. You must also turn off the lights when not in use as it is also an efficient way in saving energy.

Energy saving tip # 9: Invest in energy efficient appliances.

When it comes to saving money, consider the size first. In many cases, it's simpler for a bigger model to be more energy-efficient since they have higher efficiency than a smaller one. However, since it is larger, its total energy usage is generally greater.

Energy saving tip # 10: Choose the right washing machine.

Most front-loading washing machines are more expensive to purchase, but in the long run, they save you money and are better for the environment since they use less electricity, water, and detergent than top-loading models. Some even include hot water and cold water options for washing.

Energy saving tip # 11: Invest in an energy-efficient refrigerator.

You should take into consideration the energy efficiency factor (EEF) when purchasing a refrigerator, and so a lot of individuals are looking for the highest EEF model presently available in the Philippines. Inverter refrigerators tend to have a greater EEF than their non-inverter counterparts since the EEF is inversely related to energy consumption meaning the lower the energy consumption or energy use, the higher the EEF.

Although the most efficient way of conserving electricity consumption at home is by switching to green power or alternative energy like installing solar panels, it costs an arm and a leg to have it in everyone’s home. That’s why we need to find other ways how to reduce our electricity and energy consumption this coming summer season.

Also, it would be good if you are living in a community that has a lot of green space that can give you a cool breeze and a relaxing shade outdoors. Lumina Homes is one of the top-selling communities now in the country that offers this kind of amenities to its residents.