Saving Energy in South Africa

People need to start thinking of new and innovative ways of saving energy. South Africa and the rest of the world are all contributing to global warming without using proper energy-saving techniques. Did you know that over 90% of South African energy comes from non-renewable sources?

These energy sources include oil, gas and coal and if we are not careful and don’t start implementing techniques for saving energy, these sources will eventually run out.

Remember that if we use less energy, our non-renewable energy source will last longer in the future, and we will notice the positive effects it has on our delicate environment.

Saving Energy Tips

  1. Get ceiling insulation installed in your home
  2. Make sure your geysers are wrapped with geyser blankets
  3. Turn geyser temperature down to 60 degrees C
  4. Buy energy-efficient light bulbs
  5. Use energy-efficient exterior lights for spotlights
  6. Install a solar water heater or heat pump
  7. Use energy-efficient appliances
  8. Make sure appliances are turned off at the wall
  9. Have energy-efficient shower heads installed

1. Ceiling Insulation

saving energyOne of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How do you do that?

By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by insulation experts, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment.

Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win-win situation.

2. Geyser Blankets

Making use of geyser blankets in your home or office buildings is another great way to use saving energy techniques! What does a geyser blanket do exactly? Geyser blankets maximize heat retention.

You can actually check how much heat your geyser is losing by simply placing your hand on the geyser. If you feel your geyser is warm, then you know it needs a geyser blanket because it is losing heat. Always use an insulation expert to install your geyser blanket. If it is not installed correctly, heat loss may still occur and it won’t help much with saving energy.

If you turn your geyser temperature down to 60 degrees C instead of leaving it at the standard 70 degrees, you will notice a massive saving on electricity usage! Geysers use way more energy to maintain 70 degrees C! This way works best when your geyser has been insulated properly with a geyser blanket and pipe insulation.

3. Lighting Systems

CFLs – Using energy-efficient lights and globes can make a huge difference when saving energy techniques are trying to be achieved. Compact fluorescent lamps can reduce power consumption by up to 75% instead of the older incandescent light globes. They might be more expensive to start with, but they last up to 8 times longer than the standard globes!

LEDs – The newest of the saving energy light globes are the LEDs or “light-emitting diodes”. These globes are even more efficient than the CFL light bulbs. They also last around 100 times longer than the standard CFLs. At the moment they are still quite expensive, but the price of these saving energy globes are becoming less expensive as the technology develops further.

So if you consider how much money will be saved by using these globes and the length of time they last in comparison to the older globes, you will realize that you should definitely get your globes changed.

4. Solar Water Heater

Having a solar water heater installed can drastically reduce power consumption at home and save a ton of electricity! Using a solar water heater can save up to two-thirds of the total water heating cost you build-up at home. The energy-saving does vary though and if you are looking to achieve the best possible results, use a geyser timer.

If you cannot install a solar water heater then a heat pump is another alternative to help with power consumption. You will get similar energy savings from a heat pump that you do from a solar water heater, but heat pumps haven’t been around for very long, so there is still testing needed to be done on them. They may need more maintenance than your typical solar water heater.

Ways to Save Electricity with Appliances

Using the various innovative and technically enhanced home appliances which are out in the market today, and using the guides that teach you ways to save electricity, everyone can learn new ways to save money by using some of these techniques.

ways to save electricityA lot of these manuals are extremely useful because it genuinely will teach you effective ways to save electricity. So let’s take a look at some of the other ways to save electricity below.

If you are looking for ways to save money, then spending a little bit extra on the more innovative home appliances nowadays, in particular, the home appliances that possess the saving energy feature, is one of the best ways to save electricity.

The new energy-saving appliances is a great way to save money and the environment because your electricity company doesn’t need to burn as much coal to power up these devices.

Energy-Saving Appliances – Ways to Save Money

Finding energy-saving appliances is easy. All the big appliance centres sell them now. They are always marked with a logo or sticker stating that they are energy efficient.

So make sure when you are out buying new home appliances, you keep an eye out for the energy-saving logo, they might be a little more pricey to buy, but turn out being one of the best ways to save electricity. If you are not sure which ones are the right ones to buy, you can always as one of the sales people, just make sure to ask them to show you the logo on the appliance.

How Much Can You Expect to Save?

You can expect a saving of around 12% compared to your older home appliance you are replacing, depending on how much you use the product at home. If you were to compare your electricity bill before and after you bought the energy-saving appliances you will notice a big difference in the reduction of electricity use. Read more on conserving electricity.

Replace Your Old Appliances

People all over the world are looking for ways to save money and replacing their old home appliances with new modern ones. If you are looking for ways to save money, then you should start thinking about upgrading yourself.

They also help to save the environment, so start changing your way of thinking today and head down to your local appliance store and get some more information on these home energy-saving appliances because they are among the best ways of saving electricity.