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Energy Efficiency in Our Homes

Posted on 30/07/2021 10:48 AM | by NaijaHouses

Energy Efficiency in Our Homes

The news that all consumers of electricity must be metered elated many people who believe they had been paying for electricity not consumed. The good news was for those whose interest is to pay for what they consume no doubt. However, some customers of the electricity distribution companies are not enthusiastic to have the prepaid meters installed. Their belief is that the new prepaid meters overcharge consumers. Certainly, the policy was not intended to short-change electricity consumers.

With the new regime where consumers are expected to be charged for the exact electricity consumed, the first thing some people who were paying flat rates will have to learn is a discipline in the consumption of electricity. Beyond that, electricity consumers will have to worry about energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is best taken care of in the homes at the preconstruction stage which is at the conception of the project and during design. That is when a lot of options are available to make the home energy efficient. The options open to us at the post-construction stage are limited and largely about management.

I had a discussion with a former schoolmate who was constructing his house some days ago. He was apprehensive that the prepaid meter when installed will make him pay for power not consumed. I told him no part of the house should require switching on the bulb when there is daylight outside. It was strange to him and he had difficulty accepting that it was possible. I asked him about the power rating of his electrical appliances, and he answered that he had never thought about that. I told him it was better to have his water heater always switched on if there was a relatively constant supply of power than to switch it on in the mornings when preparing for a bath. It took a while before he could understand the technicality behind my advice.

From the interaction, it was clear to me that he needed more information on the management of energy in the home to make it more efficient. He admitted that he wished he knew about certain things I talked about before he commenced the construction. He had missed the opportunity to have a dream energy-efficient home that could have been designed for him and great savings on energy costs over the lifetime of the building.

My advice to him and everyone who wants to make savings on energy bills is to get an energy efficiency assessment of the house at the preconstruction stage.

Later, we will give tips on energy management to reduce energy bills in our homes. The tips will be most useful to save on energy bills in this time of increased electricity tariffs.

 

SOURCE: Realestatenaijablog.com