WATTAGE: SAVE POWER, SAVE ENERGY!

Night I was sleeping on my couch when the television remote slipped from hand and crashed on the floor, startling me, breaking my blessed sleep and beautiful dream. I woke up rubbing my eyes and yawning wide. I looked at the time, 4:00 AM. What??? But it’s day!!! I was shocked and looked around the room. And then I realized my mistake, it wasn’t a day, I had slept with all the lights switched on, the television on as it blasted my ears. The DVD player running flashing lights in my eyes. My laptop was on, my fully charged phone was still plugged in. The AC and fans all were on (damn, my bones are sore from the cold), to my horror even the fridge door was a bit ajar, the light from the inside of the fridge lighting the kitchen. (I hunted for food before dozing off) Scary sounds came from the washroom, oh damn! The washing machine was still on. I got up and thought for a second, and closed them all one by one. The house fell silent and it felt like night again. But I went to sleep with so much of guilt. (the bill, my dad, OMG !)

Every year, we use more energy than we did the year before.

Energy isn’t free. The breadwinner in your house pays for the all the electricity you use. So wasting energy is the same as wasting money – and we know that’s not a good idea!

Wasting energy isn’t good for the environment either. Most of the energy sources we depend on, like coal and natural gas, can’t be replaced – once we use them up, they’re gone forever. Another problem is that most forms of energy can cause pollution.

There are several things you can do right now to fight energy vampires in your home:

1. Get a power strip: Speakers, TVs, and other entertainment gadgets consume electricity when you’re not using them. Plug them into a power strip, and you can flip them all on or off in a split second.
2. Use sunlight wherever possible. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Select the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for the Energy Star Label
3. You can say goodbye to the standard incandescent light bulb.Typically uses about 25%-80% less energy than traditional incandescents, saving you money and Can last 3-25 times longer.
4. Solar panels can be used to generate a portion of your home’s power in order to reduce your dependency on traditional power sources. For instance, you can install panels to provide electricity just for appliances or lighting, to reduce your dependency on the utility company, as well as lower your bill.

Energy, lack of it or struggle for it has been a reason for most wars in the world. Sufficient supply of energy is the biggest need for developing a country or economy. We are in such a phase in this world where energy crisis is looming large on us. For India to achieve sustainable growth, we need to make sure that we do not suffer from an energy crisis. So it is very important that we start using energy or electricity efficiently so that we save it without losing comforts in our lives. Even a small effort from all of us collectively will help our country develop in a sustainable manner. Knowing this, we now understand that saving of resources is equally important and in fact same as saving money. As our parents did, we should also save and pass the habit of saving to our next generation for a better present and future.

Let There Be Light !