9 Best Practices for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

9 Best Practices for Making Your Home More Efficient

As everything we need in todays world continues to endlessly rise in price, there are a few things you can do around your home to save a couple dollars. Combining some of these energy saving tips could really add up to some extra pocket money each month!

  1. Use your appliances wisely! Your brand new energy efficient washer and dryer are great for saving energy, but make sure you’ve read and understand the proper operating methods for your new appliances. Once you know about all of the energy saving features of your new washing machine, refrigerator, or air conditioning and heating system, you’ll be able to maximize their use while minimizing your energy bill.
  2. Create some shade around your home and plant a tree. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but that doesn’t mean you’re too late now! By planting a tree outside on the side of your home that receives the most sunlight in the summer, you’ll be able to shade your house from the intense summer sunlight and keep your home a little cooler. Make sure to do your research about the type of tree you are going to plant and how large it will grow. For more information, read this article about fast-growing shade trees.
  3. Do you still have incandescent bulbs? It’s time to ditch those old-school incandescent bulbs and switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. The new CFL bulbs are much better than they were even just a few years ago, offering different styles and color temperatures for a variety of light fixtures and applications. Plus switching just one incandescent bulb to a CFL saves approx. $40 over the lifetime of the bulb. Imagine if you switched all the light bulbs in your home! For a great tool from the Energy Star website visit their energy efficient light bulbs page, there’s even a neat calculator to see how much different light bulbs cost to operate.
  4. Get into the habit of replacing your air filters. The air filters in your heating & air conditioning systems should be replaced monthly. This is usually a simple task that only takes a minute or two to complete but can help your HVAC system run more efficiently. Not only will changing your air filters help cut down on your utility bills, it also reduces strain and wear on the unit.
  5. Setting your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit is a simple and easy way to reduce wasteful energy usage. If you need help doing this please call your local Expert Plumber. They should also be able give you some tips and ideas to make your home more efficient!
  6. Raise the temperature inside by one degree. Turning your thermostat up by just one degree in the summer months can really cut down on your energy consumption and your utility bills.
  7. Only running full loads in your dishwasher reduces the amount of hot water you use and can cut down on the number of times you need to run the dishwasher.
  8. Open the windows on days when the temperature outside is comfortable! Not only will this keep your home comfortable without running your HVAC system, you’ll be able to enjoy the fresh air inside your home!
    1. Hang your laundry outside to dry instead of using your dryer. Obviously you wouldn’t want to hang your laundry outside in the middle of winter, but while the weather is warm use a laundry line outside and let mother nature dry your clothes for you!

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