Sometimes it seems like we’re always trying to save energy. Well it’s true! Energy consumption is a serious problem in our world. As we switch to electric cars, it’s going to become an even more serious issue as our production will need to accommodate this new drain. Our homes use a huge amount of energy. Keeping ourselves comfortable is one of our biggest expenses. There are ways to save energy though, and with that, ways to save yourself a lot of money on your energy bill.
Tips on Lowering Your Energy Bill
Whether you are running on all electricity, gas or propane for heat and energy to your house, it’s expensive. There’s not a lot of people out there saying “gee, I wish my bills were much higher every month”. Despite that fact, there’s a lot of people who don’t do some very basic things that could allow them to save a lot of money and save energy.
- Insulation! - Insulation should be everywhere! Use it in your walls. Use it in your basement. Use it in the roof. It’s one of the most important aspects of heat management. Some people think that insulation keeps you hot all year round. It keeps you cool in the summer by keeping that warm air out!
- Seal Drafts - You don’t want to lose heat in the winter out of drafts at your windows and doors. Sealing these drafts will actually provide you with a significant drop in your energy costs.
- Better Bulbs - People have already started switching to CFL and LED light bulbs. However this needs to continue!
- Energy Star Appliances - If you’re replacing your current appliances, it’s well worth it to choose energy star appliances that are well rated and will use less energy. Even if they are more expensive when you purchase them, the long term savings are going to more than outweigh the additional initial cost.
- Reduce the phantom drain - Anything you keep plugged in is going to use up a small amount of electricity. Things like chargers and coffee machines don’t really need to be plugged in all the time. Make use of power bars and switches that can completely turn off the electricity that is going to these items and it will
- Take up knitting - Or at least know someone who knows how to knit… what we’re trying to say is that when it gets cold, don’t turn up the temperature on your thermostat. Just put on a sweater. If you get too hot, take that sweater off! Just a few degrees on the thermostat will save you a lot of money when it comes time to pay the bills.
- Turn off the lights - Another common sense tip that people still seem to ignore for some reason. If you’re not in a room, then it doesn’t need to be lit up. It’s a waste of energy and when combined with energy inefficient lights, it’s wasting you a lot of money!
- Measure Laundry - You don’t want to do half washing loads. It doesn’t make sense. However if you overload your washer, the dryer is not going to have enough open air within it to actually dry the clothing. This means possibly running it two or three times just to dry the clothing. Measure the load in the dryer before you put it in the washing machine. Leave one quarter of the dryer empty for air flow.
