Making your home more energy efficient is great for the environment while lowering your energy costs. Follow some (or all) of these simple adjustments you can make in your house.
Lighting
A simple yet effective fix is changing out your lightbulbs. At least start with your most used ones and gradually switch out the rest. Look for light bulbs with the Energy Star Label. Using compact fluorescent or LED bulbs will use significantly less energy and last longer.
Adjust Your Thermostat
Adjusting your thermostat while you aren’t home, sleeping, or on vacation can save your home major money and energy. Many thermostats nowadays have the option to change the settings to automatically turn up or down depending on when you are home or sleeping. If your thermostat isn’t one of the smart ones, consider upgrading or changing it manually will work just fine too, and can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 15%!
Properly Insulate Your Home
Ensure your home stays warm in the winter and cold in the warmer months with proper insulation. To keep from wasting energy when heating and cooling your home, check for drafts around window frames and doors, use caulking around windows, install weatherstripping, add a door sweep, and apply heating-vent tape to visible joints. In the colder months, applying exterior window film can increase efficiency further.
Use Energy Efficient Appliances
When it comes time to upgrade your appliances, trade them out with energy-efficient models to save money and help the environment. Look for appliances that are Energy Star efficient. Consider low-flow fixtures to use less water but also reduce your utility bill. These types of sink faucets and showerheads use minimum water when they are running. Look for appliances with an EPA WaterSense Label.
Unplug, Unplug, Unplug!
Unplug your appliances and electronics when they are not in use! Electronic gadgets such as your tv, cable boxes, game consoles, and phone chargers suck energy even when they are turned off. An easy fix is to have everything on a single power bar for an easy switch-off when everyone goes to bed. And while you are at it, unplug any appliances just sitting out such as a toaster, coffee maker, and air fryer.
Tend to Your Appliances
When your appliances have clogged filters, they work less efficiently, causing inadequate air quality, and resulting in higher energy bills. Make sure to change the filters on your HVAC system every three months or so and clean parts of the furnace you can’t see or reach to make sure it isn’t working harder than it has to, prolonging its life. Also, make sure to clean your large appliances such as the vent in the back of your refrigerator and your clothes dryer exhaust. When these vents get clogged with dust, they work harder requiring more energy use.
Use Ceiling Fans
A simple yet effective way to save energy is to utilize your ceiling fans… or install some if you don’t have them already. We all know they can be great for cooling off a room, they can also be useful in the winter months. In the summer, ceiling fans should rotate counterclockwise to push the cool air down. In the Winter, the fan direction should go clockwise and at the lowest speed to pull the cold air up.
Air Dry Clothes
Hang up a clothesline or purchase some drying racks to save up to six percent on your home’s total energy use. Dryers suck up a lot of energy and hanging up your clothes to dry (outside during the summer months and inside during the winter) when possible, can help save on costs.
Energy Audit
Looking for more ways to save energy in your home? Consider investing in an energy audit and having a professional tell you where there’s room for improvement and savings.
Sources: Save on Energy, HGTG
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