Follow these ways to conserve energy in the home, which can save you money and help protect the environment. While not everyone can afford to install their own fully off-the-grid solar panel system, everyone can take small steps to help improve the energy efficiency of their home.
Get Energy Star appliances
Energy Star is a government program that helps consumers identify energy-efficient appliances. This includes everything from low-flow toilets and washers that save water to refrigerators, stoves, and dryers that use less electricity to run. These products can cut down significantly on your monthly electric bill.
Ensure you have quality insulation
Much of a house’s heat or cooling can be lost through poor insulation. Get a professional to examine your insulation to make sure you’re not losing hundreds of dollars each month to this fixable problem. While this might be a pricey repair, the benefits will be great.
Use fluorescent bulbs
Fluorescent bulbs use far less energy than their incandescent counterpoints and have a longer lifespan. Simply replacing all the light bulbs in your home with these more energy efficient bulbs can notably lower your bill.
Invest in heavy curtains
A significant amount of heat or air conditioning can be lost through large windows. Getting blackout curtains to insulate your home can help stem this loss. You can use the curtains when you are out during the day and pull them open to take advantage of the natural light when you are home.
Adjust the temperature
A significant portion of our monthly energy use goes into heating or cooling our homes. Making small adjustments can have a big impact on your energy usage. If you are going to be away for the day or the weekend, you can reduce the amount of heat or air conditioning you use. This can also work at night. Instead of keeping the heat up high at night, invest in an extra heavy blanket and save on your electric bill.
Limit your showers
Hot water takes energy to produce, so long hot showers can be a costly indulgence. Try to keep your showers under ten minutes to reduce the energy loss. You should also make a point to turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
Reuse and recycle
It costs a great deal more energy to produce a new product than it does to reuse or recycle and older one. Try to find new uses for older items or pass them down to relatives instead of throwing them away to help save energy for the community.
Unplug your electronics
Even if they are off, plugged in electronics draw a small amount of electricity. Unplugging your phone charger when it’s not in use is just a small step to use less energy. You can also unplug computers, laptops, televisions, and kitchen appliances to increase your savings.
Use restraint during the holidays
Covering your home with icicle lights and twinkle light netting during the holidays is a great way to rack up your energy usage. If you still want to decorate, consider getting one or two colored floodlights to create a festive look without using as much energy.
Conserving energy in the home can be anything from a small change to a massive overhaul. Starting small can help save you money and keep you motivated.