It is the beginning of a new month and thus the perfect time to review some stats. In my case the energy stats. Antoni and I are pretty competitive when it comes to living very comfortable with the least amount of energy usage. In the last month we were able to secure a killer score and managed to use half the amount of power and gas than friends who live in the same building. Of course we turn it into a game but sitting at home so much made me wonder, what small steps can be taken to reduce something simple as energy usage, without making to many concessions. In this blog we will explore how you can make a difference without a big effort. Win win situation!

It may not come as a surprise to you that people in developed countries use quite some electricity and gas to foresee in their daily needs. The biggest energy users are China (3164 Mtoe) and the United States (2258 Mtoe). Mtoe stands for Mega tons of oil equivalent. In China a lot of the energy usage can actually be fed back to Western countries because the stats also list transport and production of goods as an energy consumption factor. For the United States high numbers have been reported because of the use of air-conditioning in the hot summers and heating in the cold winters. Especially air-conditioning is an energy slurper. Another unfair part of this comparisson is that it does not takes into account the size or amount of citizens of a country. The Nehterlands for example as a country scores 73 Mtoe, but if we look at the numbers per capita we score 6,713 kWh per Capita per year where China only scores 3,927 kWh per capita. US kinda crushes these numbers with a whopping 12,994 kWh per Capita! The highest energy consumption per capita is however found in Iceland. Now I have bored you with some numbers and facts it is time to put some nuance into the story. Of course reducing energy consumption is one part of solving the puzzle of climate change, but where your power comes from is another. In Norway for example 97.9% of the power used is renewable so their carbon footprint will not suffer so much from the extra energy usage. In The Netherlands however we are addicted to natural gas which, as you can imagine, is a lot worse. Natural gas is even viewed as ‘more sustainable’ in countries where coal is used at the moment. As government regulations are changing rather slow at this point you as a consumer can thus make a big difference. Instead of only trying to use less energy it also good to see how your energy usage is divided. I live in an old building and unfortunately my heating system works on natural gas. Since I cannot afford to replace the system for the whole building, I have chosen to use climate compensated gas and switched to electrical cooking to reduce the gas usage I could reduce. In the next section I will give you a few tips on how to make your energy usage more green.

1 – Switch Energy Provider

The first and less work intensive change is to switch energy provider if you haven’t done so already. In The Netherlands companies like Green Choice and Van De Bron provide 100% renewable energy produced in The Netherlands and they of CO2 compensated natural gas. When living in the US I remember adding 9 dollars a month to my energy bill to get ‘green’ energy. My experience is that it is more expensive than regular energy and gas, but in the same time it makes you use your energy more wisely. If you really want to go big you can also install your own solar panels or windmill, but if you live in a small apartment like me it is not an option at all.

2 – Switches in the Kitchen

Like I said before I switched to electrical cooking. I needed a new stove and I figured induction is not that expensive at all nowadays. Especially when cooking a stove and furnace are not efficient at all. Even if your energy would not be green it is still more energy efficient to have electric cooking appliances than do it the old fashioned way. An induction furnace of can be bought from a whole range of brands and in various types as well. When it comes to the stove I switched to a Philips Airfryer which is efficient and easy to use.

3 – Dress Up or Dress Down

When I was living in the US I would turn on the AC only when I had guests. Average temperature indoor was therefore 27 degrees Celsius. I would walk around the house in shorts and a tank top. No need to wear more. I had a bottle of water with ice cubes to cool down but other than that it was just a state of mind. In The Netherlands life is colder however and I am always cold. Instead of turning up the heat I wear my wool slippers and a fluffy robe with a scarf over my clothes when I get cold. I also own a wide collection of blankets and throws for on the couch.

4 – Smart Switches

Devices which are on stand-by also use energy. You can thus choose to instal smart switches to reduce your ‘ghost’ energy usage. I have a physical block with switches per device, but you can also buy ‘smart’ switches to control everything by phone. Also when you leave the house for a couple of days do not forget to pull the plugs, good for your energy usage and fire safety.

5 Smart Thermostat

The must-have for any sustainable person. My dad and father in law are crazy about their smart thermostats. The smart thermostat can be used via Wi-Fi and thus you can control your house from anywhere. If my little sister put the heating too high, dad would just turn it down again. You can even set temperature schemes against freezing pipes when you are away. This means you can heat the house when needed and switch it off very easily. You can even buy these devices second hand to reduce your footprint even further!

This was my vision on greener energy usage. There are of course many other things you can do, but I figured these were the most easy options for now. Enjoy your day and enjoy going green!

Love,

Rinoa