Whether you are working from home, or still studying through virtual or online classes, it always helps to be wise and efficient with the appliances and gadgets you use in the house.

For students, who not only have full days in class, but also have to do homework afterwards, there are some Bright Ideas and energy efficiency tips you can easily apply to your daily lifestyle. I touched on a couple in my previous column, sharing a few learnings from my time in Meralco, but here are additional hacks you can incorporate at home.

For computers, try to turn down brightness. Lowering the brightness of your computer monitor will save on energy.  Set the brightness down to the lowest comfortable level or down to 50%. Also… Forget about screensavers. Screensavers do not save energy.  Get 90% savings when you turn your computers to sleep mode rather than screensaver mode.  But it is still best to turn off your computer instead of running screensavers to completely save on energy.  It might not make sense to turn off your computer when going on a short break but it will definitely make sense for longer breaks.

With regard to lighting, if you haven’t already, make the switch to LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes). Replace incandescent bulbs with LED lights. Although they cost more than incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), you save 87% on energy costs vs. incandescent bulbs and 50% vs. CFLs.  LEDs also last 5 to 10 times longer.

Last but not least, if you are using one, regularly check and clean your air condition unit. Check the filter often by holding it up against the light – if you can’t see through it, it’s time to clean or replace the filter.  A dirty filter blocks normal airflow and significantly reduces its efficiency.