Six Tricks to Saving Energy in Your Home
If you want to trim your household expenses, a good place to start is by learning a few easy tricks to save on your energy bills. Making your home more energy efficient doesn’t always have to involve making huge, expensive upgrades such as installing solar panels or buying new Energy Star appliances and windows. Make the difference in your electricity costs by putting these six changes in effect right now.
1) Buy Power Strips and Use Them
Even when certain electronic devices are turned off for the night, they can still use up electricity with their standby power. This is true if the device’s plug is still in the wall’s electrical outlet, drawing power even when the device is not in use. You can prevent this wastefulness by purchasing inexpensive power strips and plugging in as many of your devices as needed onto each strip. That way, you can simply switch off the power strip and energy is no longer being drawn. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that this standby power waste costs homeowners up to $100 a year.
2) Save Water, Save Money
When you allow your faucet to run for 5 minutes, you are using the same amount of energy as a 60-watt light bulb burning for 14 hours. Of course, you do need to run water to take showers and wash dishes. The solution is to buy low-flow fixtures to cut down on the amount of water being used. Buy a low-flow shower head and save $20 and save on water usage by 50%.
3) Cover Up Your Water Heater
18% of your home’s energy costs comes from heating your home’s water. Insulating blankets for your water heater only cost around $20 and will save you up to 9% on your water-heating bill. That could save you nearly $45 a year.
4) A Light Bulb Idea
Switch out all of the light bulbs in your home if you’re using incandescent bulbs. Energy efficient LED bulbs are pricier, but they will last much longer. They also use up 75% less energy.
5) Cool Your Bill With Air Filters
Air conditioning your home can be pricey, but if you replace your AC air filters on a regular basis (every one to three months), your energy consumption will go down from 5 to 15%.
6) Caulking Works
Drafts can sneak in without us knowing. This is the least expensive trick to save on your energy bill. Simply buy some caulk and seal up the cracks around your home’s doors, windows, and frames. The $2 you will spend on a caulking tube will save you up to 10% in energy output according to the DOE.
