In the past year or two, we have become more comfortable working from home and spending more time indoors. With this prolonged time inside our houses, we need to make certain amends to reduce our household bills, starting with one of the major aspects: Electricity. Also, we need to adopt certain measures to save our environment and help build a healthier future.
Energy consumption is a major part of our daily lives; hence, we need to put some light on energy conservation. Reducing your electricity bills will not only ease your pockets but also help to save the environment from overexploitation.
In this article, we are going to discuss ways to reduce energy consumption at home.
01. Passive Designing
A natural breeze, operational windows, airtight enclosures, and well-insulated spaces are just a few techniques to consider for a passive design. It maximises the use of natural sources using layout, form, and fabric to reduce cooling, heating, lighting, and ventilation demands.
01. Highlight Natural Ventilation: Keep your spaces open with operational windows to allow the natural breeze to pass through easily, creating cross-ventilation without many barriers. Try to have fan-forced ventilation in areas where openings are a problem. If possible, plant shade trees in the southwest corner of the building.
02. Sway the Heat: Orient your openings according to the climate of your area to cut off the south sun and let in the north daylight and breeze. Buy smart air conditioners with a 5-star rating and smart compressor systems that cut your electricity bills. Also, set the AC temperature at 25 to 26 degrees Celsius, which serves the purpose of cooling while saving energy. Do not forget to regularly clean the air filter of your AC or replace it if required for better air circulation.
03. Optimal Insulation: Have airtight envelopes with high-performing walls that trap the heat and do not let it pass through. Keeping the sun’s path in mind, plan your windows and doors with triple-glazed glass, overhangs for shade, Rockwool insulation in walls, and strategic positioning of openings for easy airflow within. Seal all leakage points in the house to prevent cool air from escaping. Cover your windows with vetiver blinds during the daytime to obstruct the influx of heat waves.
04. Evaporate Cooling: Provide roof ponds to reflect sunlight, have a waterbody in the center to let natural air pass through, and provide cooling. Orient your openings strategically to let in cool breezes and cut off harsh sunlight. Have a shade over the terrace which will not only prevent sun’s rays from heating the roof but also protect the terrace from rainfall.
02. Paint
The surface paints play a major role in absorbing or reflecting heat in a space.
- Light: Light-coloured walls reflect heat and are best for maximising energy conservation. As light-coloured walls make the room look bigger, brighter, and more open, it reduces the use of lighting in the daytime, and well-ventilated windows and doors also help in reducing the use of air conditioners in the summer.
- Dark: Dark-coloured walls tend to trap heat and stay warm. It absorbs 70-90% of radiant energy, so it is advisable to use drapes and curtains on the windows at peak summer to reflect heat and reduce heat absorption.
- Little Compromise: If you wish to paint your walls dark, you may paint one accent wall in your room on the northern side to trap diffused sunlight. You may also keep your walls light and your furniture dark to achieve the look you want for your room.
- Insulated Coverings: You may opt for paints and wall coverings in the market for the benefits of heat reflection, low VOCs, fade resistance, and insulation. There are a lot of products on the market that provide you with the opportunity to choose for your health and well-being in the long run.
03. Appliances Change
The appliances in our house tend to consume the maximum energy; hence, it is advisable to change your buying guides.
01. Switch off: Turn off the appliances that are not in use to reduce energy consumption. Your laptop, TV, computer, or microwave have a standby mode, which means they are still using power when not in use, so it is advisable to switch them off to minimise energy consumption.
02. Good Energy Rating: Buy appliances with a good energy rating. People always assume that a bigger appliance will have a better rating. However, what we must keep in mind is that the bigger it is, the more energy consumption happens. So always keep in mind your requirements when buying an appliance.
03. Washing Machine Hacks: Always prefer a front-loader washing machine over a top-loader, as they are a bit more environmentally friendly, consuming less water, detergent, and power. Most energy-saving models save you money over time. Make sure to run full loads of laundry, preferably on a cold wash setting, and opt for air-drying laundry on clotheslines rather than machine-drying them.
04. Choose the Right Fridge: Look for a good star-rating fridge with temperature controls to control your energy consumption.
05. Microwave Over Stove: Use the microwave instead of the stove, as cooking duration is way less when you use the microwave.
06. Wash as many dishes as possible with your hands and reduce your dependence on dishwashers.
04. Electrical Products
Buying smart and innovative electrical products is one of the most popular ways to reduce energy consumption at home. These products which are available with high ratings, help you to control the energy consumption in your house.
01. LED Lights: Lights penetrate the ceilings and insulation, causing heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. Switching to LED lights will reduce electricity bills and will not reflect harsh particles as compared to commercial lights.
02. The Power Strip is a Good Idea: Use a power strip to reduce plug load, ensure switching off of all the devices at once, and prevent phantom energy loss.
03. Plug and Play: Use a timer plug for your house lights to control their functioning for less energy consumption. It also ensures that your house is well lit when you are not there, for security purposes.
04. Energy Monitoring: It will be easier to reduce your energy consumption if you keep a track of which device is using how much power at a time. The energy meter helps you monitor which gadget and appliance are using more energy.
05. Solar Gadgets: Today numerous gadgets are available that run on solar power. Before buying any gadget, always check for its solar version, and choose to buy solar-charged gadgets.
05. Change in Daily Habits
The best way to start saving on your electricity costs is to get smart with how you use it.
01. Be Smart: Think smart and look for smart devices that may control your house appliances from a remote control or a smartphone.
02. Use Judiciously: Switch off unnecessary lights and appliances, like your Xbox connected to the TV when not playing. Turn off lights in the daytime and use table lamps instead of ceiling lights for personal reading time. Unplug unused devices because some electronic appliances consume standby power even when off. Bank on natural light during the daytime.
03. Save Water Also: Take less time in the shower and for other activities like washing your face, shaving, brushing teeth etc. This reduces the electricity consumption for filling the tanks. Moreover, use a low-flow shower head in the bathroom to control the flow of water more precisely, to hot water.
04. Efficient Cooling: Keep your refrigerator airtight and try not to open it every two minutes.
In a word, paying attention to a few details while designing, purchasing gadgets, and making minor changes in everyday behaviours can have a significant influence on energy savings, ultimately saving our money.
And before you leave, don’t forget to read the following article:
Energy-Efficient Home Design Strategies for Different Climates
Image Courtesy: Image 2
Author Bio
Neha Bhasin – Neha Bhasin is the Principal architect of Pramana Design Studio, a leading design consultancy firm with a strong design instinct in projects that range from recycling land and master planning to the design of spaces, hospitality, houses, and commercial buildings, thereby engaging diverse issues, multiple constituencies and varying scales from interior design and architecture to urban design and planning. She has a degree in Bachelors in Architecture from Apeejay Institute of Technology, SAP, Greater Noida with a Certification in Housing Planning and Policies focused on Housing and Human Environments from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. Neha has a well-demonstrated history of 7 years, and besides being a prodigious reader, she has assisted many professionals in editing books from an architect’s perspective.