Benefits of energy efficiency and monitoring in the home

When it comes to conserving energy and reducing bill shock, most of us know the basics. Ensure that lights are turned off when you leave the room; don’t leave air conditioners running all day and night at freezing cold temperature and the like. But do you really know which devices and appliances are running up your electricity bills? Here are some facts you may not be aware of.

Why your electricity bills are rising at home

Televisions: Gone are the days of having a single, giant, energy-sucking box in the living room. We now utilise more slimline models that use technologies like LED and LCD – which are much more power-efficient. The thing, as time goes on, we want out TVs to be even bigger – and that causes an influence on energy efficiency.

The other thing to consider is that most homes have at least two televisions, if not more. That’s a lot of electricity consumption.

Ceiling fans: The latest models on the market are capable of delivering enormous energy savings, mostly due to advancements in technology. The trouble is many homes still have dinosaur-age fans that have been spinning around since the 1960s or 70s. Unfortunately, these consume an enormous amount of power.

LED lighting: Simply replacing your light bulbs with LED options will save you a lot of money. They use up to 80 per cent less electricity than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer so you are reducing your waste and saving money on bulbs as well.

Charged electronics: We have all been guilty of this: charging our phone, tablet or laptop and leaving it on plugged in as we use it. This actually uses a lot of electricity and it also damages the batteries in your devices.

When your devices are fully charged, always remember to unplug them – especially laptops where people develop the habit of working on them while they are on charge.

Microwaves: These can sit for days not being used, but plugged in and consuming electricity the entire time. You only need to plug your microwave in when you need to use it so you are not wasting money keeping a glorified clock active all day.

How you can monitor your energy use in real-time

There are smart metres on the market now like the Powerpal Smart Energy Monitor that allows you to use your mobile or tablet device to monitor your use around the clock.

This will show you the times of day you are using the most power and the devices that are causing these spikes. Examine the data you need to make adjustments.

Not only will this smart device help you pay less on your electricity bill, but it will also reduce your carbon footprint.

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