Ways to manage your electricity bill while working from home this summer:

Summer is here and the warm weather we’ve been waiting for after the cold winter. Many people think that electricity costs only rise during winter, but summer also features different energy use patterns that could influence our electricity bills. Heating and cooling costs accounts for about 17% of the home electricity consumption during evening peak periods. However, keeping your home cool doesn’t have to result in an increase in your electricity bill. Figuring out the best way to ventilate your home will result in serious savings and reduction in energy consumption. Here are couple of savings tips requiring minimal effort that will help you use only what you need, save on your electricity bill and help to save the planet.

Here are some tips to help you keep your energy costs down and stay energy efficient whilst working from home

Turn off your air conditioner (AC) when you don't need it

Turning your AC off in unoccupied rooms or while you’re sleeping can result in huge savings. Also adjusting the temperature while working from home will yield savings. In the summer, the thermostat should be set to around 23°C or the highest comfortable temperature. Remember to close windows while air-conditioners are running. 

Air leaking occurs when air from the outside enters a room and cool air leaves your house through cracks and openings. Although you may not notice it, this makes it harder and more expensive for you to ventilate your home. Reducing the flow of air leaking in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut the price of cooling and maximise the functionality of your air conditioning system. Focus on insulating your ceiling and checking gaps around doors and windows. An uninsulated ceiling warms up a house in summer. 

Ceiling fans are a good option for indoor and outdoor cooling

The biggest advantage of ceiling fans is that they lower the temperature of the room they’re in by about four or five degrees, regardless of any other circumstances. Ceiling fans work by pushing air downwards, creating a breeze that helps cool your skin through evaporation.
 
Finally, one of the greatest advantages of ceiling fans is that they can cool indoors as well as out. In fact, they’re one of the only ways to help lower the temperature in an outdoor or semi-outdoor space, like a patio or outdoor kitchen. In the same way they work indoors, outdoor ceiling fans circulate air to cool the skin, and come with the added bonus that the moving air can help drive away insects.

Check for thorough home insulation

Air leakage occurs when air from the outside enters a room and cool air leaves your house through cracks and openings. Although you may not notice it, this makes it harder and more expensive for you to ventilate your home. Reducing the flow of air leaking in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut the price of cooling and maximise the functionality of your air conditioning system. Focus on insulating your ceiling and checking gaps around doors and windows. An uninsulated ceiling warms up a house in summer. Working from home summer brochure

Transition to South African Energy Label appliances

With working from home now being the new norm, it would be more cost effective for households to transition over to energy-saving appliances if they are able to. The SA Energy Label is designed to provide consumers with accurate information on the energy efficiency of household appliances. The purpose of the South African Energy Efficiency Label is to ensure that consumers are informed about the relative energy efficiency of an appliance before they decide to purchase.
 
For example, air conditioners can be one of the major consumers of energy in households, and customers should carefully consider their choice of air-conditioner before making a decision to purchase because of the lifetime costs of operating an air-conditioner. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has developed Appliance Energy Calculation Tools to aid consumers in making more informed decisions by calculating the long-term cost of running an appliance, click here to calculate the running costs and CO2 emissions for air conditioners.

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