You only have so many hours in the day, so it makes sense to look at the biggest energy wasters in your home before dealing with the smaller issues. According to Mozo, saving electricity is easy once you figure out what appliances are raising your bill the most. Take care of these issues and enjoy a greener home.
Light Bulbs
Your light bulbs could be costing you big. Use the lowest wattage lights that you can get for your appliances. Just because your ceiling fan states that you need 100-watt light bulbs doesn’t mean you can’t go lower. Purchase only energy-efficient fluorescent lights to light up your home. They can often provide brighter, more natural-looking light and save you money at the same time.
Home Arrangement
Make sure to arrange you home in a way that is conducive to saving energy. Proper airflow is important to keeping your room cool or warm. When you have central heating and cooling, your house should be set up to provide optimal airflow throughout the house. Don’t shut any doors, and make sure all the vents are open. Get a temperature gauge to see the temperature in each room, and close the vents in the rooms that are getting too much heat or air. Open the vents in rooms that are too hot or too cold.
Check Insulation
Check to make sure all your insulation is in the proper place. Seal any cracks in the windows to help keep costs down. While it’s rare in the U.S. to use anything less than double-pane windows, consider getting double- or triple-paned windows to improve your insulation. Single-pane windows have no ability to keep warm and cool air from entering and leaving the house.
Appliances
The appliances in your home that use the most energy include the fridge, washing machine and television. Purchase energy-saving versions, and make sure to keep your fridge on an appropriate setting to keep your food at the right temperature. Be smart about how you dress, and wear less clothing in the summer and more in the winter. Many televisions have special menu settings that can make them more energy-efficient, which you can acquire with Discountrue coupons for Sears. If you tend to fall asleep at the television, make sure to set a sleep timer.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to save money in your house. Replace your old and aging appliances with new appliances. When you go to look for new items, check the Energy Star rating to see how much you can save per year. In many cases, you can offset the cost of your purchases by getting highly efficient appliances.
