There are a number of ways to reduce your energy usage during powerDOWN and instant powerDOWN events. Here are a few of our top tips!
Use smart technology to automate participation
The easiest way to reduce your energy usage during powerDOWN and instant powerDOWN events is to make sure any compatible smart technology that you have is connected to your equiwatt account.
TIP: You can learn more about automating your participation in equivents and which devices are supported by clicking here.
- Connect your home's high-energy usage appliances to smart plugs! Smart plugs are WiFi-enabled devices that when connected to equiwatt can be automatically switched off during powerDOWN and instant powerDOWN events without you lifting a finger! This means no more running around the house switching things off when an event starts - something especially useful during instant powerDOWN events!
- Connect an electric vehicle (EV) or EV smart charger to equiwatt so that your charging can be paused automatically when an event begins. With an EV connected, you can also get rewarded for charging according to your tariff as well as setting other charging preferences. Click here to learn more.
- Connect a smart thermostat* to your equiwatt account to automatically take part in powerDOWN and instant powerDOWN events and get rewarded for reducing your energy usage without doing a thing!
*PLEASE NOTE: The smart thermostat/heating feature is currently only available to select Beta app users. Please contact us if you wish to join the trial.
Learn which of your appliances use the most energy
It may seem obvious but the more you are able to reduce your energy usage during a powerDOWN or instant powerDOWN event, the more points you will earn!
In many cases, you may know which appliances use a lot of energy but there are some appliances which use more than you may realise! This page gives you a good idea of what are the biggest energy users in your home.
Here are some of our other top tips:- Pause any appliances that are on a cycle such as the dishwasher, washing machine or tumble dryer. Most of these devices can be switched off and will resume their cycle when switched back on. We suggest testing that your appliances work in this way first!
- Turn off the lights in rooms that are not being used.
- Unplug any phone chargers or electronic devices that use energy even when turned off such as computers, TVs etc.
- Switch off your fridge and freezer during an event. Don't worry, your food will be safe for up to 24 hours in a freezer and between 4 - 6 hours in a fridge!
- Avoid using the oven, vacuum cleaner or other high-powered devices during an event.
- Don't have a smart thermostat? Set your AC or heating to a higher/lower temperature or switch it off entirely to avoid using too much electricity.
- Make sure your household knows there is an event running! You don't want someone else to undo all your hard work!
Have any of your own tips? Why not share them with the rest of the equiwatt community in the community forum?