Any tips for energy saving?

Question

Could anyone advise me on saving energy in my home, Do I save more energy turning my appliances off by the wall socket or is it just the same if I turn them off by the button-for example turning my tv off from the button on the tv(not standby).

Answer 1

Turn all appliances off at the wall sockets, turn the heating off.
Return to bed and smother yourself with blankets for the day.
1 hour before your husband/partner returns get up, turn heating on and cook dinner. SORTED....

Answer 2

Hi,

Turning atthe button is enough as this will cutthe electricity circuit.

On the other hand once you have finished using your computer, remember to turn the modem off at the plug,. Most people forget about it as it is a small appliance, but realistically you do not need you modem whne you are not using the internet.

Do you have an electric cooker? These spend a lot of energy. Try turning off the ring or oven 5 minutes before your food is ready, trust me it is still cooking and you will be amazed at the energy you have been saving when your bill arrives.

Good luck!

Answer 3

This is quite an obvious answer... You've just gotta turn things off when you leave rooms, thats the best way you can save energy. Typically appliances use very little energy when you leave them on standby, but it still helps to turn them off. For instance, stereos which seem to take up no power if you leave them with no songs on, however, it's using power just to display 'song 22' on its list... but people don't energy save because they can't be bothered to turn things off... and yes turning the sockets off your Tv will help, Tv's have a timer on usually - including the date etc - it needs power to keep displaying this. If you've ever had a power cut you'll know you have to reset pretty much every timer - this is a good example of how turning sockets off can help.
Voila
Good luck with the energy saving, you're helping everyone!

Answer 4

1) Setting Your Thermostat
Install a programmable thermostat compatible with your heating and cooling system. Make sure to set it comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer.

2) Lower Your Water Heater Temperature
Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees farenheit.

3) Washing Clothes or Dishes
Follow the full load guideline. Never use the dishwasher or washing machine unless it houses a full load.

4) Power Down Computers and Monitors
Turn off your computer and monitor when they are not being used. Contrary to popular beliefs, turning them on and off will not cause damage. If you are away from your computer at different intervals, make sure you have set the power save options.

5) Drying Dishes
Air dry dishes rather than using the heated drying cycle.

6) Washing in Cold Water
Wash clothes in cold water. This not only reduces hot water usage, but it is better for your clothing as well.

7) Use Compact Fluorescent Lighting
Use compact fluorescent bulbs to light your home. Not only do these bulbs use less energy, but they last longer than traditional bulbs.

8) Take Showers
Take short showers instead of baths. The amount of water used, and heated is significantly less for a shower.

Answer 5

Turning off modern day appliances does not always turn off all the power they consume. Unplugging from the wall is also too tedious for some people. However, plugging them into power strips with switches and with surge protection (not battery back up models, as they still draw power) will allow you to turn the power completely off to several items with flip of a switch. The downside is the loss of set data for items that do not have internal memory, such as alarm clocks without battery backup. Generally though, heating and cooling take a lot of power and can contribute a great deal to the cost of your energy. Turning down the thermostat, installing extra insulation, and covering windows with plastic will help keep that cost down significantly. Fluorescent lights, whether it's the single bulbs for lamps, or replacement fixtures for rooms will decrease the power consumption in your home. Replacing the standard lighting fixtures in your rooms with fluorescent fixtures will save on the cost of power, light bulbs, and will generate more true light allowing you to see better. They last much longer and consume less power. Many electric companies will evaluate your home free of charge to locate any problem areas. Sometimes appliances that are not working correctly, such as furnaces, can pull more power than necessary and jack up your electric bill. I know because my furnace did the same thing. Try to pinpoint those potential problem areas in your home.

Answer 6

By turning appliances off at the wall you are ensuring that there is no current in the appliance to generate heat and therefore use power. Another good tip is to replace all your light bulbs with energy saving bulbs. A 20W energy saving bulb gives about the same light intensity as a 100W conventional bulb.

Answer 7

You don,t save any more electricity by turning appliances off at the socket, than by the off button. You can however save money if not energy by using things like washing machines tumble dryers and dishwashers at night when the electricity is charged at off peak rates. Plug a time clock into your socket and the appliance into that and set it to start after midnight.

Answer 8

Turn things off by the wall before bed. Don't leave anything on standby cos you might as well leave it on permantly. Turn your heating down by one degree every day for a week [this way you won't notice the sudden loss of 5 or 6 degrees of heat in your house]. Make sure lights not left on where they don't need to be. If you have children who don't like the dark, invest in 10 watt bulbs for the night time. Only do full loads in washing machine and do them at 30 or 40 degrees. Don't overload your tumbler dryer as this only takes longer than doing two small loads will. Turn off everything in the house, then walk round working out what needs to be left on [fridge?] and what gets left on. You'll be surprised!

Answer 9

As previous said off is off. However I have gotten into the habit of unplugging small appliances if we go away for several days. Not to save energy but to avoid fire as many small appliances are made cheaply and I don't trust any of them.
Use the new flourensence bulbs, that saves money, install timers where you can. I put a timer on our bathrooms as there is about five fatboy bulbs in the fixtures and the bathroom lights are always left on by someone. the timer shuts them off in 10 or 20 minutes.

Answer 10

By far the biggest use of energy in a cool climate home is heating. Live at a lower temperature, put on extra clothes, fleecy slippers etc. When you use heat, make it count, don't heat space you aren't using. By being sensible about heating you can save at least 10 times more energy than by worrying about appliances and light bulbs, although by all means do that too! Similar applies to air conditioning in a hot climate home.