If you have found that your energy bills are higher than you would like, you may want to make some changes. Not only will changing just a few things help save you money, but these changes will be good for our environment as well. Following are just a few of the ways our homes waste energy.
Improper Insulation
If your home is not properly insulated, your heating and cooling systems have to work twice as hard to keep a stable temperature because the air is getting out through the roof and walls. In addition, windows and doors that are not properly sealed with weather stripping and caulking will also cause you to lose cool air or warmth. It is important to ensure that all windows and doors are sealed properly. When necessary, add insulation to your attic, walls or other areas where air can easily escape and/or enter.
Wasting Energy
Everyday, millions of people around the world waste energy resources. They may not do this intentionally, but by walking out of a room and leaving the light switched on, you are unnecessarily using electricity. A simple switch to the off position would aid in saving energy. Computers that are left on all the time use just as much energy when they are idle as they do while in use. If you are not at your computer, turn it off. This applies to any electronic device that is not being used. Simply remembering to turn off power devices can do a lot to save you money, and cut back on the amount of natural resources you use.
Faulty Appliances
If you have older appliances in your home, there is a good possibility that they may be inefficient, thereby costing you money and draining more natural resources than necessary. Make sure your clothes dryer is working properly. In fact you may want to opt out of using the clothes dryer and switch to hanging your clothes outside on a clothesline to dry in the fresh air. This small step alone will save you quite a bit. Check the temperature on your refrigerator and make sure it is set at about 40 to 45 degrees, and the freezer at 32 degrees. You also may want to consider switching to newer models that are Energy Star certified.
Incandescent Bulbs Vs LED Lighting
Your standard incandescent light bulb generates a lot of heat and pulls quite a bit of electricity. There are now LED light bulbs that will save about 80% of electricity being drawn. These LED light bulbs do not generate heat in the way the incandescent bulbs do so your cooling system will not have to work double time to compensate. While these bulbs are considerably more expensive, they last 10 to 15 years longer (or more) than the incandescent bulbs, and the money saved using them will more than make up for the cost.
These are just a few energy conservation tips you can utilize to save natural resources while saving money in the process. There are many other small things that can be done to save energy, but the main thing is to be smart and use common sense. A little bit of diligence goes a long way. You may want to contact your local power company for more energy conservation tips to use in the home.
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