Some of the most unappreciated measures to take
in reducing our energy consumption hark
back to old or traditional practices before we had modern technology. Or,
simply, using
common sense and enough logic will help bring down that electric bill. But
the willingness to do so must come first.
Here are some:
• Do more outdoor grilling than other cooking
choices. It may not be so good on your lungs or nose and the neighbours might
complain; but it saves you a lot by sparing your oven or stove from high energy
costs.
• Copper-bottomed pots and pans conduct heat
more efficiently when cooking on the stove compared to other metals. Not only
that, they also look rustic and nice compared to the shiny yet less efficient
alternatives.
• Clean up your stove reflector pans to reflect
more heat upward when cooking. Dirt and grime, especially oil smudges, reduce
the efficiency of those pans.
• Turning off your oven or burners just before
the food is cooked allows the remaining heat to finish the task for you. With
practice, you will know just how soon you can turn them off.
• Tight-fitting covers on pots and pans reduce
cooking time and help you save energy. As a general rule, then, buy only
kitchen-ware that will enhance
your ability to save.
• Use pots that match your stove burner size in
order to avoid heat loss. Small pots on big burners are a waste, unless you
have burners that can adjust to either a single, smaller flame or a double,
bigger flame.
• Habitually turn off bedroom, kitchen and bath
fans each time you leave the room. People used to leave air-conditioning on the
whole day. Today, every small saving you can make means a lot in the long run.
• Dust your refrigerator each time you dust your
house. Inspect the coils at the back of your unit and use coil vacuums or
dusters for cleaning. This will make your unit run more efficiently.
• A full freezer uses less energy than an empty
one. To maximize savings, fill your freezer with water containers. This should
be an easy measure for all to do.
• Buy energy-efficient appliances. They help
save money and also protect the environment because they utilize less energy.
Browse the Internet and find out how they work and protect nature, then buy the
most efficient and most economical ones.
• Replace your old refrigerator with one that
has the yellow EnergyGuide® label, making sure you compare features. Select
models with better insulation and have power-saving switches. Unlike PCs that
may become obsolete after a year or two, the latest refrigerators can still be
up-to-date and efficient for several years.
• Do several loads of your washing and drying
during your laundry schedule. This keeps the dryer warm and ready for the next
load and allows you to save so much on energy.
• Over-drying your clothes wastes energy and
produces static and wrinkling. Like cooking food, turn off the dryer before the
clothes are completely dry. Let evaporation do the rest, especially if you
schedule your laundry in the middle of a warm day.
• Separate wash loads into heavy and light
fabrics to shorten the drying period. And if you want to save more, dry your
lightest fabrics in the air or under the sun.
• Provide an outside vent for your dryer to
minimize the workload on your air conditioner. Keeping all that heat generated
inside the house while running the aircon is like trying to fill up a leaking
pail with water.
We wonder why many people discover only now how
to use these simple tips which used to be common measures in the past. Is it
because we take so many things for granted? We assume things work out well as
long as they are new or still functioning. However, saving on energy requires a more
discriminating understanding of how it is used and also how it is wasted. These
tips should prove that point clearly.
