Reducing the amount of energy that your household uses can affect your bill in a substantial way. It can also reduce the amount of damage that you are doing to the environment around you. Some simple steps can be taken to increase the efficiency of any home.
1. Smart Devices
Almost everything in your home that uses electricity can be switched over to components that run off a smart device. Items such as plug in strips and lighting can be controlled with an application, or they can be programmed to follow specify instructions. For instance, you can add a smart light switch that has a sensor build in to turn lights on and off, depending on if you enter a room or leave it. There are so many options available to you for upgrading your entire house into a smart house that you should take the time to consider converting over.
2. Colors
The color of the paint on the walls and the ceiling can make an impact upon how cool, or warm, your house is. This will also depend upon the area of the country that you live in. If you are in an area that is generally hot, you will want a paint color to help you stay cool. Lighter colors reflect heat, so in this instance you want your rooms to be white or beige. If you live in an area that is cold you will want to trap the heat in, so you would go with darker colors.
3. Heating and Cooling
According to the South Australian Government forty six percent of your energy bill is used by heating and cooling devices. It would be correct to say that changing how you heat, or cool, can make the biggest impact upon your energy bill. Lower the setting on your heat and raise the cooling temperature up and use electricity comparison strategies to check the difference that it makes. Just a few degrees in both directions will make an improvement on your bill that you can easily see.
4. Flooring
The type of flooring that you need will also depend on your specific location. Tile and rock will help keep your home cool, while rugs and carpets will help keep the warmth in. If you want the best of both worlds, you can have tile on your floor and strategically place throw rugs during the colder months of the year.
5. Lighting
A simple change such as replacing your old light bulbs with energy efficient ones can knock some off the power bill. The upfront investment may seem a little high compared to what you are used to paying for bulbs, but in the long haul it is well worth the investment. One thing to always remember is to turn the lights off when you leave a room. This is where smart sensors would come into play by turning the lights on and off depending on the occupancy of the area.
6. Appliances
Changing all your appliances to energy saving types can lower your power bill. You can also adjust your settings, such as raising the fridge setting slightly. If you do not need that extra freezer in the garage unplug it.
7. Standby
All new devices, such as televisions and stereo systems, will have a standby mode to allow then to start faster. This basically means that they are on all the time, adding to your energy bill. Phone and computer chargers that are left plugged in also drain power. Even though this is not a specific interior design, it is a simple thing that can be done to lower your bill.
Smart interior designing can help reduce energy usage. Simply moving a couch away from a heater vent can help. Make sure that you design your interior in such a way as to allow the flow of the heat, or air conditioning, to be constant and unobstructed. Change over to smart devices when possible. Always be aware of your surroundings and how something as simple as the switching off a light can improve your bill, and the environment.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you’re really serious about reducing your electricity and helping the environment at the same time, installing solar panels is a good option. With its increasing popularity, the availability of solar panels on the Sunshine Coast or anywhere in the world should increase as well, making it more accessible for most.