My father was the classic energy corporal of the house. If you left a light on in the bathroom on accident, my dad would be hounding you like the over-exuberant hall monitor in junior high when you ran down the hallway. No-nonsense when it comes to conserving energy.
As the weather gets ready to heat up for the summer months, you might also be looking at ways to reduce your energy consumption. Because less energy usage means more dollars in your pocket. And that would make your dad so proud.
This doesn’t mean you have to install solar panels on your roof and read by candlelight in the evening. But even a few simple steps can make a massive difference in your energy use.
So before you crank up the air conditioner to keep up with the rising temperatures, read on for five simple tips to save energy at home.
Turn Off Lights and Electronics When Not in Use
It’s a defeating feeling.
You come home from work and realize you left the bedroom light on all day. Or you left the television broadcasting Good Morning America for the entire morning. Or even worse, the curling iron stayed plugged in on the counter in the bathroom. Gasp!
Start your energy saving journey by getting into the habit of turning off lights and electronics as soon as you are done with them or exit a room. Sure, it might feel annoying to do so as you roam around the house finishing up chores and tying up loose ends. But in the long run, your energy bill will smile at you. Instead of laughing at you as it gets larger and larger.
Replace Traditional Light Bulbs with LEDs
Take a walk around your home and take note of how many incandescent bulbs you have. Replace these with LEDs.
While LED light bulbs are a tad more expensive up front, they are up to 80% more energy efficient than their incandescent counterparts. This is because incandescent bulbs generate far more heat, and thus, drive up your energy consumption.
Visit your local home improvement store and you’ll be able to find LED light bulbs of all sizes to fit your needs.
Get a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats manage your home energy use with efficiency. They ensure that your air conditioning units aren’t working harder than they need to, while also curbing your overall energy and natural gas usage.
Some awesome options for smart thermostats include Nest, Ecobee, and Mysa. But you can find all sorts of options that best fit your budget. Make sure to also research which devices are compatible with your smartphones and home additions, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home. That way, you can easily view all of your home’s energy statistics from your phone.
The other added benefit of owning a smart thermostat is that it tracks your energy usage in real time. Some even display your usage on their digital interface, meaning you can see it on the display when you walk through the hallway. If you have your energy consumption listed right in front of you every day, you are far more likely to reduce your usage overall.
Imagine if my father had a smart thermostat when we were growing up…*gulp*.
Use Less Hot Water
It takes a lot of power and energy to heat water at your home.
Showers, dishwashers, and washers are the primary culprits for excess hot water usage in the home. Yet, simple changes to your routine can drastically reduce your energy bill.
- Run the dishwasher only when it is full
- Start using cold water when doing your laundry
- Reduce the amount of showers you take or turn down the water temperature
You don’t have to join the craze of taking ice baths, but these simple steps can save you a lot of money in the long run. Maybe even more if you do decide to join the Tik Tok trend of regular ice baths. Just saying…
Eliminate Energy Vampires
There are some electronics and appliances that draw power even when they are not in use. We like to call these devices “energy vampires,” because they can suck the life out of your energy bill without you even noticing. These vampires include:
- USB Power Bricks for your smartphone or laptop
- Gaming consoles such as a Playstation or Xbox
- Coffee makers
- Wall chargers
- Printers and scanners
When not using these items, take the time to unplug them and leave them that way until you use them again. Yes, it will be a slight nuisance to have to plug in your coffee machine every morning before your first cup. But what’s worse? A 5-second inconvenience? Or having to pay extra at the end of the month because your Nespresso machine just HAD to be left plugged in all day?
These energy vampires only account for around 5-10% of your home’s energy usage. But by eliminating their constant use, you can start to see more consistent decreases in your consumption and overall bill.
Recap
When looking to lessen the financial blow of your energy bill, take small steps such as these to get started. When you start to investigate how and when you use the most energy, you’ll find that a watchful eye can keep your whole family on track to save energy.
Of course, that makes for a better planet, which makes us all feel good about ourselves. But a reduced bill at the end of the month is enough motivation for all of us to do our part in conserving energy.
Plus, you can forever eliminate the voice in your head from your home’s energy corporal every time you leave the door open with the air conditioner running. After all, we’re not “trying to heat the whole neighborhood,” are we?
For more tips on how you can make big energy changes to your home, including solar panels and energy efficient HVACs, give our office a call. We can point you in the right direction of where to find more information, as well as local companies that can help you make the changes necessary to your home.
