There are lots of companies that have a variety of products that are aimed at assisting consumers to achieve energy consumption reduction objectives. This particular one allows you to monitor the electricity used by a particular device that is plugged into it. You can observe how much energy is being used while the device that is plugged into is on. As well you can monitor how much energy is being used while that same device is turned off.
This may be a revelation to many people, but our appliances increasingly are using energy while they are turned off, so they can instantly turn on when we need them. In our society, at the present time, no one is willing to wait while a device warms up and begins to work as designed. Instant on is everywhere and unknowingly to many people continue to use a small amount of electricity. You can purchase one of these meters to monitor just how much is being used if you are really serious about energy consumption reduction.
Practical Guide to Energy Consumption Reduction for Consumers
The golden rule for reducing your energy consumption and reducing your energy cost is:
“if you are not using something, turn it off; if you do not plan to use something for more than a day or two, unplug it; Take advantage to time of day energy rates; and be as frugal as possible about heating and cooling your home”
Following this basic set of principles will ensure that your energy use is kept to a minimum with our without one of these expensive energy monitors. Franky, although they are kind of neat to have and you can have specific information about your appliances, these devices are just not needed for the average consumer. Save your money and just turn off appliances and / or unplug them when they are not being used.
So many people get caught up on the complexities of dealing with controlling their energy use, rates, monitors, complicated thermostats etc etc. The simple rule we outlined above is all you really need to do to reduce your energy consumption and save money. It is really that simple. Once you develop the habit of turning things off, it will come as second nature.
Monitor Your Energy Bills
Always monitor your energy bills for heating and electricity. If you notice something changing, you may want to take some action to figure out why there is a change in energy use. In most cases a decrease is a great thing and very acceptable, however increases could be because of something abnormal that happened in your life or some one in your family forgot to unplug a heavy energy using device. But most things are small users, however when you apply a general rule of unplugging devices and appliances you will notice a difference in your energy consumption.
Check also against seasonal changes. For example if the winter was unusually cold you may notice that your electricity use is up. So is your heating fuel consumption. This is to be expected. You may want to consider what you can do to control your energy use in this case. Same thing in the summer time when air conditioning is typically in use. Take advantage of varying energy rates by time of day if they are offered in your area.
Energy Use Not Just Linked to Our Homes
Another big consumer of energy are our cars of course. Taking the bus, doubling up from a passenger perspective can reduce the amount of gasoline that we use. As gas prices increase, this is becoming more important all of the time. recently gas has increased by over 25%, which is significant if you drive to work every day. There are many ways to reduce gasoline consumption. We included a short list as follows:
- Tune up your car
- Take the bus
- Share commuting
- Proper inflation in your tires
- Drive at the speed limit
- Walk if you can
- Plan your trips for errands
These are just a few things you can do to reduce the energy consumption when using your car. There are many more which you can apply to your personal life.
December 20th, 2012 on 1:00 am
Whst a revElation , just turn out the lights when you are not in the room and decrease the use of air conditioning
December 6th, 2012 on 10:46 am
this is a really great article and it makes sense as well about reducing energy use. anytime i can decrease by energy bill and put money in my pocket, i am better off, thanks for the information