Are you an active occupant?

Did you know that there can be significant gains in energy efficiencies and cost savings in your house  but require a conscious occupancy of your house? Well it is true!

What does this mean? Basically it means that you have to be aware of how you are living in your house and what the environment is doing in and around your home. For example, as a cooler evening begins to set it, you should close your windows, draw your blinds or curtains and put on a jumper (if necessary), instead of continuing your usual activity in shorts and t-shirt and turning on a heater and leaving some of the smaller windows open. The latter results in warmer interior air being drawn out of the house and cool air into your home and potentially requiring you to heat your home for longer period. Overall, resulting in a larger electricity bill for you and a greater environmental impact.

Things that you can do in your home on a daily basis which can make a significant difference to your home's ambient temperature and overall costs include:

• shutting windows/louvres when cooler temperatures set in;
• closing blinds or curtains to avoid westerly sun into your home in the afternoons;
• also closing blinds and curtains in the evenings to keep warmer air in and cooler air out;
• wearing an extra layer of clothing or taking an extra layer off if the temperature requires it;
• using a blanket whilst you sit on the couch instead of turning on a heater;
• using interior fans instead of air conditioning (as a first option) to circulate air in warmer temperatures;
• using interior fans (set on winter mode) to circulate heated air throughout your house rather than having second or third heaters;
• using floor rugs in winter and removing them in summer to maintain appropriate internal temperatures.

These are just a few but will make a difference to your hip pocket and reduce your environmental footprint. If you have other suggestions it would be great to hear them. Pin It