Howzit, holiday-goers! As the holiday season approaches, many of us are eagerly planning trips to unwind and create lasting memories with loved ones. While it is exciting, it is important to ensure that your home remains energy-efficient in your absence. We all know Eskom is not our biggest fans, so here is a guide on how to save energy while you are away, ke Dezember boss style.
Switching Off the Geyser
Say ‘tsek’ to unnecessary energy consumption and turn off your geyser before you hit the road. Turning off your geyser before embarking on your holiday will help with saving some precious bucks. Turning off your geyser prevents the constant heating of water when not needed, curbing unnecessary energy consumption.
Meter Reading Mzansi-Style
Empower yourself with knowledge by taking a meter reading of your gas, water, and electricity meters before you leave. That way, when you can return home you can compare your readings to gain insights on energy usage during your absence. This can help in identifying energy usage during your absence and could even help identifying issues such as water leaks or faulty meters.
Smart Lighting Solutions
Lighting, naturally, accounts for a massive portion of your home’s energy usage. Smart lighting solutions, such as programmable timers or motion sensors, can be setup to mimic your daily routines creating the illusion of an occupied home while you are away. These solutions can help deter any unwanted skebengas and help conserve energy by ensuring lights are only on when necessary.
Smart Plugs
Enter the realm of smart home devices with products like smart plugs. These gadgets allow you to remotely control the power supply to individual appliances. By using smart plugs, you can turn off or schedule the operation of devices such as lights, charges, and other electronic devices, ensuring they are not drawing power when not needed. Brands like TUYA offer user-friendly smart Wi-Fi plugs that can integrate with systems such as Google Assistant.
Smart Security Cameras
Secure your home with smart security cameras. You can find ones that snooze when you do and use less energy, you can even find ones that are battery powered to ensure your home is protected even during the shedding – also known as load shedding. Check out Google’s Nest Doorbell which comes with a variety of lekker features and is easy to install wired or wire-free.
Turning Off the Fridge – A Cool Move for Savings
Before you jet off, consider giving your fridge a little vacation too – switch it off, empty it out, give it a clean and let it take a break. You will save energy, avoid spoilage, and prevent malfunctions. You could even use a smart Wi-Fi plug to turn it back on before your arrival back home ensuring you come home to a cool and clean fridge.
And there you have it – a guide to maintaining your pozie while you are out making memories. Switch off the geyser, read your meter, clear out your fridge like you are the Sheriff at Luthuli House, and let technology be your energy-saving sidekick!