Lots of Energy Swaps
Energy conservation is the practice of using less electricity. While energy efficiency (i.e. buying energy efficient products) and setting up renewable energy sources (e.g. solar panels) will usually save you the largest amounts of electricity, energy conservation is the easiest and cheapest way to get started with saving the world and saving yourself money. So how do you go about doing this? You can either reduce your overall energy use, or to increase your comfort, you can make a number of “energy swaps”- reductions, where you sometimes replace the reduction with something comforting.
A good way to start is to ask the question- what are the 20 most relevant ways you can make energy swaps from more electricity intensive tasks to less electricity intensive tasks?
For example, there are some things you > could do but they will make you feel too hot, too cold or too uncomfortable so won’t be relevant. Other things you could do are too hard or aren’t practical, so it’s a good idea to figure out how you could reduce your costs (and save the world) by finding the 20 most relevant things you could do.
If you do this, you should take a few other factors into account. For example:
If you’re in a very cold climate, very hot climate, or in a temporarily unusual climate situation, it might make more sense to just use more electricity- especially if health or too much uncomfortableness is involved. It’s important to remember that this is often an option
If you’re in a workplace, you need to be comfortable enough to not get sick & to do your work. There’s no reason to be really uncomfortable you can regularly improve in different areas- you don’t need to be perfect
Coming up with energy swap ideas is an excellent strategy for times when power costs too much. It means that you will know how to use less electricity at times when you can afford less.
Examples of energy saving swaps and reductions:
At hotter temperatures:
Look at Project Drawdown for ideas for how you could reduce or swap energy usage: https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions
Learn how people in different locations adapt to extreme temperatures and try some of these methods
If it’s too hot in summer, learn how hot air moves and think about ways you can apply this- for example, how can you let hot air escape or keep cool air in, will it let hot air in from outside, and are there other places you can go (e.g. a plaza) that are cooler if home is too hot
Another example of this is that heat tends to move upwards, therefore staying closer to the ground could be a good idea (e.g. a pillow on the ground). Another variation of this is that tiles tend to be cooler, so a pillow on the ground on tiles
If cooling prices are high, ask if you can work in the workplace more, and if petrol prices are higher, ask if you can work from home more
If you expect that it will be hot, try ways to (safely) lower your blood pressure. For example, some people say that if you do meditation, running or high intensity interval training (when its cooler- i.e. when it’s safer to do this), you feel cooler throughout the hottest parts of the day
If it’s too hot inside, try going outdoors where there is a breeze or going to a plaza, a coffee shop or somewhere cooler
At colder temperatures:
Look at Project Drawdown for ideas for how you could reduce or swap energy usage: https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions
Learn how people in different locations adapt to extreme temperatures and try some of these methods
Buy winter warmers like fleecy items, thermal layers, flannel, or the types of clothes people in really cold climates wear (e.g. alpaca hair)
To keep your core body temperature warm, your body needs food energy. Your body will use up this energy so it’s important to eat.
Eating complex carbohydrates when it’s cold is an excellent way to get warmer while also satiating your appetite. Complex carbohydrates are foods like wholemeal bread, barley, apples, bananas, potatoes, beans, etc.
Wholegrain and wholemeal breads and grains are a particularly healthy way to warm up quickly.
Drink more water- this helps your body become more effective at everything.
If you’re cold, try socialising more- social emotions like laughter, energy and excitement can warm you up.
Move to warmer locations sooner and don’t stay in cold locations longer than you need to be.
Learn how heat moves around- for example, it tends to move upwards and in the direction of air flow. How can you apply this? For example, it might mean closing the door on the room with the lowest ceiling or staying on the highest story of your house.
If you have a one room heater, this could help warm up this room
If you’re working from home, try cooking at useful times so that your house warms up
If heating prices are higher, ask if you can work in the workplace more, and if petrol prices are higher, ask if you can work from home more
If you have a heater in one room, close the door to keep the heat in and seal any gaps (e.g. on the floor, with e.g. some old clothing)
Buy a beanie, thick socks and gloves to help warm up
Always carry back up layers, even if they are in a plastic bag on public transport. If you use public transport, you can leave these at work or do an online search to find lockers in places you are going to, so you can be comfortable while you’re there.
Some types of exercise warm you up afterwards and some types of exercise lower your blood pressure and make you cool, so choosing the right type of exercise and the right number of repetitions
However, this doesn’t make up for extreme temperatures- make sure that you plan ahead for Winters
