When it comes to saving energy, it's all about starting small – here are some simple habits to implement now.
If you are using a fitness tracker, you are probably seeing the benefits of small changes to habits that have big impacts on your health and wellness. The same applies to your home electricity or business energy. Understanding how you are using energy is a great first step, and seeing how you use energy can also really help.
When you know what and how you are using your energy, you can then decide how to make the small changes that will have a big impact. For you and for the planet.
1. Time-of-use optimisation
Run appliances like dishwashers and washing machines during off-peak hours to save on electricity costs. With Pinergy, the lifestyle product allows you to customise your tariff to best suit your lifestyle and optimise your energy usage.
2. Take devices off standby
For appliances and technology like TVs, laptops, and gaming consoles, it is good practice to turn them off rather than leave them on standby. Consider also using smart plugs or timers to help you. Avoiding the red-light monster of standby TVs or other appliances can be a small habit change that can lead to better energy usage.
3. Set your radiators to your preferred temperature
Not all radiators need to emit the same heat around your home. So while you like to be cosy in your sitting room, perhaps the kitchen radiator can be turned down or turned off. Oh! And don’t forget to bleed the radiators to maximise their efficiency.
4. Wash your clothes at a lower temperature
Washing your clothes at 20-30 degrees might not have worked in the past, but most detergent brands have reformulated their products to do well at these temperatures. A win for your clothes and also for your electricity bill.
5. Wash with a full load
While we’re on laundry, when you can, make sure to put on a full load. And the same for the dishes, we’re permitting you to let the sink fill up before you tackle them. It saves on energy – yours and your electricity.
6. Boil only what you need
When the dishes are done, it’s time for a well-deserved cup of tea. Be mindful of boiling water in a kettle or in a saucepan; make sure you only boil what you need. So if you’re making a cup of tea, just boil what you need for the cup – not the full kettle.
7. Insulate your boiler
Boiler jackets are a great way to maximise the heat in your boiler, heating the water faster and keeping it warm for longer.
8. Don’t take too many sneaky peeks into the oven
When you’re baking those scones or cooking a roast, try to limit the number of times you open the door of the oven to check your cooking. Every time you open the oven, you release heat that has to be replaced by more electricity!
9. Turn off the lights when you leave a room
When you leave a room, don’t forget to turn off the lights. It just makes sense, but we all forget to do it from time to time. Why use electricity when you don’t need to!
Visit pinergy.ie for support on making more use of your energy during the winter months.
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