Ana Weaver
We all try to find ways to save money, from buying food in bulk to walking to work instead of driving. Saving money on energy at home is also a big way that we all use to try and cut some of our daily consumption amounts.
There are many ways that you can reduce the amounts of power that you use, and most of those can be broken down into smaller subsections that can also save power. There are numerous things around the house that all connect back to your power meter outside.
- Thermostat: One of the absolute biggest ways that you can save money and energy at home is to adjust your thermostat. One degree makes a big difference, two degrees even better. You need to adjust the heat down by a couple degrees and move the cooling temp up the same amount. If you find it hard to keep these temperatures because of other people in your family it is time to upgrade to a smart thermostat that you can run from an application on your mobile device, and it can be locked down so no one can adjust it by hand.
- Windows and Doors: If your doors and windows are old, they were more than likely not built with energy saving in mind. You may need to replace the windows and doors. If they are still in good shape (run your hand over the area, and then around the outer edges) you will want to insulate around the window and door jams. Take off the trim pieces and use spray foam in the cracks around the entire length and width. On the bottom of the door, you should see a piece of rubber meant to block the bottom edge from drafts. The sides of the door will also have some rubber around them to help seal the door. Replace all of these.
- Insulation: Insulation can break down over time and stop working properly. If you are planning a remodel, make sure that you improve the insulation in the outer walls of your home. If you can feel a ton of cold coming through the walls you may want to pull the walls down along the outer edges of your home and add better protection in between the walls. The ceiling is another place that insulation can be added to, which will increase the temperature controls inside. You can either climb up there and install the traditional type of insulation, or you can have a company come and spray insulation into your attic.
- Compare: One simple way to decrease the amount of costs, not necessarily the amount that you use, is to use an online comparison site to see if you can get a better rate from another service provider in your area. Check here for more information but remember that the cheapest plan may not always be the best. You need to make sure that the new provider you are considering has a good reputation of keeping their customers supplied with power. Yes, it would decrease the amounts that you use if you didn’t have it, but that is not a situation any of us want to deal with.
- Carpeting: This is a trick that you can use at any time of year. If you have wood floors, tile, or linoleum you will notice that it stays cool. So cool, sometimes, that your feet feel like they are going to freeze off. If you live in an area that is always on the cold side, you should have carpet installed in every room possible. If you live in an area that has seasons you can leave the cold flooring in place during the hot months, and then use throw rugs throughout the house to help trap the heat in.
- Lights: This has been repeated so many times that people have either already switched to energy saving bulbs, or they have chosen to ignore it. Believe it or not this simple step can save some big money on your power bill by the end of the year. Turning lights off when you leave a room is also extremely helpful. If you are finding this hard to do it may be time to upgrade with the times and install smart light switches with sensors. These will turn the lights off automatically after everyone has left the room, and it will turn it back on when someone enters.
- Curtains and Storm Windows: Curtains can be your friend, or your foe. You should have some dark curtains up that fit tightly around the edges of the window. This will help trap the heat in the house by reducing the ability of the inside temperature to seep out. If the sun is shining on a winter day you can open the blinds up and let the sun in to help heat your rooms. Storm windows installed on the outside of the windows will also help reduce the cold from coming in, and the heat from escaping. During the summer it can work the same way. If you want to keep the house cooler close the curtains, and if you want some sunlight open them back up.
- Hot Water: Many of us love to take long, hot showers to relax and loosen up sore muscles. We also like to use warm, or hot, water to do our laundry. Change your washer settings to cold and either turn the temperature of the water down while in the shower or take shorter showers. The hot water tank can also be turned down to make sure that your family members are not using tons of hot water. As you probably know, water heaters take a decent amount of power to run, and when it must run constantly to keep the hot water coming out it will suck even more energy.
These are simple things that you can do to save money and power in your house. Simple little things can make a huge impact upon your bill. Plus, the less energy that you use, the smaller the footprint is that you leave upon the environment. This puts some extra money into your pockets and leaves the Earth in better shape for your kids, and for their kids.