Switch It Off!

Saving electricity is one of the ways to save the environment. The connection is not direct, but works at various levels - I'll save writing about that for some other day. There are obvious ways to save electricity, like using energy-efficient appliances and lights, avoiding unnecessary usage, and ensuring that your gadgets are well maintained to reduce power consumption and work more efficiently. On a larger scale, the use of renewable sources like wind, water, and sunlight should become more popular.

But I'll leave all that aside and make a few suggestions that may seem trivial, but will add up to have a small impact. They will seem trivial - so trivial that you will probably not even consider doing it. But brush aside your desire to ignore this and do it. Reducing a few microwatts or watts of current for a few minutes will add up if thousands of people like you and me do it together. So here we go.

1. Turn it off

   Look around you. There will be at least one light / fan / gadget / device / appliance that need not be switched on as it is not being used. As I write this, I've turned off the electronic mosquito repellent that I use overnight - it's 8 AM and it has no role. There is a lone light in the kitchen that is not needed as the sun has risen. That's the scale at which we will all work together - take a couple of minutes to do this right now. There, we've saved a few watts of electrical consumption together. Don't fret over the fact that each of these steps seems very trivial - it all adds up (I will keep repeating this!!)

2. Turn it down

   It's a cool day and the fan is running at full speed. Do I really need it? I've turned it down to half speed and there is no noticeable change in my comfort level or the temperature. I've turned down the brightness on my laptop a notch. Catch the drift? You can even play around with the temperature settings in your refrigerator and water heater to save even more. Does your air-conditioner need to be that cold - or do you even need it on?

3. Flick the switch

   Have you ever wondered why your microwave or television is left on at the main switch even when it is not being used? The trickle of current keeps the clock on it running - or just keeps a LED light indicating the unit is not on. Do you really need that? Turning appliances off at the plug point is useful to save a few watts of electricity for prolonged periods of time. You barely use your microwave, except in spurts during the day - never when you're sleeping. Your television is turned off at least 12 hours at a stretch. Does that dim led red light play any role at all? And why is your charger still on when the phone is charged - can you feel the little heat it is generating which is a waste of electricity? This is not only energy saving, but also prolongs the life of your appliance while protecting it from unexpected surges or fluctuations in electricity.

The aim of this article is not to elaborately write down all the ways to save electricity. That would be a laborious read. The aim is to use the time spent in reading this article (5 minutes at the max) to do a couple of small things and save a few watts of electricity. Over hours, this saves you money and electricity. If thousands of users do this, it will amount to a drop and we know what many drops ultimately become - an ocean of electricity saved - won't the environment love it?

Do post a comment about what you did after reading this article. Let the little drops start and add up!

Note: Lead image from Unsplash via Read.Cash. Other images from Pixabay.