Home is where the heart is for many reasons: we are in charge of how our homes look, what we accept in them, what goes on in them, and of course how it operates. If you are anything like me, you'll want to ensure that your home is as efficient as possible in all the ways it can be, including when it comes to your energy usage. Here are some ways I do that.
Consider your carbon footprint
The average household has more gadgets than they used to, which means that our energy usage and the carbon footprints that we leave behind is higher than ever. I am a long time plugger inner who is now an unplugger.
If you're interested in what's pulling electricity, smart meters tell you how much energy you use as a household and where it is being used the most. I think the electric company might still come and read too? Anyway knowing what is pulling the most electric in your house can help you narrow down where to focus your energy saving efforts.
When in doubt, unplug if you can.
Think about community solar panels
I've dreamed of solar panels since they became a thing, as they are a great alternative to at least supplement our current electrical energy. They are a cleaner energy source that is effective and costs less to use, which gives us the best of both worlds.
The only trouble with this is that installing solar panels on your home isn’t always something everyone can do due to installation costs. We have absolutely balked at that. So that's where the idea of community solar panels, which you can sign up for here, can come in. These are installed into a community and can be used by various households without being installed onto one house. Pretty cool.
Get clever with mealtimes
The price of food is up up freaking up. That combined with intense hatred of food waste has me even more focused on maximizing the efficiency of the food I buy. I'm back to thinking more and being more intentional with the meals I cook so I'm getting maximum value and nutrition and not wasting any food. Anything not used that I've planned to I will attempt to freeze.
There are plenty of apps that can help you plan your meals and ensure that you use the food you buy as effectively as possible. Doing this means that you can cut down on your food waste and ensure that you save as much money as possible when food shopping.
All aboard
If only one person in a more than one person household is interested in making changes to maximize household efficiency, efforts are going to fall flat. For any changes to stick and have an impact on efficiency, everyone needs to be on board. Even if they have to be drug there, kicking and screaming.
Find a way to make changes work for everyone so it's something you're doing together.
In what ways do you maximize efficiency in your home?
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