Managing your energy usage is important, not only to keep an eye on your energy bills but also to be more efficient with your consumption. The problem is some people don’t know how to regulate their energy usage, while others don’t see the value in it.
Canada, in particular, needs to be more aware of energy consumption since the country uses more energy than several other industrialized nations. For example, it is estimated that Canadians use about three times the energy Italy uses.
One person may not be able to turn the tide, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a small difference. Below we will highlight why regulating natural gas or electricity consumption is important.
Why is Monitoring Energy Usage Not Popular?
There are a lot of reasons someone might not regulate or monitor his or her energy usage. People who use natural gas know their prices are quite low, compared to other energy sources. The low price creates a sense of freedom, which could make some of these individuals pay less attention to the amount of energy they use every month. Others don’t monitor their energy consumption because it seems complicated, and most people don’t like to undertake something they do not fully understand.
How to Monitor Your Own Energy Consumption
Monitoring energy used to be hard when the internet did not exist. Thankfully, we can use the internet and some online tools that energy provider offers to track energy consumption.
You will need access to your online account. Depending on your energy provider, you are going to be able to see interactive charts tracking your usage so far. You may also notice home energy calculators that help you compare prices between oil, propane, electricity, and natural gas.
Once you have gotten your energy consumption for the month, you want to compare that to previous months. Pay close attention to the months where your consumption was lowest to see if you can figure out why this is the case.
We should point out that some energy providers actually have energy audit specialists, who can come to your home and evaluate your energy usage. These audits are quite efficient and could highlight issues with the way you use your energy.
You want to consider some of the points made in the audit to rectify problems stopping you from being as efficient as possible. Sometimes, the problem could simply be that you leave too many lights on, but other times it could be that you do not have energy-efficient appliances.
It may also be a good idea to pay attention to the rates offered by your energy provider. When you see how much energy your home consumes, you might control it to keep costs low. As helpful as energy is, it is a natural resource that shouldn’t be overused.
How to Reduce Energy Consumption
There are a lot of ways to reduce energy consumption. Those who want a little help during the process could simply switch to a regulated energy service that is sometimes provided by good energy providers. You can review ATCO electricity rates for Alberta to see how effective this service could be for some homeowners.
Of course, you can take steps at home on your own, like having your home inspected. Review the report, and make sure there is nothing wrong that could reduce energy efficiency. There are a lot of issues you do not want to see, such as broken window seals, which not only lets in air, but they are also allowing treated air to escape. This is making you use more energy than you need to.
Cracks, holes, and other imperfections around your home could also be reducing the efficiency of your furnace or AC. Keep in mind that these problems could become bigger ones if they are ignored since cracks or holes could be used by insects to gain access to your home, and now you may have to deal with an infestation.
Habits could also be the reason you or your family are using too much energy each day. It may be a good idea to keep a journal to see how everyone uses energy in your house. Are television sets left on, even though no one is watching them? You want to find out if small appliances remain on longer than they need to.
Do you leave items plugged in, even when they are not in use? This is something you want to stop doing because these machines continue to suck up energy, and that shows up on your energy bill month after month.
You want to install energy-efficient appliances, and make sure they are all smart. Appliances for the next generation help regulate your energy consumption since you get data about their usage on your smartphone. You can see if someone left the stove on, and just turn it off from your phone.
Now, you know how to monitor energy usage, and you know how to reduce energy usage. You are doing all this for your wallet and for the good of the environment, and there is nothing wrong with that.
