by Polymath

Created on: May 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 22, 2007

In the modern home every room contains items that use electricity, and we would feel hard-pressed to do without almost all of them. So, many think cutting back on electricity usage would be hard to do. However, with ever-rising energy prices and periodic shortages like the rolling blackouts Californians experienced a few years ago, cutting consumption has become a popular topic - and it's not as hard as you might think. The changes you can make range from the simple, quick and easy to the more expensive and elaborate, but long term. Some can be implemented immediately, and some require decisions about lifestyle changes.

First: anything helps. Small reductions, added together, make for a noticeable reduction. The degree to which you are willing to consider changing your lifestyle or learning new habits is a key factor in how much energy you can ultimately save; after all, most energy consumption involves modern 'convenience' devices. Thinking back to the Fifties: most homes didn't have air conditioning, television sets were smaller and less common, and there were few stereos and no PCs. Going back another couple of decades, less than half the homes in America even had electricity. They lived without many of the conveniences we enjoy today; perhaps we can gain some insights from the way they lived.

The largest electricity load for most homes is environmental control: heating and air conditioning. While the furnace can be changed over to natural gas for great savings (in areas where this is available), the air conditioner must be electric. In the 'old days', houses were constructed to maximize comfort without air conditioning - high ceilings, shading porches and breezeways were the norm for encouraging natural cooling and ventilation. While you cannot redesign your home, you can utilize these ideas.

To reduce the addition of heat to your home due to sunshine, plant shade trees or tall shrubs or trellises to advantageously shade your home. The less heat your home picks up, the less needs to be removed for your comfort. Other options are to either add a porch (major expense, but adds to the home's value), or install awnings over the windows on the sides of the house receiving the most insolation. A new option is radiant reflective paint added to the inside surface of the roof; this coating reflects the infrared (heat) portion of solar radiation away from the house, making it cooler. Another 'old' technique which went out of vogue, is not terribly expensive and is

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