Before you spend money on the latest energy-efficient gizmo that’s
supposed to save you money let’s look at some energy saving ideas that
will really help you save home energy. The strategies that we will look
at maximize the effort you put in and help reduce your home energy
consumption.
First sit down and think about all the different ways your family
uses energy around the house. Now put an approximate type and cost of
energy used. You may have trouble breaking down the cost but try to do
it. Now all you have to do is find ways to save on your resources at the
same time cut your costs. You may have to think creatively but it can
be done.
So here are some tips to get you started:
- Turn the lights off when you’re not using them. This is really
simple and easy to do. Do you really need your bedroom light on when
you’re in the living room? Do you leave lights on when you leave the
house? Do you even need more than one light on in a room for what you
are doing? Believe it or not it makes a big difference.
- Turn all electronics and other appliances off when you’re not using
them. No one can do everything at the same time. Can you really listen
to a radio watch television and use your computer all at the same time?
- Set your thermostat down a couple of degrees in winter or up in
summer, to conserve energy. And dress appropriately indoors for the time
of year it is. For instance in winter, put on a sweater or some extra
clothing, or may snuggle under a blanket to stay warm. In the summer,
wear less and stay cooler naturally.
- Only turn an appliance on when you have a full load. This is true
especially for the washing machine, dryer and even the dishwasher. It is
amazing how much extra energy is used doing multiple small loads in
comparison to one full load.
- Do regular maintenance on your appliances. Keeping them clean means
they don’t have to work as hard. Changing filters reduces the energy
needed to accomplish a task. Regular care will also mean any maintenance
bills that you might come up against may well be cheaper.
- Be careful how you use your water. Like when brushing your teeth or
washing your hands, use only the water you need. Don’t let the water
run the entire time. Also, try and use less water if you take a bath, or
control your shower times.
- Simply let your hair air dry, instead of using a blow drier every day.
- Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees F.
Don’t forget the bigger projects as well.
- Seal the cracks around your doors and windows. You are paying for
your hot air that escapes through cracks all around your house. You need
to make sure you are doing all you can to keep the warm air you’re
paying for inside your house.
- You also need to check your house’s insulation. Though this has
been done by many homeowners nevertheless you still need to do it before
you pass it over. It is probably the biggest thing in reducing heating
costs.
Now some of these things may seem trivial to you but let me assure
you that even the small things add up over time. And really most of them
you won’t even notice the difference to your life except your bills.
These tips and suggestions will make your home more affordable, and
take some strain off of our world’s resources. Just think if all of us
would just made a few of these changes to how we do things on a daily
basis it would make a huge difference.
By: Dave McIntosh
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