Saving on your home energy bill

Hi Folks,

Here’s post number three in my “save money by saving energy” articles.

I hope you can use these tips to save money on next months utility bills.

Now, I’m off  for a walk at Falls Park and downtown Greenville. One beautiful place to take a stroll.

Woody

Saving on your home energy bill

With the increasing cost of energy, we need to take measures to limit our energy consumption. Saving energy has now become a must.

Heating and Cooling:

Almost half of your energy bill goes for heating and cooling your home. So if you want to maximize your savings here are a few things you can do:

Replace your ac/furnace filters as recommended by the manufacturer.

Keep your baseboard heaters, radiators, and warm-air registers clean. Be sure they are working properly and that they are not blocked by drapes, carpeting, and furniture.

Set the thermostat as high as is comfortable when it is hot and as low as is comfortable when it is cold.

Turn off exhaust fans (kitchen, bath, others) 20 minutes after cooking or bathing. Keeping them on for a longer time affects the temperature of the room.

Lighting and Appliances:

As much as possible, use natural lights – working near a window will prevent you from turning on the light and consuming electricity. Utilize the power of the sun.

Switch off the lights when you leave a room for five minutes or longer. 

If you are using fluorescent lights, install reflective backings to maximize the light.

Switch to compact fluorescent lights. These are tremendous energy savers.

Turn off all lights and appliances when not in use. Unplug appliances like television, stereos, computers, VCRs, and battery chargers when they are not in use. These appliances consume energy when they are plugged in.

Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing lighting product and appliances.

Use task lighting instead of lights that cover the entire room. For example, use lamps when reading and not the overhead lights.

Laundry:

Washing your clothes in cold water will reduce your washer’s energy consumption by as much as 90%. Drying your clothes on an outside line drastically cuts your energy bill (and your clothes smell great).

Always do full loads whenever possible. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water level and wash setting.

Refrigerator:

Maintain the correct temperature for your freezer and refrigerator.

Do not hold the refrigerator or freezer door open. Energy consumption increases dramatically when the compressor has to run just to maintain the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer while the door is open.

Check for leaks and cracks in the door gaskets. Make sure that your refrigerator is completely sealed to maintain the temperature inside.

Insulation:

Heat loss occurs when your house is not properly insulated and sealed. Use sealants and weather-stripping around windows and doors.

Make sure that the openings around pipes, ducts, and electrical conduit are sealed where they enter the house. A properly insulated home saves as much as 10% on electric bills.

Of a typical household’s electric and gas bill, 44% goes for heating and cooling the home; 33% goes for lights and appliances; 14% goes for heating water; and 9% goes for the refrigerator/freezer.

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