For more years than I care to remember, I’ve been using these columns to describe the various measures that I use to manage and optimise my energy usage. I suspect some of you may have glazed over at the time because energy was relatively cheap back then, but things are different now – it’s a totally new energy landscape. I know there’s a price cap, which is helping a bit, but it’s temporary, especially for businesses. And bills for both domestic and business use are higher now than they’ve ever been before. Things are unlikely to get better.
So it came as no surprise that over the past month or so several readers have been in touch and asked me to recap some of the things I’ve done over the years to manage and minimise my energy usage, to give some feedback on the things I’ve found that have worked, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’m happy to oblige! This is going to be a two-part column, concluding next time. You do subscribe, right? [Turn to p106 if not – Ed]
First take a step back. Before you do anything, it’s worth considering the different types of electrical loads you have in your home, your office, or indeed anywhere else. A good rule of thumb is that if something gets hot, it’s a red flag for energy consumption.
@PaulOckenden
“A typical kettle uses a thousand times the power of an average LED light bulb”
Things that get warm are also
