New technologies are great allies in the battle for efficiency at home, although proper use of our devices and resources is also essential
The future will be sustainable or not. This maxim, which may seem like an exaggeration, is actually a slogan we should practice daily. The climate crisis is clear and few doubt that climate change is changing not only our landscapes or seasons, but also our own routines. The battle to beat global warming is global, but privately there are many decisions and small gestures we can take to contribute our little grain of sand, starting at home.
By making the house a more efficient construction, you contribute to reducing our carbon footprint or, which is the same thing, minimizing our environmental impact. Where to start? Contrary to appearances, it is not necessary to make major reforms to achieve an efficient home and this decalogue of formulas to achieve it is a good example of that.
Carrying out proper maintenance of facilities and equipment is essential to optimize their performance. From a cistern that loses water to a dripping faucet, to a door that closes poorly, every little detail can become a leak in the home’s efficiency. That is why it is important to check them regularly and make the small repairs that are necessary.
They are one of the cheapest means of improving home efficiency without spending a fortune and that is to say, low consumption bulbs represent between 30% and 80% savings compared to traditional incandescent bulbs (banned already a decade ago from the European Union). The benefits and features are different depending on whether we are talking about compact fluorescent lamps, LED lamps or low consumption halogen lamps, but the performance and the rest of the details of operation should be mentioned in the packaging of the lamp itself.
New technologies have become the best allies for an efficient home and smart plugs are proof of this. These devices allow you to control any device connected to it, so that we can turn it on or off remotely, even if we are not at home. In combination with a home automation installation, the potential is multiplied, but if you don’t want to go that far, you can buy this type of plug with good features for a price from 10 or 15 euros.
Talking about efficiency is not only talking about reducing energy consumption, but also about the proper use of household resources. In that sense, water – and everything related to it – is one of the aspects that can be influenced to realize an efficient home without major works. For example, installing a single-lever mixer tap helps to better regulate water consumption, which, on the other hand, will always be less if you opt for a shower over a bath.
The average water consumption in Spanish homes was 133 liters per inhabitant per day in 2020. According to INE data, this is the same consumption recorded in 2018, a situation that invites us to reflect on the need to continue working towards efficient management. Installing a partial flush system in the cistern is another easy way to create a more efficient home with little effort.
Just as we save on every toilet flush, it is possible to adjust water costs at other times without sacrificing comfort. To achieve this without changing the installation with major works, you can try to install flow regulators in kitchen and bathroom faucets or even bet on shower heads with built-in reducers. With luck, it won’t take you more than a morning to replace them and you’ll notice the change on your next bill.
Having good windows is synonymous with efficiency. However, the material crisis, the international scenario or the current economic fluctuations have multiplied their price, so that if you intend to realize an efficient home without major works or investments, changing them is not an option.
What you can do is make sure that their state is the most suitable to guarantee that they will fulfill their position. From repairing small cracks in the profiles, to replacing the weatherstripping, to checking the seal of the blind box, subjecting it to a thorough inspection is a good way to improve efficiency in the home without major renovations .
Insulation is key to minimizing energy use in the home. But if your house is older than 30 years, it is more than likely that the enclosure suffers from a certain lack of resources (besides the traditional air chambers) in this regard. However, reinforcing this chapter is not particularly complicated and it is possible to do without major works, either by injecting mineral wool into these rooms from the outside, or by means of rigid panels glued to drywall on the inside.
Similar to plugs, smart thermostats are devices that use new technologies to improve efficiency in the home. In addition, if we add to the equation that they are not particularly expensive, you will have some great allies to improve the performance of your air conditioning systems without major works or investments.
In practice, these devices allow you to control the indoor temperature with a simple click. From your smartphone or tablet you can not only control when your boiler or air conditioning turns on or off, but also program, control the temperature or know the consumption (in the most advanced models).
It may seem obvious, but it is worth remembering that the simplest and cheapest way to achieve a more efficient home is to optimize the use of household appliances and electronic devices. From turning on the washing machine or dishwasher when they are completely full, to avoiding the standby of devices such as the television or computer, unplugging the router when you go to sleep or doing the same with the mobile charger when they are not on is in use, There are many small gestures you can turn into a habit to be more sustainable at home.
Although if your budget goes beyond good intentions or a change in routines, you can always take the opportunity to replace your old appliances with more efficient ones,
Source: La Verdad
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
