The average American currently spends more than $100 per month on electricity.
Are you interested in learning how you can start conserving electricity?
Conserving electricity won’t just benefit your bank account. It’s also great for the environment.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to energy conservation?
Read on to learn more about the importance of the conservation of electricity and how you can start using less energy today.
Why Conservation of Electricity Matters
If you’re not sure about whether you really need to cut energy costs and start working on saving electricity, perhaps you need to learn more about why electricity conservation matters.
There are a lot of benefits to conserving electricity, including the following:
Reduce Drilling and Mining
One of the greatest reasons to use electricity is to reduce the amount of drilling and mining that takes place throughout the world.
Most electricity is produced with the help of fossil fuels like oil and goal. In order to access these fuels, drilling and mining are necessary.
These processes come with a wide range of environmental risks, including potential contamination from leaks or even explosions.
Reduce Fossil Fuel Emissions
In addition to minimizing the risk of environmental contamination, reducing electricity can also help to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Power plants must burn fossil fuels in order to generate electricity. Burning these fuels releases all kinds of toxic substances into the air.
The release of these substances contributes to issues related to global warming, including the following:
- Rising temperatures
- More frequent droughts and heat waves
- Increased smog and acid rain
- Rising sea levels
- Increased intensity of natural disasters like hurricanes and tornados
By making small changes, you can have a big impact on the environment and reduce the likelihood that these serious issues will occur.
Conserve Natural Resources
When you use less electricity, you also help to conserve natural resources. Fewer trees will be chopped down and more land throughout the country will be safe from mining and drilling.
Save Animals
By reducing the amount of mining and drilling that takes place throughout the country, you’ll also help to save animals whose habitats are destroyed by these practices.
You won’t just be saving animals on land, either. You’ll also be saving animals that live in the ocean who are affected by oil spills and other forms of pollution.
Increase Property Value
Finally, decreasing your electricity usage can also help to increase the value of your home.
These days, more home buyers are making energy efficiency a priority.
If you have made changes to your home to make it more energy efficient, you’ll have an easier time selling your home for a great price.
How to Start Conserving Electricity
Clearly, there are benefits that come with conserving electricity.
How do you minimize your electricity usage, though? Do you have to start burning candles and walking around in the dark?
Not necessarily.
There are a lot of (practical) steps you can take to use less electricity:
Adjust Your Thermostat
There’s nothing quite as refreshing as walking into a cold house on a hot day. Running your air conditioner at full blast all day long isn’t great for the environment or your electricity bill, though.
Try turning your thermostat up just a little bit when you’re leaving the house. That way, you won’t be paying to air conditioner an empty home.
You may also want to invest in a smart thermostat. That way, it’ll be easier for you to adjust the temperature. You could even change it from your smartphone when you’re away from the house.
Reduce Waste from Large Appliances
Large appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers can have a huge impact on your electricity usage.
The following are some steps you can take to reduce large appliance waste:
- Wash your clothes in cold water
- Dry your clothes on a lower setting, or let them dry outside in the sunshine
- Only run your appliances when they’re all the way full
- Turn off the heated dry function on your dishwasher
Avoid running these appliances during the middle of the day, too. They’ll generate more heat and will be more likely to cause your air conditioner to kick on.
If you run them during the day, things will stay cooler and your electricity bill will stay low.
Unplug Your Devices
Unplug electronic devices when you’re not using them. Keep in mind that, even when devices are turned off, they’re still using electricity.
The best way to minimize your electricity use is to unplug them altogether or to use a power strip. This is especially important for things like televisions and computers.
Replace Your Lightbulbs
Consider replacing the lightbulbs in your home with LED lightbulbs.
LED bulbs use way less power than incandescent bulbs. They’re more durable, too, and they work just as well as other types of lightbulbs.
If you’re not ready to replace all your lightbulbs, at least replace the bulbs in the lights you use most often. Then, as other lightbulbs burn out, replace them one by one.
Prevent Energy Leakage
Finally, take steps to prevent energy leakage.
Make sure there aren’t any cracks or drafts in your windows or doors. Seal up all these gaps so that cool air isn’t leaking out of your house when you run your air conditioner.
Close the doors on the upper levels of your home, too. Remember, heat rises.
During the day, when your family is mostly downstairs, close these doors so you’re not paying to cool down rooms no one is spending time in.
Learn More About Conservation Today
As you can see, the conservation of electricity matters a lot. Not only will it help you to save money on your energy bills, but it also benefits the environment.
There are lots of different ways you can conserve electricity, too. It doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, either.
Even if you’re brand new to the idea of energy conservation, you can implement some of these tips right away.
Do you want to learn more about conservation? If so, we’ve got lots of articles on our site for you. This article on conserving water is a great starting point.
