As of today, 80 percent of the world relies on fossil fuels for energy. These fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) are used to light our homes, cook our meals, and drive our vehicles, our life is dependent on fossil fuels. Energy saving is now a must

energy saving
Photo by Daniel Dan on Unsplash

The world is on alert. Governments and leaders of industries are working towards a better climate however, you can also play your part. One way to play your part is by conservation of the energy you use; energy conservation.

Energy conservation is simply- using less energy than you normally would in your daily life. There are numerous benefits to the conservation of energy. Conserving energy would aid the planet, consuming less energy equates to a smaller carbon footprint. The lesser energy you consume, the better because when you consume less the toxic greenhouse gas emissions sent into the environment reduces.

Energy conservation can alleviate strain on the world's energy system and make you energy independent. When you consume less energy you are closer to getting energy independence and you can also get fully independent by creating your energy through the solar system or other renewable energy.

There are several energy-saving tips however, we have compiled three ways to start conserving your energy. These three (3) energy-saving tips are listed below.

  1. Perform a home energy assessment.
  2. Reduce phantom energy.
  3. Walk and bike more.

1. Perform A Home Energy Assessment 

Performing a home energy assessment is a crucial step to conserving energy because it is important to first find out the amount of energy that you are consuming before you go ahead to conserve it.

Home energy assessment or home energy audit is easy to do, however, you could also hire a professional to perform the assessment.

Some of the steps to take to perform a home energy assessment include fixing leaky pipes, locating air leaks in doors, windows, and electric outlets, and sealing them. Adding an insulator when necessary.

If you are interested in installing a solar system you could make inquiries with the solar company because most solar companies perform home energy assessments at affordable or zero cost.

2. Reduce Phantom Energy 

Most people are ignorant of phantom energy, you might have never heard of it.

When we turn off our appliances we believe that it's not consuming energy, but this is not always true. Some of our appliances still use energy even when you turn them off.

Phantom energy costs an average United States household about $160 every year; it also wastes similar energy that fifty (50) big power plants produce in a year.

All you need to do to save your money and conserve energy is to unplug your appliances when they are not in use. You could also reduce phantom energy by using smart power strips which turn off automatically whenever your device is on standby. 

Sixty-four billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution can be saved and reduced respectively if all households in the United State unplug their appliances.

Some items that consume phantom energy that you should consider unplugging when you are not using are:

  • Microwaves 
  • Cable boxes 
  • Coffee makers 
  • Desktop computers 
  • Electric toothbrush
  • Electric razor
  • Televisions 
  • Stereos 
  • Video game consoles 
  • Cell phone charger 
  • Laptop charger 

3. Walk And Bike More

We spend almost 300 hours driving every year. This is not eco-friendly. Walking and biking could help us reduce our fuel energy use and electric energy usage. You could also use public transportation when going across town, this way you are conserving energy and helping the environment.

Everyone has to be conscious and active in conserving energy. If we work together we and posterity would enjoy the environment.