6 Ways to Consume Energy More Sustainably in 2020

Being smarter with your energy consumption is good for both your finances and the environment. The change doesn’t have to be too drastic, either. All it takes to live a more sustainable life, energy-wise, is a few adjustments in your daily life.

Here are several ways to achieve this:

1.  Downsize your appliances

The easiest way to accumulate excessive and unnecessary stuff in life is following every trend that goes in style. When you start living an intentional life, you can stop acquiring way too many appliances that may be consuming too much energy at home and reduce your carbon footprint. For example, you might be inclined to buy brand new phones, computers, and other gadgets just because a new model came out. But having two phones to charge and several other gadgets to plug in will simply cause your power bills to skyrocket.

Furthermore, if you don’t live with a big family, you don’t really need a dishwasher. Just hand wash your dishes. It’s a good way to conserve both water and electricity, and gives you a bit of a daily workout, too!

2.  Always wash full loads

Even if you live in a big house, though, and thus can’t avoid using washing machines and electric dishwashers, there are still ways you can pull down your power consumption while putting less strain on the environment.

When using these ‘big-ticket’ appliances, your goal must be to run them as sparsely as possible. To do this, wait until you actually have a full load before running your washers. See, this is one of those instances where putting things off to the last minute actually has a benefit. The more frequently you run these appliances, the more power they will consume in a short period of time.

A good rule of thumb is to only run the dishwasher once a day and the clothes spinner about twice a month.

3.  Switch to energy-efficient gadgets

Now, you wouldn’t have to be that conscious about how frequently you run electronic appliances or how long you keep them on if you are ready to invest in more energy-efficient gadgets.

Start with LED lights. You will start seeing smaller power bills just with this tiny adjustment. If you’re satisfied with the results, you can switch to bigger power-efficient gadgets like clean AC units. 

4.  Try renewable energy

A bigger shift you can take when you’re done adjusting your appliances is to clean your energy right at the source. There is an abundance of renewable energy technology solutions that are available nowadays, and almost anywhere in the world, you can have solar panels delivered right to your doorstep.

However, it’s a well-known fact that not all houses have roofs that can be equipped with solar panels. If you live in one such house, you might be delighted to find out that there are  roofless solar options you can opt-in if you want solar power but don’t have the space or the means to have solar panels installed in your home.

In recent years, renewable energy has become increasingly cheap. That, on top of the fact that it is infinitely better for the planet than fossil-based power, makes the shift one of the best ways to consume energy more sustainably.

5.  Scrutinize your power provider

Chances are, you didn’t even think twice about your utility provider. It might have been part of the package when you bought the home you’re currently living in. But did you know it’s not actually difficult to switch providers the moment you decide to?

Why is this important?

Well, let’s just say some utility providers are more environmentally-conscious than others. It always pays to take a look at your options to ensure that you are supporting a corporation or a business that cares about the planet as much as you do.

One important thing to know, for instance, is if your utility provider actually has clean energy in their portfolio. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to check if there are any other available providers offering their services at a better cost. After all, lowering the amount of money you spend on paying for your electricity is part and parcel of consuming energy more sustainably.

6.  Make use of natural light

Finally, you can dramatically lower your reliance on house lights if you remodel your space in a way that utilizes natural light in interior design. This way, you wouldn’t need to turn on any lights in the daytime. Remember that the sun is a free and infinite source of light and power, so the more you utilize that in favor of artificial resources, the more you can consider yourself a more intentional consumer.

See? Consuming energy more sustainably is not really rocket science. You just have to take the time to make more conscious choices at home. Take the extra mile and employ the strategies listed in this article, on top of turning off appliances that are not in use, and your life quality will definitely increase almost immediately.