5 Tips For a Greener Electric Bill

The GO GREEN wave is back

At the turn of this century, we had the solar energy fad. For a while, solar panels sprung upon rooftops and the solar energy sector had a brisk time, but the trend did not last. Sooner later, dozens of solar venture capitalists went bust (Scott, 2015). Until recently, the then nascent green technology seems to have made a firm comeback. Notwithstanding low crude oil price (Macrotrends, n.d.) – chiefly a function of OPEC’s decision to maintain oil supply in its meeting in November 2014 (Alanna, 2014) – which discourages the development of green technology, the renewable energy sector has appeared to be flourishing again. In the first quarter of 2015, S&P 500 (stock market index in the United States) witnessed scores of clean-tech companies outperforming other listed companies (Scott, 2015).

What does this mean to us?

Now that the Go Green wave has managed to claim its foothold in the stereotypically avaricious corporate world, there is no better time to join the Go Green wagon. Even under the auspices of concerted efforts by governments and corporates, the puzzle could not be completed without commitments at individual level. In this article, we are going to learn how we can hop on this Go Green wagon towards a sustainable future for us and the future generation:

Green investment

Green investment used to be costly, but the cost has generally being driven down over the years thanks to research breakthroughs and the economies of scale which attends the burgeoning customer pool of green consumer goods. Of course, there are still pricey green investments, such as bringing home a Tesla (an automotive brand producing battery-operated plugged-in electric cars) roadster, which costs around USD100,000 in the US (Truecar, n.d.). But the investments we are talking about here are those that could be easily implemented and involve much less cost.

1) Invest in efficient lightbulbs

Switching to energy-efficient lights like light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is perhaps the most common green purchase for the relatively minimal expenditure it requires. Now is the time to replace all incandescent lights if you have not
done so.

‘Modern Thomas Edison’s bulb’ is an apt nickname for incandescent light for it operates on the same mechanism as the great Edison’s 135-year-old invention (Elspeth, 2014).The emission of light is a product of heating the filament; the problem is that a chunk of heat is needed to generate a small amount of light, which is a massive waste of electricity (Howstuffworks, n.d.). And, that manifests on your electricity bill.

LED, on the other hand, directs a much higher percentage of the electrical power to generating light. Therefore, it is much more efficient in converting electricity to visible light than incandescent light bulb. A 10 watt (unit of measurement of energy consumption) LED bulb at IKEA that costs RM29.90 having a lifespan of 25,000 hours could deliver 600 lumen (unit of measurement of light output). It takes a 50 watt incandescent light bulb which could only last for 1,200 hours to match that performance (US Department of Energy, 2014).

In a nutshell, delivering the same performance, a LED bulb consumes up to 85% less energy and lasts 20 times longer than an incandescent light bulb (IKEA, n.d.). A LED bulb is certainly more expensive than an incandescent light bulb up front, but the invisible cost-saving effect attended by lower replacement rate (an incandescent light bulb would have been changed 20 times when a LED bulb finally burns out) and lower electricity bill certainly makes up for the additional upfront cost.

For a cheaper option, choose a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) that comes with a price, performance level and energy consumption lying between those of LED and incandescent light bulb (Holly, 2015).

2) Look for products with higher Energy Efficiency rating

Malaysia has whopping electricity consumption as compared to the neighbouring countries. According to electricity consumption statistics compiled by The World Bank Group (n.d.), each Malaysian used an average of 4,313 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity in 2012, while the figures clocked by Thailand and Indonesia are 2,479 kWh and 733 kWh respectively. Energy Efficiency labelling scheme could be an alleviative tool in driving down that somewhat mortifying record. Energy Efficiency labelling scheme has been launched by Energy Commission of Malaysia mandates affixation of information of energy consumption on televisions, refrigerators, domestic fans and air-conditioners (Energy Commission of Malaysia, n.d.).

Based on the energy efficiency, these appliances are rated from two-star to five-star. Higher rating may be translated to higher price, but the yield could justify the additional cost. Pared down electricity bill could be expected as the function of significantly less use of energy by energy-efficient appliances than older appliances. For instance, replacing a conventional refrigerator with an energy-efficient model could bring us a slash of energy consumption by 40% (Meng, 2011).

Translating that to monetary terms, a five-star rated fridge substituting a 15-year-old model could mean RM40 reduction in monthly electricity bill (Meng, 2011). However, this is not to say replacing the current appliances we have is certainly the wisest thing to do. Junking a seven-year-old working dishwasher does not bring about the same yield as replacing a 22-year-old refrigerator(Craig, n.d.) – the age and condition of the existing appliance should be factored in too.

3) Install a programmable thermostat

A programmable thermostat is an appliance helping us regulate the temperature of our home to a certain desired level at different times (with wake, leave, return, sleep settings) automatically. When setting the programme, we could lower the setting when we are at home, and raise it to a warmer temperature at night or when we are away from home. According to a study by Hiroshima University (Tetsu, Sangwoo, Doris & Dilshan, 2011) on energy consumption and air-conditioning usage in residential buildings of Malaysia, air-conditioning is ranked on top in terms of yearly electricity consumption, using up 1167 kWh of electricity, trailing the second-placed ceiling fan (670 kWh) by nearly two folds.

Therefore, more efficient usage of air-conditioning could yield a significant reduction in our electricity bill. With the assistance of this technology, we could save ourselves the hassles of manually adjusting the temperature and remembering to switch off the air-conditioner when we leave home.

In return of above benefits, all it take could be as low as USD33 at ebay.com, with shipping fees and import charges included (eBay, n.d.). Keeping our home comfortable while cutting down electricity cost and carbon footprint at an affordable price – this is indeed recommendable for homeowners
looking to save energy without compromising comfort.

4) Greener diet: Cut down on beef

Cutting down on meat in our diet is good way to relieve global warming. According to a report by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock are accountable for 18% of greenhouse gas emission, in excess of all modes of transport combined (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2006). Furthermore, their flatulence and discharge are liable for one third of emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that warms up the world 20 times quicker than carbon dioxide (Geoffrey, 2006).

That is not to say we need to ditch meat altogether in our meal since meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals that our body needs. What we could do is placing beef at a lower priority, in view of it its lower production efficiency. Cattle ranches, where beef cattle are bred, clear 28 times more land than other livestock and are turning a fifth of pastures and ranges into dessert (Geoffrey, 2006). Clearing land is hazardous to the environment as it wipes out vegetation – the nature’s scavenger of carbon dioxide. Besides, it takes a cow a gigantic 990 litres of water to produce a litre of milk (Geoffrey, 2006). If this dietary tweak sounds convincing to you, you may want to know that replacing beef with other animal-based alternatives such as eggs could help you make an environmental contribution comparable to switching to plant food source
(Matt, 2014).

5) Green tweak in daily life: Clean the air-conditioner filers regularly

There is a high chance that we would find speckles of dust, if not sheets, on the blades of our ceiling fans in our home now, unless we cleaned it yesterday. Equally, we could expect a carpet of dust piling up on the filter of our air-conditioner if we have not touched it for months. Without us realising it, these dust may have been bleeding us with unnecessarily high electricity bill. The dust accumulating on the filter impedes the air flow, thus making our air-conditioner toils harder to keep us cool. Cleaning our air-conditioner filter every month would do the trick of dusting the wallet and energy vampire (Energy Star, n.d.). The energy and cost-saving effect would be more apparent if you live nearby construction sites, as most of household dust (around 60%) comes from outside (Jeffrey, 2010).

By committing ourselves to above green investments, greener diet, and green tweak in daily life, together we could restore some green to the withering mother earth, as well as our wallet.