Top 5 Guidelines To Save Money And Energy At Home

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Top 5 Guidelines To Save Money
And Energy At Home
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Insulate and Seal Air Leaks
First, do a home energy audit. If you determine
you need more insulation, make sure you pick the
right type and level, or R-value, for your area.
You can figure that out here, or ask a contractor
about it. You might also need to insulate walls
and air ducts. If you have the money, though, you
might want to consider replacing your old windows
with thermopanes, which can increase energy
efficiency by up to 70 percent. Also, close off
rooms you dont use regularly and shut their
vents to contain the heat to a smaller space.
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Use a Programmable Thermostat
You can save up to 10 percent a year on your
heating and cooling bills by simply turning your
thermostat back 10-15 percent for eight hours.
Its easy to do with a programmable thermostat.
Once the thermostat is installed your utility
provider may do this for you you can set it at
varying temperatures during different times of
day. For example, you may set it several degrees
lower while youre at work, a few degrees higher
when you get home, then back down when you go to
bed. Usually, theres room for several settings a
day.
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Improve Water Heating
Water heating accounts for about 12 percent of
your utility bills, so try these things to cut
that back Use less hot water. Take shorter
showers and wash your clothes in cold water. Turn
down the water heaters thermostat they often
come set high, but 120 degrees is a good temp.
Insulate the water heater storage tank (NOT
thermostat) by following the manufacturers
recommendations. You can also insulate the first
couple of feet of the water pipes connected to
it. If possible, buy an energy-efficient water
heater model, as well as dishwashers and clothes
washers, for more long-term savings. Heat pump,
natural gas on-demand, solar and tankless water
heaters have been known to be very cost-efficient.
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Upgrade Lighting
Lighting can account for about 11 percent of your
energy budget. Improving on it can be one of your
easiest fixes, so start by trading out your old
incandescent bulbs for more efficient linear
fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent light
bulbs (CFLs). Yes, I know those bulbs cost more,
but theyre cheaper in the long run because of
how little electricity they use. Energy Star CFLs
can save about 30 over each bulbs lifetime.
They also use about 75 percent less energy,
produce 75 percent less heat and last 6-12 times
longer, the DoE said. Use timers and dimmers to
save electricity, and of course, turn lights off
when youre not in the room. If you want to get
even more savings, try LED lights, which use even
less energy than CFLs.
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Unplug
The DoE said turning off computers, printers and
small appliances and unplugging chargers and plug
strips when theyre not in use actually does
conserve power. If you dont already have a
laptop, get one instead of a desktop - they use
much less energy. Lastly for, all of the above,
buy Energy Star products, making sure to activate
the power management features to get the energy
savings.
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