How Summer Heatwaves Are Shaping Our Energy Usage

Summer is here, bringing with it a mix of hot, cold, and rainy days that have many of us frequently adjusting our heating and reaching for fans. As temperatures fluctuate, so does our energy usage, leading to varying electricity bills and occasional strain on the power grid.

But have you ever wondered how much our habits change during the summer months and what impact that has on our energy consumption? Let's dive into the trends and explore how we can be more mindful of our energy usage during this unpredictable season.

The Rise in Energy Consumption

When the temperature rises, our energy consumption follows suit. According to recent studies, air conditioning can account for nearly 70% of a household's summer electricity use during the busiest periods of the day. Fans, refrigerators working overtime to keep our food cold, and other cooling devices add to the load. 

Although the number of cooling devices such as air conditioners is traditionally lower in Europe than in other parts of the world, studies show that with the impacts of global warming and a transition towards electric heating systems, this is likely to change.

In fact, it is predicted that there could be 275 million air conditioners in households across Europe by 2050, with around ⅔ of households worldwide owning an air conditioner.

With this in mind, it is easy to see how this surge in usage of such devices during the summer months isn't just a matter of comfort; it significantly impacts the power grid, often leading to peak demand periods that can strain resources and increase the likelihood of blackouts.

Although the power grid is designed to handle fluctuations in demand, sharp increases during summer months pose a unique challenge. Peak demand periods typically occur in the late afternoon and early evening, usually between 4-7pm, when people return home from work and switch on their cooling devices.

This increased demand requires power plants to ramp up production quickly, often relying on less efficient and more expensive fossil-fuel powered energy sources. The result? Higher energy costs and a greater environmental impact due to higher carbon emissions created by these traditional power plants.

With this in mind, what steps can we all take to help support the grid during these peak periods during the summer months? Take a look at our 5 top tips for managing your summer energy use below.

Tips for Managing Summer Energy Use

1) Optimise Your Cooling Devices: Set your air conditioner to a higher temperature when you're not home or switch it off altogether. Using programmable thermostats can help manage cooling more efficiently.

2) Use Fans Wisely: Ceiling fans can make you feel cooler without lowering the thermostat. Just remember to turn them off when you leave the room.

3) Close Curtains and Blinds: By blocking out the sun's heat during the heat of the day, keeping your home shaded can reduce the need for air conditioning.

4) Make the Most of Your Windows: By opening windows on both sides of your house, you can help create a good flow of air to help cool your house down, letting the cool air in and the hot air out.

5) Unplug Unused Devices: Many electronics and appliances continue to draw power even when turned off. Unplugging devices that are not in use can reduce this “phantom” energy consumption.

6) Shift Usage to Off-Peak Hours: Using delay features on appliances like dishwashers and washing machines to run them during off-peak hours can help reduce strain on the grid and may lower your electricity bill.

How equiwatt Can Help

At equiwatt, we leverage smart technologies to create a virtual power plant (VPP) using our community’s home appliances. What exactly does this mean? Well a VPP is essentially a combination of small energy sources such as your home appliances and electric vehicles working together to act like one big power plant. By combining their capabilities we can help use them to simultaneously reduce energy consumption and demand on the grid by switching them all off at the same time.

By reducing demand during peak hours, we help balance the power grid, making it more efficient and less reliant on expensive and environmentally harmful energy sources. Our app provides you with notifications to encourage you to reduce your energy usage during peak time events, enabling you to do your part to support a more sustainable energy system. Even better than this we also reward you for your efforts in the form of points! That means that every time you take part in an event you can not only help the planet but also earn the chance to claim a gift voucher for a brand of your choice.

Ready to make a difference this summer? Download the equiwatt app today and start managing your energy usage more efficiently. Together, we can help create a more balanced and sustainable power grid.