With the ever increasing cost of living, many individuals are looking for ways to cut costs around the home. One way in which many homes can reduce their overall expenses is to improve on their energy efficiency. Being efficient will not only save the homeowner money, but it will also help them to reduce the impact that their lifestyle has on the environment. Taking a few steps to be more energy efficient will not only save you money, but it will also help to conserve resources and reduce pollution.
1. USE ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS
The standard incandescent bulbs that we find in many of our light fixtures and lamps are significantly less efficient than newer energy efficient light bulbs. Lights like compact fluorescents, LEDs and fluorescent tubes offer much better energy savings. A compact fluorescent uses about 75% less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. When you switch all of the lights in an entire house to compact fluorescent lighting it can make for significant energy savings. Another benefit of energy efficient light bulbs is that they tend to have a longer operating life than incandescent bulbs do.
2. MAINTAIN YOUR CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
One of the main consumers of home energy is the home climate control system. For that reason, it is important to make sure that the system is operating at peak efficiency. Scheduling annual maintenance for both the furnace and the air conditioner will help to ensure that they are both working properly. Along with maintenance and inspection, the air conditioner and the furnace should also be cleaned once a year. When these systems get dirty, it can have an impact on the overall efficiency. A dirty furnace or air conditioner will not only cost more to run, but it can also damage the components of the system.
3. REDUCE WASTED ELECTRICITY
Part of being efficient is not letting anything go to waste. Reducing wasted electricity can be a fairly simple process. Turn off all of the lights and appliances when they are not in use. Unplug any appliances that consume energy by remaining in a standby mode when they are not active. Manage your heating and air conditioning so that the systems are less active when you are away from home. If a group of electronic items all work together, like at the entertainment center or computer desk, plug them all into a power strip so they can all be easily unplugged as a group. All of these steps can help you to reduce the amount of wasted electricity in the home.
4. SWITCH TO MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
The appliances that you use in the kitchen and other parts of the home can consume a significant amount of electricity. Switching to appliances that consume less energy will help to reduce the cost of utility bills. From home electronics to kitchen appliances, air conditioners and refrigerators, consumers can find energy efficient options for almost everything that they use in the home. Shopping for products that are Energy Star approved can be a good way to cut your home energy consumption.
5. AROUND THE HOUSE
People can also make a few minor adjustments to how they do things in order to be more energy efficient. Taking shorter showers and lowering the temperature on the hot water heater can help reduce the amount of energy consumed in heating water. Washing and drying dishes by hand rather than using the dishwasher can save a significant amount of electricity and hot water. Drying your clothes on a clothesline can be another step toward energy efficiency. Most people will find that if they evaluate many of their daily tasks, they will find plenty of places where they can save some energy.
Being energy efficient doesn’t mean totally changing your life or investing a ton of money in energy efficient products. By making a few simple lifestyle changes and shopping for energy efficient products when you need to replace your existing appliances or electronics, you can reduce your home energy consumption without having to make any dramatic changes overnight. Along with following some of these tips for being more energy efficient, take some time and consider some of the ways in which you might be able to reduce your energy consumption through slightly modifying some of your regular activities.