Save Energy and Help the Environment

As we head into the cooler months of the year, it’s a great time to reassess our energy use. In particular, ways in which we can save energy, especially during these months where energy use can be at it’s highest.

Did you know that the average Australian household uses the most energy on heating and cooling the home. In fact, around 40% of energy use is for heating and cooling, that’s nearly half of our total energy consumption! (Origin Energy – full blog post here)

With energy use typically significantly higher during the cooler months, this can contribute to higher energy bills, and greater impact on the environment. By looking at ways to save energy, we can help to reduce both.

What can you do to save energy during the cooler months?

Install Ceiling Fans

No, we’re not crazy! Ceiling fans help you to save energy in both summer and winter!

How? We all know that heat rises, so when heating your home during the cooler months, the temperature of the air at ceiling level of the room can be up to 15° warmer than the air at ground level. What this means is that you are not getting the benefit of the heat, and having to run your heater or air conditioner at higher speeds and temperatures to warm the room.

A ceiling fan with a summer/winter mode will allow you to reverse the direction of your fan. By reversing your fan, you change the direction the blades are angled. On winter mode, the blades angle upwards, and work to pull the cool air up, and push the warm air down the walls, thus helping to redistribute the heat down to the floor and provide an overall warmth in the room.

Due to the circulation of this warm air, the room feels warmer, which allows you to turn down the temperature or speed on your heating device, thereby consuming less energy and saving you money. Using a ceiling fan in conjunction with other heating appliances has been shown to lower heating costs by as much as 10%.

To read more about the benefits of using ceiling fans in winter, see our blog post here.

While ceiling fans are an energy efficient way to distribute cool and warm air in themselves, some ceilings fans provide more energy savings than others. DC ceiling fans, for instance, can use up to 60% less energy than a standard AC ceiling fan, so even though they typically cost a little more money upfront, using one over a longer period of time will still help you save energy and save on those power bills.  

If you chose a fan with a light, then opting for an LED option will also consume a lot less energy than standard globes.

Some of our most popular ceiling fan models for helping you save energy.

Make the switch to LED Lighting

What is LED? LED stands for light emitting diode, a semiconductor device that converts electricity into light. In simple terms, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit onto an electrical circuit. These tiny light bulbs are illuminated by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material. When energy flows through them, photons (particles of electromagnetic material) are emitted as light.

Unlike traditional sources of light, such as the incandescent light globe, LEDs emit most of their energy as light, rather than heat. This makes them the most energy efficient for of lighting, consuming up to 75% less energy than their traditional counterparts. They are also very environmentally friendly. By using less energy, carbon emissions are greatly reduced, but they also have a much longer lifespan, up to 50,000 hours, so help to reduce contribution to landfill. Making the switch to LED helps to save energy and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Consider Smart Lighting Options

Advances in smart lighting technology allow us to more precisely control the lighting in our home, and all at our fingertips.   Turn lights on, or off, or change the brightness, or the colour temperature of the light emitted, and do it all from an app on your phone!

Not only are smart lighting options easy, they can also help you save energy as you are in complete control of the amount of light, when it comes on and how long it is needed.  No more waiting to the next ad break to switch off lights that have been left on unnecessarily!

Check out some of our simple smart lighting range here to help you start your home automation journey. It is simpler than you think to make small changes!

Other Simple Things you can do to Save Energy During the Cooler Months

• Only heat the rooms you use the most. Close doors and focus heating on the rooms you spend the most time in.
• Adjust your heating settings to a “comfortable” temperature. When it’s cold outside, our first instinct is often to turn up the heating. Consider adding a layer of clothing, or a snuggle under a rug for added warmth.
• Use draught stops – not a common problem in modern homes, but certainly can be in older homes. Consider installing draught stoppers to your doors, or grab one of those old school draught stops to lay on the inside of your external doors.
• Make the most of the natural light during the day, and close your blinds or curtains at the right time to trap some of the day’s warmth in.

Whatever ways you are looking to save energy this season, be sure you will save money and help the environment. Every small contribution counts! If you need a little help deciding on fan and lighting options to help save energy in your home, chat to one of our experts.