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These days, there’s a growing (and much needed) conversations about the need for carbon reduction and sustainability. It can all feel a bit daunting at times, but fear not, here are 5 very simple and inexpensive (or even free!) ways you can embrace the race to greener living. 

1. Start with an all-round bright idea  
   Commit to changing your light bulbs (as they pop) to longer lasting, cheaper to run LED bulbs. These modern miracles use 90% less electricity and keep on shining 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. Truly an all-round bright idea!  
2. Keep a fair eye on the weather  
   As you may have seen as part of our ‘Is This a Good Time?’ programme, windy or sunny conditions outside means more of the country’s electricity is being generated by renewable sources. There are great times to use electricity intensive appliances like washing machines and dryers because you're running them on more sustainable electricity. You might also consider washing at 30 degrees (modern detergents are made to work great at this temperature). This can lower your electricity consumption by up to 40%! And, if you’re not in a mad rush, drip drying your clothes either inside or outdoors on the line saves the need for using your dryer.  
3. Appliance of common sense  
   It takes way more electricity to heat your whole oven to cook something than it does to pop it in the air fryer or slow cooker. Likewise, blasting something on the hob or in the oven may not be the most efficient way of reheating a dish. Your microwave could do the job in half the time and use way less electricity. If you are using your oven, try to avoid opening and closing the door too often as this lets out heat and will require more electricity to bring the temperature back up. Also, lids on your pots help keep electricity consumption down.  
4. A game of draughts  
   There are some simple ways to stop heat disappearing up the chimney and through the windows and doors. Ways that trap more of the heat you generate in your home – and therefore use less electricity. You can block off your chimney during the winter, using a chimney flue balloon available in most hardware stores. Closing curtains when the sun goes down helps cut down of draughts and heat loss. You could also consider a post box to cover you letterbox or even a curtain over the back of your hall door to cut down on draughts.  
5. The Power of solar  
   Solar powering your home doesn’t have to mean investing in panels on your roof. Simply open the curtains on the sunny side of your home when the sun is shining and close them in areas where the sun doesn’t reach. This way you can trap the natural heat of the sun inside and use it to partly heat your home. Curtains, likewise, help block draughts and seeping cold to help keep you cosier.  

If you found this information helpful and would like to learn more ways to take control of your home's electricity usage, why not sign up to our 'Is This a Good Time?' programme today at esbnetworks.ie/time.