Just when we thought things are heading back to almost pre-pandemic levels, life threw another big curveball, and we now find ourselves grappling with the rising cost of essential goods. From eating out less to putting travel plans on the backburner, Malaysians have been doing everything they can to keep more cash in their pockets and bank accounts. Here’s one more thing to do—reduce your monthly bills. It may seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many of us have an indifferent attitude towards power consumption. But now as push comes to shove, it is time to put some electric saving measures into practice that will translate to money-saving gains in the long run. Read on for some useful tips on how to save electricity.
How To Save Electricity At Home By Investing In These Electric Saving Devices
From energy-saving light bulbs to WiFi-enabled plugs, learn how to save electricity by incorporating these electric saving devices in your home.
Change To Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
Fact: Lighting makes up around 15% of an average home’s electric use. You can illuminate your home using the same amount of light for less money if you switch to energy-efficient lighting. Comb your house to see if there are any traditional incandescent light bulbs still in use, and if there are, make the switch to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or even better, LED bulbs. The long-term savings are well worth the cost of spending a little extra on these electric saving devices.
Switch To A Portable Air Conditioner Instead
We know, resisting the urge to turn on the air conditioner is a constant battle of the mind and body if you are trying to keep your bills down. We lose more often than we win, especially on days when it feels like we are living in an oven. If completely doing away with air-cond is out of the question, consider using a portable unit instead. Most of the time, a quick blast of cool air directed your way is all the immediate relief you need, and there’s really no need to cool the entire room every single time (which is what traditional wall-mounted air conditioners do). Therefore, a portable air conditioner can be kinder to your utility bills.
Related: 5 Types Of Air Conditioners To Keep You Cool During The Hot Weather
Use A Timer Switch
Many of us tend to leave our electrical devices running longer than they should. One of the most common habits is letting our phones on charge the entire night while we are sleeping, which is frankly unnecessary and a waste of energy. This can be easily dealt with by making use of a timer switch. The simple and inexpensive electric saving device can help regulate our power usage automatically and reduce wastage.
Invest In A Smart Plug/Strip
A smart plug is a WiFi-connected plug which can be remotely controlled via an app. Much like a timer switch, you can schedule to turn off your electronic devices automatically, but with more flexibility as you can do it from anywhere with a smartphone. Moreover, if you are prone to forgetting to switch off your appliances before leaving the house, these things can be a life (and money) saver.
Change To A More Water-Efficient Showerhead
Energy-saving measures can be implemented in the bathroom as well, specifically on how you shower. We all know taking shorter showers is one way, but you can do more by using a low-flow showerhead that is designed to be more water-efficient. Look for a showerhead with less than 2.5gpm (gallon-per-minute) flow rate to double-save on your electric and water bills!
How To Save Electricity At Home Cost-Free
Not feeling like opening up your wallet? No worries, these easy tips on how to save electricity can also do the trick.
Unplug Unused Electrical Appliances
Fact #2: Turning off electronic devices and appliances does NOT always mean they are no longer drawing power. Many devices (such as microwaves, printers, coffee makers, and night lights) continue to use energy to run certain background functions even after you have turned the power switch off. Hence, to avoid unnecessary power usage that can sneakily run up your utility bills, you can take little measures such as unplugging your chargers when they are not charging any device or disconnecting your PC or laptop from the socket when not in use.
Dim Your Lights Whenever Possible
A simple act of dimming your lights can reduce energy usage, as it reduces the flow of electricity to the bulb. If your lamps or smart light bulbs come with a dimmer function, use them in situations where you don’t need to light up a room in full brightness. You can also consider installing a light dimmer switch for your home.
Wash Your Clothes With Cold Water
Did you know that an estimated 75% to 90% of the energy used in washers goes towards heating the water? Switching to using cold water to wash your clothes is one great and free way on how to save electricity. Not only that, going cold also does less damage to your clothes and causes fewer wrinkles. Fewer wrinkles = less ironing = even more energy saved!
Service Your Air Conditioner Regularly
When was the last time you serviced your air conditioner? Regularly cleaning the filters in your unit can increase their efficiency, thereby reducing energy consumption by as much as 15%. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can learn how to do it yourself and save further costs by not having to call the air-cond guy over.
While eating fewer chickens and eggs to cushion the impact of the rising cost of living aren’t practical solutions at all, increasing your savings by reducing the electricity bill charges is easily doable by anyone. All it takes to get started are actions as simple as unplugging your electronics when not in use, and a little goes a long way. If you have additional simple, useful tips on how to save electricity, remember, sharing is caring!
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