Looking to save down on the expenditures of heating and cooling your home?
You have the option of purchasing brand-new home appliances that use much less energy. You have the option of relocating to a house that uses less energy. You might perhaps begin with the easiest things to solve first.
Here are some simple methods that you may lower your monthly energy cost and help the environment at the same time.
- Adjust the temperature on the thermostat by turning it down in the winter and up in the summer.
The best time for you to save money is typically while you’re asleep or when you’re not at home; many thermostats can be programmed to adjust themselves automatically, so you don’t even have to give it a second thought.
The following is what the Department of Energy claims:
If you put your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours, you may save 5 to 15% on your heating bill annually. That works out to a savings of as much as 1% for each degree, assuming the setback period is eight hours long.
- When the doors, windows, and chimney flue of your fireplace are not in use, be sure to keep them closed.
Your dad had it right when he said that there is no use in spending money to heat the exterior of the house.
Having trouble knowing how to shut off your fireplace? There are a variety of manuals, including video lessons, that may be accessed for free on the internet.
- Invest in energy-saving light bulbs.
When compared to standard incandescent bulbs, the cost of the bulbs may be more up front, but over the course of their lifetime, they will save you money. Traditional light bulbs have a shorter lifespan and use more energy than their more energy-efficient counterparts.
There are certain energy suppliers, such as Duke Power in North Carolina, who will even provide you with free energy-efficient light bulbs if you ask for them.
- Keep your water heater set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
You might also try to take shorter showers and use less hot water in general, which will bring us neatly into our next piece of advice…
- Always use cold water when washing your clothes.
Also, try not to spend an excessive amount of time drying your items. The warmth from the dryer is maintained even after it has been switched off, so your clothes will continue to dry even after you remove it.
- Connect all of your electrical wires to a power strip.
Then, if you’re not using any of the equipment, make sure the power strip is turned off. Because of this, the electronic gadgets will not act as “energy vampires” while they are not being used. By turning off electricity when it is not being used, advanced power strips may make your house even more energy efficient.
- Change the settings on your computer so that it uses less energy.
Check the instructions provided by your operating system to determine how to setup your computer most effectively. When you are not using your computer, putting it into sleep mode or turning it off completely will conserve energy.
Information is available for a variety of operating systems via Energy Star.
- Invest in a portable heater for the room.
You could also discover that certain members of your home like a little warmer temperature in their rooms than the energy-saving thermostat practices you have implemented are able to provide.
In situations like these, a portable heater might be of assistance. But please be careful! Burns and flames are possible outcomes of using space heaters. Visit the Department of Energy’s website for more information.
- Get some draft stoppers.
Tubes are generally positioned beneath a door in order to act as draft stoppers and prevent airflow. You can create your own draft stoppers if you’re a person with a good deal of manual dexterity. Take a look at some of the examples that are available on Etsy for some ideas. Alternately, you could simply wrap up a towel to give it a more practical appearance.
- Pay attention to the windows that face south.
These windows have a propensity for letting in sunlight, so take use of that fact. In the winter, leaving the curtains on south-facing windows open allows the sun to heat your house; in the summer, however, closing the curtains helps keep your home from being too warm.
You will be able to reduce the amount of energy you need to heat or cool your house with this method.
