Energy conservation refers to the strategies and efforts made towards ensuring that energy consumption is reduced. Energy is a very important resource for a country and should therefore be conserved.
Why energy should be conserved?
Energy conservation can help in saving money. This is through reduced electricity bills.
You should also conserve energy to protect the environment. This is because there will be less pollution as a result of operating machinery and also the mining activities like coal mines and nuclear extraction are reduced.
One should also conserve energy to ensure that natural resources are not depleted. This is because some resources used to generate energy like coal can be depleted which may reduce energy supply.
Conserving energy also contributes to better health. This is through the reduction of air pollution and the conservation of the environment.
Energy conservation should also be done to reduce the number of power plants. This is because power plants have adverse effects like deforestation, noise and safety hazards.
Methods of energy conservation
The following are simple ways through which we can reduce energy consumption. These will also help make a difference to one’s financial life as well as the health of the planet.
- To conserve energy, one needs to adjust the daily behaviors. Energy conservation is just as simple as being responsible. This means remembering to turn off lights and other energy consuming appliances.
- Replacing light bulbs is also another way through which energy can be conserved. There are bulbs which are known to consume more energy than others. These must be replaced with the energy saving ones.
- The electricity that is used by electronics when they are on standby mode is also a means by which energy is wasted. Most of the energy we spend on electricity is actually due to that on standby. Smart power strips will help eliminate this challenge.
- Purchasing energy efficient appliances is also necessary as it helps cut down on both energy expenses and energy conservation.
- Another means by which we can conserve energy particularly at home is reducing our water heating expenses. In the home set up, water heating is the highest energy consumer. This can be achieved by using less hot water, turning down the thermostat on your water heater and also insulating your water heater and the first six feet of hot and cold water pipes.
- Weatherizing your home in the sense that you seal the air leaks in the home is also another way of conserving energy. The most common sources of leaks include the vents, windows and even doors. Ensuring that there are no cracks in these openings will help reduce heat loss hence you will not have to keep the HVAC system on throughout because now there will be a natural flow of heat from warmer areas of the house to the cooler areas.
- Installing a programmable or smart thermostat which will automatically turn off or cut down heating and cooling operations in the house will also help conserve energy both at home and in any other place that requires energy.
Conclusion
Energy is one of the fundamental requirements for any home. This is the reason why it has to be conserved. There are various ways that one can conserve energy both at home and in the work place. This is not only to reduce our monthly electricity bills but to ensure that we protect our environment as well.