Saving The use of power

Ways to Manage your Power

Make sure showers are no longer than 5 minutes. This not only saves water but electricity! Electricity is used to heat the warm water. Having more than 5 minutes can make all the difference when using a shower. If you get carried away when in a shower you can put on a timer or use an alarm for 5 minutes.

Using only one device at a time can also save electricity. Only use devices you are using. Such as 'If you are on your computer don't watch T.V. at the same time', would be one example.

Buying Energy Efficient Devices

Finding energy efficient appliances is easy if you know what to look for.

Efficient star symbols are basically all you need to know how to use to be able to find efficient appliances such as a T.V., washing machine or other.

Shown is some examples of energy ratings that may come attached to everyday white goods. The more stars the more efficient and cheap it will be to run the machine.

These can also be on water efficient devices and are basically the same exept it is water efficient instead of electricity efficient. Some devices have both tags. You want to look out for those.

Collecting Energy

Solar panels are a great way to collect energy. This is because it cost nothing to run them and it takes energy from the sun, not not renewable resources such as coal. In Australia you save 40c per kilowatt when using solar panels.

Another type of solar panels can be portable ones. Some special iPhone cases come with a solar panel that you can charge your phone without using any electricity. These are portable and easy to use as well as trendy. This is only one example there are many others such as a solar powered fan or solar powered chargers. The possibilities are endless. 

There are also wind turbines. Although you may not be able to afford a massive wind farm you can still buy ones that can generate electricity right in your house. These are perfect for people that live in windy areas as the wind can be used for good. Windmills for people on farms can also grind wheat which can be used for cooking and does not require electricity.

Simple Ways to Save Energy

1. Make sure devices are not left on or open

If your device is not being used and is on it is wasting electricity. If you accidentally forget its on and leave, the device can drain all of it's electricity which will lead to you having to charge it again wasting power or having wasted charge on nothing. To stop this happening you can set the default turn off settings to 5-10 minutes.

2. Put your brightness down 

You would be surprised how much of a difference it makes to put your brightness down. I personally know this as when I put my brightness up and I didn't have a charger I was left with very little power after I had used it. When I put my brightness down now my computer averagely has 20-80% (depend on day) battery life left. This can prevent me from having to charge too much power while using it.

3. Don't leave programs running 

If you are not using the program that is running quit it. Programs, especially games, can drain tons of your battery. If you are not using them then you should close them. This can yet again prevent having to use more electricity to recharge the device. Their are certain commands on computers (such as Command-Alt-Esc on Mac) to check what programs are open. I would recommend doing this so you don't have a secret program running and draining your power. 

4. Turn off lights in the day

Turning off your lights can prevent hours of electricity wasted. In the day the sun should give you enough light without having to use electricity. I would recommend not using lights from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm as the sun should provide enough light. If you follow that rule that is 8 hours of electricity saved!

5. Only use lights when necessary.

When leaving your house make sure to turn of your lights. Your lights can use up tons of power when left on. This is power used for nothing as no one is benefiting from it except for the power companies who get money from you.

Buying Water Efficient Appliances 

1. Use the correct shower head
Using a correct showered can make all the difference when it comes down to using water. Some shower heads can be broken and leak too much water or be made to let out too much water. You will be getting more water than you need and this can be really bad as your water bills will go up.

This is an example of a good shower head as it releases water in lower quantities.
 

The colour changing shower head is the one showed below. Basically it will turn different colours depending on how long you have been in. When it reaches red it means you have hardly any time left and it will turn of. The video below will explain how it works.

Collecting Water 

1. Water tanks

Water tanks can be a great way to collect water. If you live in a rainy area it is perfect but if you don't they can still be very useful. For example my grandma owns one and she lives in Australia (which isn't really fond of rain). Her water tank provides enough water for her to not have to use the tap as well as being able to use in her shower. This can save having to use everyday water and can lower your water bill.

2. Local creek

If you live near a creek you can use it's natural resources to your advantage. If the creek is running (and isn't a swamp) you can wash your clothes in there. This means that you do not need to spend money on a washing machine which not only lowers your water bill, but also your power bill as you do not need to power the machine. Although you may not have a creek near your house, if you go camping you can do this to instead of having to pay someone to use their washing machine.

The Perfect Energy Efficient House

All of the things above combined would make the perfect energy efficient house. Here is a picture I drew of a rough copy of one.
NOTE: I was not able to draw solar panels and a wind generator on top of the house. These 2 things would both be on top of the house.