Take a step back to consider how you could reduce your electricity bills.
Energy efficiency is big business and Thailand is starting to see new residential projects built with green credentials in order to reduce energy consumption. If you live in a property whether that is a condominium or villa that has not been specifically designed or built with this in mind, there are still ways that you can reduce electricity costs without having to make substantial structural changes. Switching off appliances when they are not in use, turning off lights and changing your light bulbs to energy efficient ones are all ways to help your carbon footprint, but there are some less obvious ways to achieve this too.
1. Service the air conditioning.
The air conditioning is heavily replied upon in Thailand is is generally assumed to the main culprit in high electricity bills. Look after your air conditioning by getting it regularly cleaned and serviced so that it circulates fresher air and becomes more efficient in its usage.
2. Replace older appliances.
Whilst it may seem wasteful to throw out perfectly functioning appliances and replace with shinier new versions, remember the latest technologies means that new models will be more energy efficient. Plus your electricity bill will be reduced each month too. As for your old appliances, fret not as many of these can be recycled for another use.
3. Use natural room cooling techniques.
Black out curtains and blinds save from your fittings and furniture from discolouring, plus they have the added benefit of protecting from the heat of the sun too. Black out liners can easily be fitted to existing curtains, and you should take advantage of their natural cool qualities to avoid having to crank up the air conditioning or coming home to a sauna-like living room.
4. Take advantage of the heat.
From installing external water tanks to save you having to heat water for your shower to solar panels to generate electricity, there are a host of ways you can use the heat to your advantage. If you don’t have the room or budget for such green items, simply dry your clothes outside rather than using the dryer which clocks up the electricity at an incredible rate of knots.
5. Hot water.
If you have a thermostat for your hot water then reduce it if you get burnt by scolding water each time you turn the tap on. This way you don’t use up as much energy to heat up the water, to then cool it down with the cold water tap. You will immediately notice a difference to your electricity bill not to mention you conscious on the planet!