When was electricity invented?
The short answer is it will be difficult to put a precise date on this since electricity as we know it today is an outcome of multiple innovations dating back more than 100 years.

History of Electricity and Timeline
The journey or milestones leading to electricity today are many. Some of the more significant steps are:
•    Static electricity was discovered, a machine was later invented to demonstrate the existence.
•    The electric capacitor was invented, one of the first methods to store electricity.
•    It was proven that static electricity and lightening where the same.
•    The first electric battery was invented and the notion of voltage.
•    Electro-magnetic rotation found in everyday motors was discovered.
•    Relationships defined between power, voltage, resistance and current which lead to the definition of Ohms law.
•    The electric motor was invented.
•    The Edison Electric Light Co. was founded which began the creation of a ling lasting incandescent light bulb.
•    The California Electric Light Company started to distribute and sell electricity to houses in San Francisco.
•    The Pearl Street Power Station in New York City started powering about 5,000 lights using direct current (DC).
•    Hydroelectric stations were opened.
•    The electric alternator producing alternating current (AC) was invented. This led to a system put in place by The Westinghouse Electric Company.

Just who invented or discovered electricity?
The above timelines or milestones demonstrate that significant innovation has taken place to get to where we are today. The same can be said about who invented electricity since it too has evolved compared to our understanding of today.

How is electricity generated today?
Electricity is generated from multiple sources today since it is considered to be secondary energy source, outcome of using the following primary energy sources:

•    Coal
•    Natural Gas
•    Nuclear Power
•    Petroleum
•    Hydropower
•    Geothermal Power
•    Solar Power
•    Wind Power
•    Biomass

Why should you consider ways to conserve or save electricity?
You may also be thinking why is it important to understand electricity, the history and timeline, discuss who invented or discovered it and where does it come from today?

The first point is electricity is an outcome from other energy sources. To put this into perspective, during 2006 in the US, about 49% of electricity was generated from burning coal, nuclear about 19%, whereas geothermal, solar, wind and biomass each contribute about 1% or less.

This explains my second point which is a majority of the electricity generated in the US during 2006 came from non-renewable energy sources.

We can expect this to change over time, perhaps more rapidly. This is my third point in the sense the innovations which led to our situation today will likely carry forward with even more evolution. With increased focus by everyone with applying energy saving tips, development and adoption of new technologies the next 100 years should be interesting.

In the meantime, my suggestion is to look for ways to conserve or save electricity in your household. I believe you will find that when you conserve electricity in your home will not necessarily change your lifestyle or comfort level.

I invite you to consult the full article covering the history of electricity and electricity timeline.

The most significant point is first to see where you are spending and therefore potential for saving energy. In the average house electricity costs for lighting normally amount to about 12% of your annual energy costs. This gives an indication that there is some opportunity here for energy conservation. So your first step could be to take a look at your monthly electricity bill and do a quick calculation.

So what are these energy saver light bulbs?

They are known as compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) and combine the energy efficiency of florescent lighting that has been used in the commercial sector for decades. The only difference is now instead of long fluorescent tubes, you have energy saving light bulbs that fit into common lamp fixtures in your home. This makes the change one of the more easy ways to conserve energy.

What’s in it for you? For starters energy saving CFL light bulbs consume about 75% less electricity than normal incandescent light bulbs. That is a considerable energy savings potential which explains why they are considered to be one of the main ways to conserve energy in the house. Did you know that incandescent light bulbs have been around sicne the very early days of electricity? maybe you may want to read up on the history of electricity and related timelines.

Additionally, the lifespan of these low energy light bulbs is up to 10 times longer than your normal bulbs. With that in mind, when you replace incandescent bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs, the overall energy savings (your electricity) is compounded over about 10 years.

To drive this point home it is estimated that you can reduce energy costs, electricity in this case, by somewhere between $30-50 over the lifetime of the CFL bulb. If you start adding this up, well, it is one of the more compelling energy saving tips to follow.

Now each of us has to replace a few of these each year, why not install energy saving light bulbs the next time around and start conserving energy related to your lighting around the house.

There is more you can learn about energy saving light bulbs in order to ensure they are installed in the appropriate areas. The key point here being they are one of the more practical ways to conserve energy in your home. Once replaced, you will conserve electricity and that is the best payback you can have on such an investment. Your next step is to read up on how a smart power strip can help you conserve electricity in the house.

For starters, your heating and cooling costs represent up to 50% of the total energy costs consumed in your home. That more or less sums up where you are likely going to have a significant energy saving potential. Turning back the thermostat of your heating (or increasing for cooling) can mean up to 1% energy savings for each 1F degree change in temperature, if applied for a prolonged duration.

A case in point: if you adjust the thermostat by 10-15F degrees during a period of eight hours per day you can save up to 10% in your annual energy costs. The key message is controlling the heating and cooling of your home in a more regular or consistent manner will lead to much more significant energy savings than what you could likely achieve by making manual changes.

Yes, you can still do this manually if you like. However a digital programmable thermostat  can control the process for you (while you are preoccupied with other concerns). The net result should be a much larger potential for energy savings, a comfort level adapted to patterns in your household and consequently reduced energy costs.

One of the most important considerations towards a future purchase is to select an Energy Star qualified digital programmable thermostat. Secondly, you should evaluate which type of scheduling best suits the patterns in your household. There are at least three main types of digital programmable thermostat schedules to choose from, each providing a different level of flexibility.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to evaluate this energy saving tip, clearly one of the more easy ways to conserve energy in the home.  If used correctly, the energy savings should become very noticeable through-out the year.

With economic times being as there are, increasing pressure is on families to take actions and discover ways to conserve energy in your home. There are many home energy saving tips to follow, the challenge is more how should one go about getting started.

In a nutshell, the first step is understanding where you are spending on electricity and other energy costs. From there it becomes a question of changing behaviors in order for your to start managing the energy your consume in your home.

I invite you to review this article on conserving electricity in the house as a starting point for defining a road map for defining and realizing an action to reduce energy costs in your home. You may also want to step back and read about the history of electricity and electricity timeline . The past may shed some light on the future.

You do not have to look around very long to figure out how large this could be. Start by looking at those appliances that use a remote control for example. Then, how about those with digital clocks that are always on.

The really difficult part is this energy cost will not stand out when you look at your electricity bills either. However it is estimated that this could represent between 5-10% of your monthly electricity bills. Depending on the number of appliances in your house, this number could be much larger.

The best practice is to unplug devices when no longer in use. This is the no cost energy saving approach for conserving electricity in the house.  

Although we all know this is not always possible. In this case, one of the best ways to conserve energy is to use an (intelligent) smart power strip. I invite you to check out these devices and reduce energy costs in the house. You will find this to be one of more simple home energy saving tips that you can follow, while doing so you will consume less energy and save yourself some money. So go put an end to this waste and start saving energy in your home today.

First, you will find that many computers and monitors have already power management features installed which enable them to put the device into sleep mode after a predefined period of time. In order for this to work properly, your first step is to ensure the power management features have been activated on all your computers.

The main areas you will want to look at is the the setup function for your monitor and the control panel - power options for your Windows PC.

This home energy saving tip is one of the more simple ways to conserve energy and cut back on your electricity bills quite quickly. For the longer term, it is suggested to consider purchasing a laptop instead of a desktop computer and monitor when it comes time to replace you equipment. 

Not only do laptops provide you more mobility but they also consume less energy than normal desktop and monitor combination. You do need to be careful with keeping the battery charger plugged in at all times. One solution is to install a smart power strip . Think about this when you are looking at ways to conserve energy in your home, and need to replace your equipment.

• Taking showers instead of baths, this will help you to save time as well.
• Lowering the thermostat of your hot water heater to a temperature of 120 degrees F.
• Reducing hot water consumption, install in your home aerating, low-flow faucets and shower-heads.
• Improving the efficiency of your hot water heater by adding additional insulation (special water heater blanket).
• Repairing any faucets that drip or leak, encourage others not to let the water run unnecessarily.

I guess you thought energy conservation was complicated no?

These low cost ways to conserve energy are already a good start to reduce energy costs in your home. You can also consider installing a new Energy Star Water Heater as a long term investment. Energy Star has only recently begun to qualify/rate water heaters for their high energy efficiency. It obviously pays to be more efficient, especially with everyone signing in the shower these days. Evaluating your hot water production and consumption is one important area for increasing your energy savings in the house. Take a few actions now as outlined above, some of the more simple ways to save energy and you still can feel comfortable afterward. Perhaps when you are finished, do not forget to check out how a smart power strip can help you to conserve electricity in the house .