Every parent (well, every dad at least) has lectured the family about leaving lights burning in an empty room. Or given dire warnings about unauthorized tampering with the thermostat. Nothing sets off a homeowner more than opening the latest utility bill and being confronted by a figure that looks more like a phone number or a ghastly computer error than the fair cost of running some lights and a few appliances.
Short of switching off the power and going back to the literal dark ages, what’s the solution? While renewable energy programs in the Turks and Caicos Islands are still being developed, the islands must rely almost exclusively on expensive diesel generators for electricity, resulting in some of the world’s highest costs per kilowatt.
Luckily, some simple energy conservation habits can reduce that eye-watering power bill to something more reasonable, and it takes minimal effort.
Here are our six top tips:
Lights Simple. Turning them off when not in use is the easiest way to reduce your energy usage. Also, consider using desk lamps and table lamps instead of lighting a whole room. To save even more, replace incandescent lamps with LED or compact fluorescent equivalents to get the same amount of light for 25% of the running cost.
Outdoor Lighting Solar lights are cheap, long-lasting, and are easy to install. Sunlight is free and the ultimate renewable energy. Using this tip, you can light your garden, pathway, patio, or entrance for years to come at zero cost. And that is only good news for the person paying the utility bills and for energy conservation in TCI.
Ovens You only need to preheat the oven for things like bread, cakes, and pastries that require high heat immediately. Anything else can be put straight into a cold oven without preheating, saving energy. And any experienced cook knows that frequently opening the oven door to check progress should be avoided. An open oven door loses a lot of heat and uses more energy.
Electronics While a PC, laptop, phone, or tablet on its own doesn’t draw a lot of power, the number of devices that are left permanently on charge or standby adds up to a significant portion of your household energy bill. Remember to switch off devices and accessories such as printers when you’re not using them. And unplug chargers when not in use as they still draw power even when not charging a device. Cold booting a modern computer doesn’t take long and doesn’t wear it out, meaning more savings.
Appliances Count the shining little LEDs you can see around your kitchen or living room. Each one indicates the power being wasted. Unplug anything you’re not using right now and save energy. Refrigerators: Don’t stand there with the door wide open while you think about what to eat, and don’t overload it. A fridge running at full power uses a lot of electricity. Washing machines and dryers: Only use full loads, wash in cold water and dry naturally outdoors if you have the option. Doing this for the weekly wash will save a fortune over time.
Thermostats A big bone of contention, and not just in offices where men and women have very different ideas about what constitutes a good workplace temperature. In the home, look at installing smart thermostats in the HVAC system that can be controlled remotely by a smartphone. Smart thermostats can also detect if a room is occupied or not and can automatically switch on/off air-conditioning or lights as needed. Another energy-saving tip is to supplement air conditioning with fans that are far cheaper to run.
