How To Conserve Electricity In The House | Saving Electricity For Beginners

People are increasingly looking for how to conserve electricity in the house, saving electricity being one key means to reduce energy costs. It's a pretty safe bet that all of us have experienced firsthand the rising costs of different forms of energy and the volatility over the past few years. Lately, I read more and more that electricity rates are still increasing, putting more emphasis on ways to conserve electricity or energy as a whole.

In economically hard (or good) times, the effects of this rise in energy related costs are placing an even greater burden on families. With this in mind, the importance of conserving electricity in the house, and taking steps to reduce energy costs is becoming more of a on-going concern to many of us at home.

As a result, discovering tips or ways to save electricity and essentially save money on electricity is increasingly on people's minds. This is not just because it makes sense to consume less energy where possible. It's also about how to reduce energy costs which leads to saving real money for families - the positive effects of conserving electricity or energy conservation in general for that matter.

The open question is how to save electricity in your home?

Perhaps the best approach to get started with conserving electricity in your house or saving energy overall is to reflect on how much you are consuming on an annual basis. This will help to put your energy consumption into perspective and potential for saving energy via various energy conservation initiatives.

The average US family spends somewhere around $1,900 annually on utilities in the home. This represents a considerable expense for a family. We can break this down in the following categories for a somewhat more clearer picture of where we are spending:

Heating : 31%
Cooling : 12%
Water Heating : 12%
Lighting : 12%
Computers and Electronics : 9%
Appliances : 9%
Refrigeration : 8%
Other : 8%

Now, the general consensus is that a considerable amount of these energy costs are wasted or could be avoided. So, just how much can you reduce energy costs and save on electricity for example? There is no single answer since each of our situations is different in terms of our behaviors, home, usage and therefore the potential waste or opportunity to scale back.

The good news is that there are many ways to conserve energy or save electricity at home which are available to us. I do not see it as a major challenge for each of us to find multiple options that we can apply in order to trim unnecessary energy use and associated costs.

So, how do I go about conserving electricity in the house?

My experiences suggest that you first need to be aware of behaviors of people. The best way to sum this up is to adopt an approach whereby you and other members of the household begin to manage the energy or electricity used in your house. It's about underlining the importance of conserving electricity in the house.

How does one start to manage (conserve) their energy or electricity usage in the house?

In my opinion you first need to be aware of both how and where you are consuming energy or electricity. The board categories mentioned above are the main areas to consider and will likely provide you ideas on the many ways to conserve energy. This also helps others to get involved in determining how to save electricity or energy for example.

Once this is understood you can start evaluating more closely your energy or electricity use. This will lead to identifying appropriate actions whereby you can better control and start to manage (= conserve electricity in the house). The goal here is to map out multiple energy saving options that you an pursue in the future.

These actions can be grouped into the following categories:

No Cost
Low Cost
Long Term Investments

Once you have come up with various ways to conserve energy or tips for conserving electricity in your house (using the above categories for example), you then will need to plan out how and when you will introduce them. My suggestion is to list some easy energy saving actions that can be performed quite quickly, saving the more important ones perhaps requiring more work or investment.

All this may sound like a difficult or lengthy task; however it is fairly simple (and should be kept simple as well).

There is one final concept I would like to introduce which is important in reaching your goals of saving electricity in the house. I will develop this further in other articles on the site but it deserves to be mentioned at this time.

Your household energy consumption can be seen in some cases as a large system with many interdependent parts that work together. It’s quite important to look at this in the very broad sense, since the overall system includes smaller systems and components.

To expand on this point further, let’s take your heating system (more complex example). It begins with a furnace, is perhaps fueled by gas, generates warm air which is circulated through-out your home via ducts and is regulated based on a thermostat with your desired temperature.

So, shall we name a way that you can conserve electricity?

OK, one step towards your journey in discovering ways to conserve electricity could be to ensure you have a highly efficient system for generating and delivering heat within your home. Before we said that the average house spends approximately 45% of energy costs on heating and cooling, quite significant. This is probably one of the first areas you may want to look at. I suggest consider using a programmable thermostat (manage that 45%), installing a smart power strip and energy saving light bulbs for saving electricity, just to name a few.

You may also want to take a look at some background and history of electricity, the electricity timeline, when electricity was discovered, who and how electricity was invented. Looking back on the key discoveries or milestones and where we are today may shed some light towards the future and where we should be focusing our energy conservation efforts.

I hope you found this article useful in mapping out an initial framework or mindset. More information is available to support you in your journey in conserving electricity in the house, goal being save money on electricity by reduced energy costs. There are many ways to conserve electricity, start with the mindset, get people committed and then take some precise actions towards more energy conservation.

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History of Electricity | Timeline of Multiple Inventions and Discoveries

What is Electricity?

Electricity is known as the movement or flow of electrically powered or charged particles. In the most common form used daily, it is generated by other energy sources (primary) therefore it is considered a secondary energy source.

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Today electricity represents one of the most widely used forms of energy. Understanding the history helps us to understand why and how to conserve electricity.

When was electricity invented?

The invention of electricity as we know it today dates back to a series of innovations or discoveries mainly back into the 1800’s. There were several key observations starting with static electricity as of 600 BC. From there multiple discoveries took place which eventually led to the creation and distribution of electricity that we have all become accustomed to.

History of Electricity – Timeline Leading to Multiple Inventions and Key Discoveries

• Around 600 BC a Greek named Thales discovered static electricity, notion that objects can become electrically charged.
• In 1660 a machine was invented by Otto von Guericke that demonstrated static electricity.
• During 1745-46, Georg Von Kleist developed the first electric capacitator, which stored electricity.
• In 1752, Ben Franklin proved that static electricity and lightning were one of the same. This experiment is known as key tied to a kite string during a thunderstorm.
• In 1800, Alessandro Volta invented the first electric battery. His name was used in creation of the notion of voltage (volt).
• In 1821, the principle of electro-magnetic rotation was discovered by which later is essential for developing the electric motor.
• In 1826, the relationship between power, voltage, current and resistance was defined by Georg Ohm which is now known as Ohms Law.
• In 1831, Michael Faraday led experiments which proved that electricity can be induced by changes in an electromagnetic field. These experiments about how (electricity) current led to understanding of electrical transformers and motors.
• In 1837, the electric motor was invented by Thomas Davenport which s now common in many electrical appliances.
• In 1878-79, the Edison Electric Light Co. was founded by Thomas Edison, which after purchasing several patents, began experiments which led to the creation of a long lasting incandescent light bulb which originally lasted for about 40 hours. As of 1880, they were lasting for about 1200 hours.
• In 1879, the California Electric Light Company was founded which is known as the first company providing and selling electricity to households in San Francisco.
• In 1882, the Pearl Street Power Station in New York City was opened by Thomas Edison, which could power about 5,000 lights using direct current (DC). During the same period, the first hydroelectric station was opened in Wisconsin.
• In 1884, an electric alternator for producing alternating current (AC) was invented by Nikola Tesla. During the same period a steam turbine generator was invented by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons.
• In 1893, an alternating current (AC) system to light the Chicago World's Fair was put into place by The Westinghouse Electric Company.
• During 1895-1896, The Niagara Falls hydropower station opened in the US.
• In 1935, the Roosevelt Administration passed the “New Deal" legislation designed to regulate public utilities and bring electricity to rural America.

Who invented or discovered electricity?

Based on the above timelines surrounding the evolution and innovation that led to the electricity we have today, it is a bit difficult to place a precise timing in my opinion as to which year electricity was invented. The same can be said about who invented electricity since there were multiple innovations or key discoveries that lead to what we use and consider being electricity today.

How is electricity generated?

As mentioned previously, electricity is known as a secondary energy source derived by primary energy sources. The main sources used today are:

• Natural Gas
• Coal
• Petroleum
• Nuclear Power
• Hydropower
• Geothermal Power
• Solar Power
• Wind Power
• Biomass

It is important to note that electricity itself is neither a renewable or non-renewable energy source.

In the US, during 2006 about 49% of the electricity generated came from burning coal, about 20% from natural gas, petroleum about 2%, nuclear about 19%, hydropower about 7%, geothermal, solar, wind and biomass being at or less than 1%.

Why should you consider ways to conserve or save electricity?

When reviewing the above, a majority of the electricity generated in the US today is from non-renewable sources. Although renewable sources are being developed more rapidly, this underscores the need to discover ways to conserve electricity in the home. There are many ways to save electricity around the house, I invite you to review the articles mentioned in the related posts below and start saving electricity today.

Sources: US Department of Energy

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How to Save Electricity | Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Electricity costs for lighting in the typical home can reach 12% or more in terms of your annual energy costs. So if you would like to know how to save electricity, you can conserve just by focusing on lighting. Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) are the right energy saving light bulbs to save money on electricity bills and conserve electricity in the home.

To put this into perspective, that percentage is about the same that the average home uses for cooling and electronic appliances. I personally feel that estimate is conservative; I seem to spend more and more time reminding people in the house to turn of the lights when they are not in the room, etc.

That is the on-going challenge of awareness and guiding people to change behaviors.

So why are compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) so great?

Just take a glance at our incandescent bulbs on the right, they have not really changed during the history of electricity which has a long timeline of many milestones, discoveries and inventions.

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Essentially they combine the energy efficiency of fluorescent lighting into energy saving light bulbs that can fit into incandescent fixtures.

Energy star qualified CFL’s use approximately 75% less electricity that standard incandescent bulbs. These low energy light bulbs have a lifespan that is up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs. Therefore when you install energy efficient light bulb in your home, the resulting energy savings (electricity) is compounded over a longer period of time.

It is estimated that you can save on electricity costs by $30-50 over the lifetime of the bulb. If you start adding that up through-out the house, well, you will quickly find you will surely reduce your electricity costs and have a fairly positive impact on your electricity bills. This in itself explains why CFL’s are one of the best means for saving electricity for the home. They are also one of the more simple ways to conserve electricity without having to make a significant investment.

In any case, replacing light bulbs must be done anyway, right? Why not take the opportunity to install an energy efficient light bulb.

So what is the difference between energy saving CFL light bulbs and normal incandescent? The bottom line is CFL’s are more cost effective and energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. They generate less heat and are considered to be safer to operate, not to mention a potential energy savings on your cooling. The good news is they do not require changing very often once they are installed; the average lifespan is 10,000 plus hours.

In general CFL’s function like normal fluorescent lighting that has been highly used in commercial facilities for years. If you are familiar with fluorescent lights, they have two basic parts which are the tube filled with a gas and some form of ballast. When electricity flows the tube emits ultraviolet light which become visible light via the surface of the tube.

There are two different forms of ballasts, one being magnetic and the other electronic. The magnetic ballasts can flicker somewhat when initially started (like normal florescent lighting). The electronic ballasts light up immediately, are more efficient than magnetic ballasts but can be slightly more expensive. For the most part CFL’s today are mainly electronic.

Where are energy saving CFL’s appropriate?

They are most energy efficient when used in locations requiring lighting for extended periods of time. So the first place to for installing them would be in the living room, bedrooms, kitchen, etc. You may not want to install them in a location where lights are only turned on for a few minutes (closet). You can do so; however the payback on efficiency (electricity savings) will be slower in comparison to other areas. If you are not sure, ENERGY STAR recommends using qualified CFL’s in lighting fixtures that are typically used at least 15 minutes at a time.

It is important to mention that CFL’s are sensitive to temperature ranges (specified normally on packaging) in which they work more optimal. Most common CFL’s are for indoor usage. There are models applicable for outdoor usage; in this case it is suggested to enclose them in fixtures in order to minimize the effect of the temperature sensitivity. This is not a must although you just need to check if they are weatherproof and can resists cold outside temperatures.

What are the types of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL’s)?

Today, CFL’s come in a wide variety of shapes and forms to address common needs. In general, the total surface area of the tube(s) will determine just how much light is produced by the energy saving light bulbs. There are other characteristics such as the number of tubes (2, 4, 6) in the bulb. Some CFL’s have circular or spiral-shaped tubes.

Here is a diagram of the different forms of energy saving light bulbs and where they can be used .

When choosing an energy efficient light bulb for your home, you will need to take into consideration the wattage and with the right amount of light - color range of the light (warmth). For the CFL wattage, is essentially 3-4 times less that of incandescent bulbs. In most cases, the equivalent wattage is mentioned on the packaging. A reference point between incandescent and energy saving CFL lights bulbs are:

50 watt = 9 watts
60 watt = 15 watts
75 watt = 20 watts
100 watt = 25 watts
150 watt = 39 watts

You will also need to take note and purchase the correct model if your energy saving CFL bulbs are to be connected to a dimmer switch or require three-way socket fixture.

The shade or warmth of white light from CFL’s is identified by a color temperature measured in kelvin (K). The lower the kelvin number the warmer the color of the light, a higher Kelvin number implies the light has a cooler color. For reference, incandescent light bulbs offer a soft white light (2700K–3000K), a higher kelvin color temperature (3500K, 4100K, 5000K,...) will emit a more white (bright white, natural, daylight) similar to perhaps halogen lamps.

In terms of disposal, you will need to treat them differently than normal bulbs. It is recommended that you place the bulb in a sealed plastic bag when disposing. The best bet is to check locally on the proper disposal practice to be used.

It is quoted that if every single American home replaced only one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL bulb, it would result in energy savings that could pay for lighting more than 3 million homes for a year. This alone explains why it is one of the best ways to conserve electricity, not to mention the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

To conclude, introducing energy saving light bulbs in your home will allow you to conserve electricity and save money on electricity bills. If you choose properly the correct CFL bulb for the intended area you should not notice a difference (other than saving electricity). It will require a small investment beyond the price of incandescent bulbs. However the long term reduction of energy costs makes this one of the most obvious energy saving tips. Think about this the next time you need to replace a bulb, start conserving electricity and then reduce your energy costs!

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Smart Power Strip | Great Ways To Conserve Electricity at Home

Today's topic is about tackling a problem that we all share, how to save electricity related to appliances that continue to consume electricity even when turned off or in the standby state. The term commonly used to describe this is phantom or vampire electricity usage. Using a smart power strip is just one of the many ways to conserve electricity in the house. Doing so will put a stop to this energy waste and allow you to save money on electricity.

Many home electronic appliances keep on consuming small amounts of electricity even when they are no longer in use (off or standby state). If your house is like mine, the number of appliances in this category is growing at a very rapid pace.

Here are some examples of appliances, do keep in mind the list is only partial:

Televisions
TV Set-top devices
DVD / VCR Player / DVRecorder
Computers (Desktop, Laptop, Monitors)
Printers / Scanners
Game consoles
Receiver /Stereo
Satellite Receiver
TIVO
Microwave
Fax machine
Other Home office equipment (telephone, fax)
Telephone chargers (cell, portable)

As startling as it may be, it is estimated that 75% of electricity costs associated for home electronic appliances is when they are turned off! In relative terms, this could mean somewhere between 5-10% of your electricity bills is being wasted due to this standby electricity consumption.

Everyone's situation is a little different but I can ensure you we are all paying for this standby electricity use in one way or another. All you have to do is start looking around a bit, however if not careful you can be fooled or miss out. I think you get the feeling for what this means and how you can start to scale back on your electricity bill….

So what do you do about it? It’s very simple, start conserving electricity in the house by just unplugging appliances when they are not in use.

In reality, it’s more complex since you can't spend your day going around unplugging everything.

When I can't unplug, my preferred solution is to install a smart power strip. They are what I refer to as a smart way to conserve electricity, more energy efficient in terms of approach. These are helpful for multiple appliances and perfect for computers (desktops or laptops), and also apply for associated equipment. This seems to be the best answer until product manufacturers improve their product designs and incorporate permanent solutions to consume less energy by curbing standby electricity usage.

Do smart power strips help with the electric bill (save money)? Yes, it will help you by reducing electricity used or wasted which should allow you to save money on electricity.

Here’s a quick video to help explain how a smart power strip works, why it’s beneficial to you and how you go about using it to reduce the phantom electricity usage showing up in your electricity bills and save on electricity.

Smart Power Strip Video

If you want to start conserving electricity in the house, you should be using these where appropriate.

However, not all smart power strips are alike (intelligent) and do the thinking for you. You will want to consider two points before choosing an energy saving smart power strip.

You want to look first for auto-switching smart power strips. This feature implies there are outlets whereby the electricity is always on and others outlets which are automatically turned off when you have switched off what is called the control device (main appliance). This simple technique allows you to save money on electricity costs.

The second point to consider is the total number of appliances that will be used on the smart power strip. This gives you the number of outlets (always-on, those switched off automatically) that you will need.

Not only do these smart power strip devices help you in saving electricity in the house, they also have built-in surge protectors and noise reduction for your appliances. This can also be helpful for your appliances over the long term, in addition to the cost savings by using smart power strips.

Just how much energy or electricity do you save with smart power strips?

It will vary with the appliances used, based on the amount of standby electricity being consumed. This is why I suggest determining where it makes sense to install a smart power strip as a first step. If you discover phantom or vampire energy, this will be one of the best ways to save electricity costs in a home.

How to conserve electricity with smart power strips?

The recommended approach is to use a Kill A Watt meter which enables you to measure and put a cost on the current usage, the phantom or vampire electricity costs being wasted and if a smart power strip makes sense. Most importantly, you will also be able to see if you were successful in reducing energy costs once the smart power strip was installed (tangible effects).



It’s important to note that Kill A Watt meters can also be used to evaluate electricity costs of other appliances. This little device will therefore continue to help you discover how to conserve electricity at home. One concrete example is using a Kill A Watt meter to determine if it makes sense to replace older appliances with more energy efficient newer models (Energy Star) as a means to further reduce energy costs.

To help you get started with today's topic, I have included some products and considerations covering where you may apply them in your home. All of the energy saving smart power strip products listed below are highly rated, auto-switching and will help you to consume less energy in your home. I invite you to take a look at what makes sense for your needs and take the time to read some of the very positive reviews.



I hope you have found this energy saving tips on how to save electricity useful for your journey to start conserving electricity at home (and save money on electricity bills as well). Eliminating the phantom or vampire energy waste taking place is one of the more easy ways to conserve electricity at home. So start using a smart power strip to reduce your energy costs...

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Programmable Thermostat | Best Ways How To Save Electricity and Conserve Energy

There are several actions or ways to conserve electricity related to heating and cooling in your home that can also have a positive effect on your electricity bills. Using a programmable thermostat is one of the best ways how to save electricity and energy overall. Why are programmable thermostats important? Heating and cooling the home represents almost half of the total energy costs in a house, estimated at $1,900 annually.

In addition, these systems emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which contribute to global warming. Therefore pursuing reasonable measures to reduce energy costs has more than one benefit.

The first set of no cost actions relate to simple practices:

• Wear clothes that are warmer in the winter months (sweaters, etc);
• If you use ceiling fans, check the rotation to be sure it forces the heat to stay down during the winter;
• If you are not using it (spare room), close it and decide not to heat it;
• During the winter months, open your curtains on windows facing south to naturally let the sun heat your home;
• Make sure your curtains are not blocking air vents or radiators;
• In the evening, close them to retain the maximum heat within your home. This also reduces the cold chill that can appear near windows;
• The opposite should take place during summer by closing curtains, shades or outdoor blinds to avoid overheating your home during the day.

These small steps will already allow you to reduce energy costs somewhat.

Now for the more fun part, it requires you to start getting somewhat out of your comfort zone. By turning back the thermostat on your heating, you can save up to 1% of your heating costs for each 1 degree that you decrease. Therefore,

• When home, adjust your thermostat to the lowest temperature that you still comfortable with.

To maximize the benefit of controlling your heating and cooling energy costs, if you adjust your thermostat in the 10-15F degrees during a period of eight hours per day you can save up to 10% a year in your annual costs.

• Lower the thermostat by a few degrees when no one is present at home or at night.

This sounds easy enough, so what is standing in your way? Like many other home energy saving tips, if it requires manual (individual) daily invention it is not likely to be followed through on a regular basis. This is not necessarily the case for those of you who are disciplined.

However for myself, I like to pursue solutions that are systematic and less dependent on people to take action.

In this case the best approach would be to install a digital programmable thermostat that will allow you to schedule and regulate the temperature in your home more efficiently (both at night, when you are away).

Will changing a programmable thermostat help with energy costs? You bet...

When used correctly, programmable thermostats will keep you and the family comfortable, help you reduce energy costs and save money throughout the year.

Here is a podcast on the benefits of using a digital programmable thermostat to control the heating and cooling in your home representing one of many ways to conserve energy.

So how do home programmable thermostats help you?

First, they offer you a large degree of flexibility in automatically changing the temperature settings in your home based on household patterns. Essentially, you program the thermostat to modify the heating or air-conditioning to a pre-set schedule therefore benefiting during the entire year. In simple terms, you minimize the operation of equipment when the house in not occupied or when you are asleep at night which helps to reduce energy costs.

Will a digital programmable thermostat save electricity?

The short answer is it should help you conserve electricity depending on your heating and cooling system. For example, imagine you have a central heating7cooling system which circulates warm or cool air through-out the home. This is done by ducts and pushed with a fan or blower. If you regulate correctly the digital programmable thermostat then logically your heating and cooling system will not work as much based on lower or warmer temperature settings. In this case, the electric based fan or blower will also work less and consume less electricity.

How do you choose the correct digital programmable thermostat?

First and foremost you should only purchase those that are ENERGY STAR rating. From there, it is a question of choosing the right scheduling mechanism based on the patterns within the family, such as regular periods that you are away.

7 Day Model – maximum flexibility if you patterns are somewhat different each day.
5+2 Day Model – if your patterns stay the same during the week, change on weekends.
5+1+1 Day Model – more flexibility towards Saturdays and Sunday patters.

Here are two ENERGY STAR digital programmable thermostats, both of which are highly rated.

How do go about programming the thermostat?

You should first consider when you usually go the bed and wake up in the morning. You can program for the temperature to become decrease during the winter just before you go to bed, and increase just prior to waking up. You then will want to consider regular times when your house is unoccupied and adapt the temperature as mentioned above for maximum annual savings.

The US EPA recommends in the winter to set the temperature to drop by 8 F degrees when you're away and when you're sleeping. In the summer, set the temperature to go up by 7 degrees when you're away and 4 degrees when you're sleeping. These provide some indications however it is important that people are still comfortable in the house.

Now you should not forget to adapt your programmed settings when going out of town. Most digital programmable thermostats have options for when you are away for a prolonged period. It is also important to note that programmable thermostats are not appropriate for all types of heating and cooling systems (heat pumps, radiant floor heating, etc). Please do read carefully or ask an HVAC contractor for advice.

Using a programmable thermostat in your home is one of the easiest ways to conserve electricity and energy (great home energy saving tip) that you can follow. Once installed and programmed, you can reduce energy costs and also start conserving electricity in the house as well. After this is put in place, the next step is to install a energy saving light bulbs and a smart power strip or two. Both are great ways how to save electricity, and more importantly, save money on electricity each month. Improving your heating and cooling, lighting and reducing standby power from appliances are three main ways to conserve electricity in the house.

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