These days, the average family home is filled with a million and one devices and conveniences which for the most part have been designed to consume as little energy as possible. From laptops to TVs to refrigerators and even the light bulbs we use to illuminate our homes, it’s rare to find a product or at least its packaging that doesn’t say ‘energy saving’ somewhere or other. So technically speaking these products do qualify as energy management solutions in their own rights, but at the same time they’ve ushered in an era of dangerous complacency when it comes to the efforts made by those using them. After all, just because a home is filled with energy saving products does not make it a good idea to forget all common sense practices.

Energy Management System

For example, even in rooms where LED lights are used that require 90% less power than a standard bulb, this doesn’t mean that leaving the lights on when not needed is sensible. A bulb that’s turned off uses no energy at all, which means that even a low-power LED bulb is using infinitely more juice if it is turned on and left on. Cabinet lights and wall fixtures may add a wonderful ambience to a room, but it’s worth remembering that if it takes power to light it up, then it’s wasting power and electricity all the time it’s switched on without being needed.

 

What You Need To Do?

It’s also possible to install something of an energy calculator or monitor these days, which can be used to monitor the home as a whole or each individual room…maybe even a single socket at a time. This kind of private metering is a great way of seeing how much energy is being used in each area of the home, along with which appliances are using the most electricity and what times of the day things get their most expensive. By taking into account all such elements, you pave the way for serious savings.

 

Choosing electricity supplier

Speaking of times of the day, it’s always worth speaking to your chose electricity supplier in order to inquire about going onto something of a timed tariff. Exactly how appropriate or effective this can depend entirely on the home and the family’s habits, but in some cases, it can save a small fortune in energy costs. It’s essentially a system where electricity used from day 8 am to 6 pm has one price, 6 pm to midnight another and midnight to 8 am another. Getting onto such a tariff is a great way of getting into good habits by carefully watching energy use during the most expensive times of the day.

 

And finally, it’s never a bad idea to keep a close watch on all members of the household in order to ensure one or two reminders are issued when and where necessary. From electrical items being left on standby to refrigerators set far too cold to windows open on cold days and right through to the blocking out of essential warming sunlight, there’s so much to be said for the little things that add up to the biggest possible difference.