Tips to help you save money on your energy bill
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average home spent over $2000 this past summer in energy costs and many spent even more. Lucky for you, there are a number of things you can do to help you save money, energy and be more environmentally friendly.
Use Energy Efficient Bulbs or Daylight
Use daylight to light your home as much as possible, it’s free after all. When you need to use artificial light look to the energy-efficient bulbs that are now on the market. By switching to CFL or LED bulbs you can reduce your energy use from about a third to 80 percent. Plus these bulbs have a life span of years, rather than months.
Turn off the Electronics
In addition to turning out the lights when you’re leaving a room or going to be gone, turn out appliances and electronics too. You can purchase smart power strips that allow multiple things to be plugged in at once. These smart strips are programmable and can be set to turn off at a certain time or be turned on by a motion detector.
Lower the Water Temperature
Experts suggest that washing your clothes and linens in cold water can lower your bill by as much as $63 per year and it will help your clothes last longer. Turn down the temperature of your water heater to around 130℉ and try to limit showers to 10-15 minutes. This will conserve energy and water at the same time. You can also install low-flow faucets around the home to reduce the amount of water you use.
Check Your Appliances
Do a quick survey of the appliances in your home to see which ones might be starting to run more often or work harder. Check the seals on the refrigerator, freezer, and stove to be sure you aren’t losing important energy. If you are in the market for new appliances look for the Energy Star label. This is the government’s symbol of energy efficiency on a large number of appliances that can save you up to 30% on your energy bill.
Change Directions on the Fan
In the winter months your ceiling fan should be set to clockwise, this will draw the cold air up allowing the room to retain more heat. You should switch it to counter-clockwise in the summer months to allow cool air to circulate. You’ll be able to reduce the costs of heating in cooling this way. You should also change the filters on your HVAC system every three to six months. Air flowing freely through the system will keep it from working too hard.
Check for Gaps
Look at the basement, attic, foundation, and around all windows and doors for air leaks and lack of insulation. Fill in any gaps or holes with insulation, or caulking. This will help you to save up to 20% on your heating and cooling bills each year. You should also be looking at doors and windows to be sure that weather stripping is in place and preventing leaks of any kind aren’t taking place.
Just a few simple changes that you can make fairly easily around your home could save you hundreds of dollars in energy bills each