With the new year comes a new focus on saving money – one way that you can save money (and help the environment) is to reduce your energy usage. Here are some simple ways that you can cut your energy bill.
If you don't need it, turning off your lights will save you money.
1) Change you light bulbs – The price of compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs have dropped dramatically plus in many areas they’re a local subsidies to reduce the cost even further. The selection of light bulbs has also increased, including enclosed bulbs that hide the curly shape. These CFLs typically use only 25% of the energy a regular light bulb would. The one suggest is to be mindful if you are replacing light bulbs that are used on dimmers or electronic switches; special CFL bulbs – labeled clearly on the package – that work with dimmers are required and I have yet to find a CFL bulb that works on an electronic switch. With as many lights as we have in our homes, there are plenty of opportunities to replace bulbs and save some electricity.
2) Watch out for Phantom Loads – Home appliances and equipment should be turned off when not in use. Many electronics (e.g., computers, TVs, and coffee makers) continue to use energy even while turned off, but still plugged in. For example, if you have a new LCD or Plasma TV, turn off your TV and all your lights so that it is dark and look at your TV; do you see any lights? You probably do and those lights, no matter how small, are using power. I recently measured the amount of energy that my TV was using while OFF, it turns out it uses about 1kWh per day or $0.0643/day or about $23.50 per year! Using power strips to completely turn off electronics are excellent ways to make sure devices are shut off so no energy is wasted.
3) Upgrade to energy efficient and properly sized appliances – This does require some investment but if you are purchasing new appliances make sure you look at the energy requirements and make sure you buy one that fits your needs. In the case of many household appliances bigger isn’t always better. Even if a freezer is half full, the entire freezer still needs to be kept cold. The same goes for dishwashers, washers, dryers, and electric heaters.
4) Install a POWER-SAVE – As you may have read in other posts, a POWER-SAVE is a energy management device that reduces the spikes of required electricity. The blower in your furnace, your washer and dryer, a fan in your attic, all have motors that take a large surge of energy to get going. The watt watcher collects this power over time and keeps it on standby so that it is ready when needed. This reduces your overall energy usage and your bill.
5) Turn off the lights and lower the heat – we all enjoy a bright, warm, and welcoming home however it can add up quickly. Consider only keep a few key lights on as necessary and installing a programmable thermostat. Flip a switch to save some money.
