One of the most effective ways to trim your budget and do something good for the environment is through energy efficiency. Today’s homeowners are finding that even minor adjustments to energy consumption and management pay off in a big way as they seek to cut their energy bills and costs, in many cases by 20-30% monthly. These benefits go beyond the financial impact they also reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a better, more sustainable future for all of us.
Knowing How Much Energy You’re Using
Understanding where your house uses the most energy is the first step to a more efficient take on things. Heating and cooling are responsible for almost half the energy use in a typical home, followed by water heating, lighting, and appliances. A basic home energy audit can help determine the largest opportunities for energy savings.
Take a walk around your house and take stock of where you feel drafts, what rooms consistently run too warmly or too cold, and which appliances you feel are always running. Simply request a professional energy audit (which many utility companies offer for free or at a discount) for specific recommendations on how you can improve your energy efficiency.
Optimization of Heating and Cooling
The biggest area of savings potential lies with your HVAC system. Begin with a regular schedule of changing air filters — dirty filters cause systems to work harder and consume more energy. Programmable thermostats can do the work of adjusting the temperature when you’re not home or while you’re sleeping, saving you potentially hundreds of dollars a year.
- Good insulation in the attic, basement, and crawl spaces
- Caulking windows, doors, and other openings to reduce air leaks
- Employing ceiling fans to help air circulation better
The few degrees you save adds up!
Water Heating Efficiency
Most homes use a lot of hot water in the shower. Lower your water heater temperature to 120°F — most households won’t even be able to tell the difference (but you will see lower payments on every bill).
Use low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, and other water-conservation products to save hot water without skimping on performance. By insulating your water heater and the first few feet of hot water pipe, you can reduce heat loss and the amount of energy it takes to keep water at a consistent temperature.
Upgrades to your lighting and appliances
LED light bulbs consume 80% less power than traditional incandescent light bulbs and on average last 30,000 hours.What’s more, our LED bulbs only cost $0.72 to operate per year, and last longer than a traditional bulb. Start with the bulbs in your most used fittings to maximize savings.
Purchase ENERGY STAR appliances when you need to replace them as they consume as much as 50% less energy than standard models. Even if you have perfectly good appliances, calculate the potential savings on your utility bill — sometimes the energy savings are worth replacing an appliance earlier than planned.
Smart Technology Solutions:
- Thermostats that know when you’re home and when you’re not
- Smart power strips that automatically shut off phantom loads
- Real-time consumption tracking power monitoring systems
- Timers for lights and electronics.
- Unplug electronics and chargers when dormant; lots of gadgets still pull power down when turned off. This “phantom load” can represent 10% of your electricity use.
Wrapping Up
With energy efficiency gains deliver cost savings as well as environmental benefits. Begin with some inexpensive fixes that can be installed easily, such as caulking and low energy light bulbs, and then work your way up to costlier structural improvements such as insulation and new appliances — much the same way you play a progressive slots machine. So don’t forget, good sealant and weatherproofing is the first step in creating the energy efficient home, that pays you back for years to come; quality means that you’re going to get years of great savings on that investment. Yes — because an energy-saving kilowatt-hour means moola in your pocket — that’s why a green home pays.