8 Energy Saving Tips for Home
When we work with our clients to provide an initial estimate for solar power, we always take care to discuss current energy usage and household energy habits; with the average U.S. family spending about $1,900 a year on utility bills, this is an essential step. While you can absolutely reduce or eliminate your electricity bill by installing solar, you can see even greater savings by employing some very simple energy saving tips around the home. Check a couple of these energy savings tips off your list and you’ll see a decrease in usage and an increase in savings in no time.
- If you haven’t already, switch to Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs with the ENERGY STAR label. Switching to these energy efficient bulbs can decrease your lighting electricity usage by 50-75%.
- Purchase a lighting timer, for as little as $7, and program your lights to go on or off at a specific time – ensure that your lights aren’t in use when you don’t need them, without having to remember to turn them off.
- Turn off the computer and monitor in your home office when not in use.
- Try to plug home appliances, like TVs and DVD players, into a power strip, turning off the power strip when not in use. Even if these appliances are on standby mode, they are still using energy (and costing you money!)
- Install better insulation and seal drafty windows and doors – especially if you have an older home. Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are considered well insulated. You could be loosing up to 33% of hot or cold (depending on the season) air due to insulation and drafts caused by unsealed cracks.
- On average, 47% of your utility cost comes from heating and cooling. To combat this expense, install a digital, programable thermostat, so you can control the temperature of your heat and air conditioning more carefully.
- Hot water heating makes up approximately 12% of your utility bill – decrease your energy usage by installing an ENERGY STAR rated washer and dryer and dishwasher and consider switching to solar hot water.
- Only run dishwashers and washer/dryers on full loads – waiting to do a full load, as opposed to running several half loads, will save lots of energy.
Follow these simple steps as closely as you can, and you’ll be well on your way to reducing your environmental impact and keeping your money out of the hands of utility providers.
As responsible home owners, we should consume electricity in a considerable manner so that we do not have to pay high electricity bills. Electrical appliances can now be powered not just the conventional way and this can help us cut back from our energy consumption as well.