$1,500 a year on energy costs. If you are like most homeowners, you are adamant about finding a way to reduce the amount of energy your home uses. Ignoring the need for increased energy-efficiency can result in you paying a lot more for electricity each money.
Researching the various energy-efficient solutions in the modern market is the only way to decide which ones work for your needs.
The Following are Some Great Ways to Save Electricity at Home:
Cut-Off the Energy Vampires in Your Home
The biggest misconception homeowners believe regarding energy consumption is that electronics that have been turned off don’t use electricity. In reality, many electronic devices will still consume power when they are sitting idle. If you have lots of electronic devices in your home, this can result in a lot of electricity being wasted.
Rather than allowing these energy vampires to increase the cost of your monthly electricity bills, you need to unplug them. Unplugging video game consoles, televisions and kitchen electronics can save a homeowner around $120 a year on energy costs.
Use Better Bulbs in Your Light Fixtures
If you are trying to find ways to save energy around your home, performing an energy audit is a good idea. One of the main things you need to think about changing to conserve energy is your light bulbs. Many homes are still using traditional incandescent bulbs, which waste a lot of energy. The biggest hurdle keeping all homeowners from embracing the power of LED lighting is the price.
When you consider the long-term savings LED bulbs provide, you can clearly see they are worth the money. On average, these LED bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also last around 25 times longer. This means you will not have to worry about replacing them frequently, which will also save you time and money.
Properly Maintain Your Dryer
On average, over 6% of a home’s total energy consumption is used by dryers. Most people are unwilling to take extreme measures and dry their clothes on a line outside to save energy. This is why most homeowners focus more on maintaining their dryers.
A properly maintained dryer will not use as much energy.
Keeping a dryer in good working order is easy if you take the time to empty your dryer vents on a regular basis. Removing the lint that is trapped in the dryer vent that goes outside not only boosts efficiency, it can also reduce the chance of fires occurring. If you don’t have the time or the tools to do this work on your own, hiring professionals to perform this job is your best course of action.
Install and Use Ceiling Fans
Keeping the inside of your home at a comfortable temperature during the dog days of summer is challenging. Typically, you will have to run your HVAC unit on a continuous loop to avoid unbearably hot indoor temperatures. The harder you push your HVAC unit during this time of year, the more energy it will inevitably consume.
If you are looking for a way to reduce the strain on your HVAC unit, installing and using ceiling fans is a great idea. These fans will allow you to circulate the cool air created by your HVAC unit in the summer months. You can also use ceiling fans in the winter to create an updraft. By keeping the fans on low and turning in a clockwise position, you can keep the warm air created by your unit from rising and leaving your home.
Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures are a Great Investment
Most homeowners fail to realize just how much energy their water heater consumes. If you live in a home with multiple residents, your water heater will have to work overtime to create enough hot water for everyone. Reducing the energy used by this essential appliance can save you lots of money.
Installing both low-flow faucet and shower fixtures are essential when trying to avoid water heater energy waste. With low-flow fixtures, you can significantly reduce the amount of water that has to be heated in your home. Allowing an experienced plumber to install these fixtures is the best way to avoid mistakes. A plumber will be able to get these low-flow fixtures installed quickly and correctly.
Invest in HVAC Maintenance
Keeping your HVAC unit well-maintained is also a great way to save monthly on electricity costs. The older a unit gets, the harder it will be to keep it functional. This is why hiring HVAC technicians to maintain your unit is so important. During this maintenance, a technician will check your refrigerant levels, the condition of your coil, and a variety of other factors.
Allowing these professionals to clean the air ducts in your home is also a good idea. Over the years, lots of dust and pollen will remain in these ducts. This will not only lead to lower indoor air quality and it will also make it harder for the cool air to get to the rooms in your home. With a thorough air duct cleaning, you can keep your HVAC unit running efficiently.
Get a Programmable Thermostat Installed
Are you away from your home for the majority of each day? If so, you are probably wasting a lot of energy by allowing your HVAC unit to run all day while no one is there. Fixing this common source of energy waste is easy when investing in a modern programmable thermostat.
With a programmable thermostat, you can save on electricity when you set the temperature higher during the day and lower it from your phone as you head home. The initial cost of one of these programmable thermostats will be worth it considering the long-term energy savings they will provide.
Don’t Wait to Make Your Home Energy-Efficient
The longer you allow these sources of energy waste to linger, the harder it will be to control your monthly expenses. Performing an in-depth energy audit is the best way to pinpoint sources of energy waste in your residence and address them.
Let the Real Work Begin
As you can see, making a home energy-efficient can be challenging. Allowing professionals to perform an in-depth energy audit can be beneficial. With the information from this audit, you can see where changes need to be made.
