energy

Make a habit of switching off the light as you leave a room for longer than ffteen minutes. Quite soon this becomes   a good habit, and you might even start switching off other people’s lights for them!

Invest in a sun jar as a night light in your child’s bedroom, or in the bathroom, rather than leaving a light on all night. A sun jar contains a solar power cell, a rechargeable battery and an LED light (the battery lasts between three and four hours). The cell charges in the sun during the day and the light switches on automatically when it gets dark. Sun jars also make atmospheric outdoor lights as they are fully weatherproofed.

Biogas is a type of biofuel that can be used as a natural, hygienic and controllable source of renewable energy. The gas is produced through anaerobic digestion – the breakdown of plant and/or animal waste in the absence of oxygen. The power released from biogas can be used to fuel generators and boilers as well as directly for cooking, residential heating and refrigeration.

There are currently three ways to secure domestic power from the sun: passive, active and photovoltaic.

• Passive solar energy is achieved by designing and planning your home to maximise the heat created by the passing of the sun each day. By carefully positioning windows, doors and skylights, you can keep your house warmer and lighter, without the use of electrical power.

• Active solar, or solar collectors, heat water by pumping it through black, vacuum piping, or a fat, black panel that is positioned for maximum sun exposure on your roof. The water in the piping is heated by the sun, providing hot water for bathing, showering and washing up. Hot water is stored in an insulated storage container until it is needed.You may need to switch to another source of power to heat water on cloudy days, or face the prospect of a cold shower.

• Photovoltaic panels generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, which is then stored in large batteries. There are a variety of photovoltaic systems on offer, varying in size and price. These systems are quite expensive, at present but with improving technology and increasing levels of demand, prices are steadily decreasing.

A hot box uses the principle of insulated cooking. If you can keep the heat that is used to cook food, no replacement heat is necessary to complete the cooking process. A hot box is made out of two cushions filled with polystyrene that are wrapped around a pot. You can purchase one inexpensively, or can make your own, by wrapping a pot in a sleeping bag or a blanket. Using a hot box for cooking can save you up to 60% of cooking costs. Foods such as rice, porridge, soups or stews that have been brought to the boil on the stove can be put into the hot box with the lid on the pot ( food fried in oil should not be put into a hot box). The cushion or blanket will keep the heat in and the food will continue to cook. Food that has been slow-cooked in a hot box tends to be tastier, have greater nutritional value, and have better texture than conventionally cooked foods.

A dishwasher can be a great water and energy saving tool, if used effectively. Fill the dishwasher completely before operating. Partial loads waste electricity and water. Proper loading is important for the dishwasher to work effciently. Short wash cycles, rinse-only cycles, mid-cycle turn-off, and other features are designed for energy conservation as well as convenience. Connect your dishwasher to cold water supply unless otherwise directed. Normally only one wash and one fnal rinse cycle requires hot water which is heated by an element in the dishwasher. Keep your dishwasher flters free of debris. A blocked flter reduces effciency and wastes energy.

Choose a refrigerator of a size based on the needs of your family – don’t  waste energy by cooling empty space – a refrigerator operates at peak effciency when flled.

When heading off on an extended holiday, check that all your appliances are switched off at their plug points – this will ensure that they are not draining power. To save energy, and to ensure that you don’t return to a smelly kitchen, switch off, empty or clean your fridge before going on holiday.

An iron consumes as much energy as ten 100 watt light bulbs. To save energy, iron low temperature fabrics first to reduce warm up time. Iron large batches of clothing at one time to avoid wasting energy reheating the iron several times. By removing clothing promptly from the washing machine, shaking them out and then hanging then up to dry, many items will require no ironing, or just a quick press.

Auditing your home is a fantastic way to cut down on household bills. A professional auditing consultant will draw you a map of where you are using the most energy and water, and make recommendations for cutting down on your usage. (You can also audit your own home using guidelines set out in the Smart Living Handbook, produced by the Municipality of Cape Town.) This will enable you to make simple adjustments that will save you money, and reduce your household’s carbon footprint.