How to cut down your power bill?
Summer is here in India. The days are about to get hotter and longer and you may be thinking on how to keep your energy bills down. Though at times Indian summer can pose in front of you the seemingly improbable problem of cutting down energy cost in your home/apartment, there are ways to cut down energy costs with some minor adjustments and simple tricks.
Here are some simple ways which would bring down the energy cost this summer at your home/apartment:
Choose light colour
While painting your home, choose colours carefully. Do not choose dark colours for all or most of the walls and go for light colours instead. Dark colours absorb more light and consequently you would need more light to brighten up the room, leading to increased electricity bills in turn.
Moreover, bright colours will make your home look cheerful and colours like blue or lime green will keep the house cool.
Natural light
Let enough natural light into your apartment. Keep a good ventilation in every room and reserve much space for natural light inside the house so that lights do not have to be put on during day time. Windows should be aplenty and tall, obstructive furniture should never come in way of natural light.
Lighting the right way
Lighting up your home would take up the lion’s share in your electricity bill. To save energy at home, opt for CLF bulbs instead of ordinary bulbs. Studies show that CFLs are up to four times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. As CFL bulbs use 50%-80% less energy, you can replace a 100 watt incandescent bulb with a 22 watt CFL for the same amount of light. Also, CFL lights last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs.
However, when you need turn on the light only for a while and need to turn on/off the light frequently, CLF bulbs may not be the best choice. LED lights can be a better alternative in this case. LED lights come in different colours, which makes them a popular choice among consumers.
Replace filters
To make sure that air-flow is proper, clean the AC filter regularly. If you do not replace filters for a long time, clogged your filters, more energy is wasted in trying to blow air through them. As a result the whole process is slowed down and it makes it harder to reach the desired temperature, which keeps the air conditioner on for a really long time.
Cleaning and replacing filters cut down the cost in the long run. Disposable filters are cheap and when you change them regularly it cuts down your cost in the long run.
Energy efficient appliances
You may have bought a new house for yourself and your family. While buying new electronic appliances, check out the star ratings. Go for appliances with more star ratings. The more stars an appliance has, the more energy efficient it is, thus helping you to save energy costs.
Be cautious
You should be cautious while using the appliances. In the summertime, avoid drying clothes in the washing machine or in dryer. You can hang them out in the open to dry. In winters, keep the fans off if you do not require them.
Turn off the exhaust fans of kitchen, bathroom and other areas within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or taking a bath. Nowadays, appliances come with time control options and they can be switched off automatically using the timer. These are suitable for you if you are have a busy schedule and often do not remember to switch off appliances you switch on.
Alternate energy
You can go for solar heating arrangement in your home or if you are living in an apartment community, then the whole community can opt for solar heating arrangements. Similarly, you can take the next to preserve rainwater and apart from cutting down the cost of your community, you can add to environment as well.
