9 Easy Changes That Can Lower Your Energy Usage By Up To 25%
It’s not uncommon for us to hear that we’ve saved people 15, 20, or even 25% on their energy bills. Did you know that you can save that much again just by making some simple changes around your house?
- Check the seals on doors, windows, and appliances. Drafty doors and windows can be a major source of energy loss. If your heat or air conditioning is escaping, you’re losing money. The same goes for your refrigerator and freezer. If cold air is leaking out, the appliance has to work that much harder.
- Roll your thermostat back a bit. When you’re away—or even just when you’re asleep—set the thermostat back. If you are out of the house for 8 hours a day, and if you set the thermostat back by 10 or 15 degrees while you’re gone—you could save around 10% on your bill.
- Check the temperature settings in your fridge and freezer. You can keep food fresh without making your appliances work quite so hard. Set the temperature in your refrigerator to 38 degrees and your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees.
- Repair any leaks in air ducts. As with the seals on windows and doors, leaky ductwork can be a major source of energy loss. Make sure your heating and cooling system isn’t being overworked.
- Change light bulbs. By switching to LED or compact fluorescent bulbs in just a handful of your most-used fixtures, you could save $75 per year.
- Use dimmer switches. When mood lighting saves you money, you can’t lose!
- Use smart power strips. A lot of electronics devices—particularly those with remote controls—still use electricity even when they’re not being used. Smart power strips can cut off that trickle of energy when you’re not using the device.
- Don’t use hot water for laundry. By using warm or cold water when washing clothes, you can cut your washing machine’s energy usage in half.
- Give your water heater’s temperature a nudge. Lowering the temperature from 140 degrees (the usual setting) to 120 degrees can save the heating costs by 10%. If you’re heading out of town, be sure to turn it down as low as you can.