There’s no point in trying to brush the problem of excess energy use under the carpet any longer. We need to realise that change begins at home and it is up to each one of us. By renting or owning a home and just by living and taking advantage of all the comforts that we are so used to, we use an increasing amount of energy and must take responsibility for this, as it results in a large carbon footprint individually. We cannot turn to big business and blame them for everything, nor can we half-heartedly point to the fact that we might take the bus when we go to work and not use a car. It is time to make considerable changes and search for significant ways to save electricity wherever possible. You need to take one single step if you are going to begin a journey of 1000 miles.

Before you do anything else, go around all your doors and windows and look to see that they’re fitting properly. You might not be able to see any issues and should check by running your hand along the edges or by using an open flame of some kind to see whether you have any drafts. There is no sense whatsoever in heating the inside of your house or using air conditioning to try and cool it down during the brief hot spells that we get, if your hard earned money is flying out the window. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your house is as airtight as you can make it before worrying about your cooling and heating costs.

Rooms that are only rarely used should be isolated and you can put timer activated lighting appliances in these areas. You could also put them on a motion detector, so that they will go on and off if someone enters or leaves the room. Almost every electrical item that you have actually wastes energy even if it is just plugged in and not switched on, and you should remove it from the wall socket just to be sure. It’s best if all computers are turned off at night. You have no need to keep them on for this period of time and they will only build up heat within, anyway. Remember every bit helps and it will all add up over the course of a year.

Most people understand the benefits of renewable energy, but for some reason or another, we have a tendency to look to other people to take advantage of this knowledge. Solar energy panels could be a good idea? It is possible to run your entire property by using solar power, whether you mount them on the roof or set it up so that they are appropriately angled within your garden. One of the ways to save electricity is to cut down on its extraction from the grid and to reduce the size of your footprint. We all need to buy energy-efficient shoes that fit us, rather than continuing with this extravagant way of life. When heating water, why not turn the thermostat down a degree or so and remember that heating water with electricity is highly inefficient normally. They say that roughly 2/3 of the energy actually produced to get the electricity to you, to heat your water in the first place, is lost in the distribution system. For efficiency’s sake, oil or gas fired water heaters are much better, more highly efficient and will be far more beneficial when it comes to helping the environment as well.