Finance tip of the week: Utilities
by Gareth Cotten on 28/06/10 at 12:00 pm
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Keeping warm as energy-efficiently as possible. With it being the coldest part of the year here in the southern hemisphere, one is constantly reminded of the many appliances that people use to warm their homes and offices.
The primary way that people warm a room or space is the use of heaters. Being appliances that generates heat, heaters are some of the biggest energy-guzzlers that you will have, so using them efficiently will have a substantial effect on your pocket.
Firstly, it’s generally accepted that gas heaters are more efficient than electric or oil ones.
Secondly, one should ensure that the model you are using is big enough to have an effect on the area you’re trying to warm – if you find yourself having to keep it on full-blast all the time, it’s probably not up to the job.
One of the simplest ways to cut down your energy usage with heaters is to ensure that insulation of the room or space is as effective as possible. This means that windows should be kept closed, curtains drawn at night, and doors should not be left open unnecessarily.
To be truly efficient, one should have the heater on for a while, until the room is at a comfortable temperature. It should then be turned off, and the room kept closed up as well as possible to keep the warmth in. It’s much more efficient to maintain a comfortable temperature this way – with the odd burst to re-warm the space when needed – than it is to keep the heater burning all day and night.
It’s also much healthier, as keeping heaters on permanently dries out the air to a large degree, which then dries out and weakens the sensitive membranes in your nose and mouth – making you more susceptible to picking up colds and flu. So not only is it a smart financial choice to manage your heater usage, it’s also a smart health one!
Gareth Cotten is one of the growing breed of SA entrepreneurs with that ‘world-domination’ look in his eyes. Gareth runs the coaching and consulting practice 'Good Advice'. Gareth is also the 'course convener' for the University of Cape Town (Law@Work) Start and Manage a Small Business course and the University of Cape Town Basics of Financial Management course. View more articles by Gareth Cotten.
Tags: Business/Finance, finance, Utilities
