Being a conscientious and eco-friendly citizen is easier said than done given that we all have limited time, concentration and energy to be perfectly green every moment in our daily lives.
Some of the resistance to change stems from the misunderstanding that green practices will negatively affect our quality of life, be too costly to adopt, or require a significant and unrealistic overhaul of our behaviour.
This, however, is not true.
Take the example of a household geyser: being able to access warm water promotes sanitation, comfort and warmth for most people. But any appliance that requires the ability to heat or cool (whether an oven, a geyser or a freezer) requires, by default, significant amounts of electricity. A geyser can account for up to 45% of monthly household energy consumption, making it among the most wasteful of household amenities this Earth Day.
Instead of foregoing the benefits of a geyser, or committing to the manual process of turning it on or off, we are now able to manage its use efficiently via smart technologies. These technologies achieve much of the same outcome as manually operating the unit but minimise energy use and are easily accessible via a smartphone.
The installation is relatively simple and cheap, with the overall outcome resulting in more consistent access to warm water (despite load shedding) and lower electricity costs. Instead of foregoing convenience and comfort, this ensures it; instead of being too costly, this promotes lower energy bills; and instead of a major overhaul to your plumbing, this works in tandem with already-existing systems.
The geyser example is but one of many such advances that are now available and make being eco-friendly convenient, good for your bank account, and easy on your conscience. It is also a perfect example of the small steps taken by citizens and households, which, together, can lessen our impact on the environment and make a tangible difference.
Mark Allewell, CEO at Sensor Networks
READER LETTER | Green practices save you money
Image: 123RF
Being a conscientious and eco-friendly citizen is easier said than done given that we all have limited time, concentration and energy to be perfectly green every moment in our daily lives.
Some of the resistance to change stems from the misunderstanding that green practices will negatively affect our quality of life, be too costly to adopt, or require a significant and unrealistic overhaul of our behaviour.
This, however, is not true.
Take the example of a household geyser: being able to access warm water promotes sanitation, comfort and warmth for most people. But any appliance that requires the ability to heat or cool (whether an oven, a geyser or a freezer) requires, by default, significant amounts of electricity. A geyser can account for up to 45% of monthly household energy consumption, making it among the most wasteful of household amenities this Earth Day.
Instead of foregoing the benefits of a geyser, or committing to the manual process of turning it on or off, we are now able to manage its use efficiently via smart technologies. These technologies achieve much of the same outcome as manually operating the unit but minimise energy use and are easily accessible via a smartphone.
The installation is relatively simple and cheap, with the overall outcome resulting in more consistent access to warm water (despite load shedding) and lower electricity costs. Instead of foregoing convenience and comfort, this ensures it; instead of being too costly, this promotes lower energy bills; and instead of a major overhaul to your plumbing, this works in tandem with already-existing systems.
The geyser example is but one of many such advances that are now available and make being eco-friendly convenient, good for your bank account, and easy on your conscience. It is also a perfect example of the small steps taken by citizens and households, which, together, can lessen our impact on the environment and make a tangible difference.
Mark Allewell, CEO at Sensor Networks
READER LETTER | Lesufi's job creation programme inspires hope
READER LETTER | State not responsible for providing free sanitary pads
READER LETTER | Stealing bursary funds for poor black students evil
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos