Simple Tips to Reduce Your Home Energy Consumption

With the economy the way it is, many people are on the lookout for tips and tricks that can save them money. Heating and cooling is the largest energy related expense for most homes as it accounts for about 56% of the overall energy used by a household. There are some simple things you can do around your house to save money on this expense. Changing filters on furnaces once a month or as needed, does not limit the benefits to saving energy, it ensures that the furnace is maintained and gets adequate attention to prevent any accidents that result out of negligence or lack of upkeep. Make sure your radiators and baseboard heaters aren't blocked by any carpeting, drapes, or other objects. Clean your radiators and baseboard heaters regularly. Placing a heat-resistant radiator reflector between the radiator and exterior walls of a home or apartment, ensures appropriate heat disbursement rather than placing the radiator against the wall as it wastes energy and increases the utility bill.

Most people own ceiling fans; a logical and easy way to lower temperatures and get the maximum benefit out of them is to, turn them on so that the blades rotate clockwise. This movement pushes the warm air down so that the room's occupants enjoy a cool breeze during the summer.

If you have a ceiling fan, use it in the summer time along with your air conditioner. If you have your ceiling fan on, you will be able to raise your temperature on your thermostat by 4 degrees without noticing a difference in your comfort level. Turn off kitchen fans and the ventilating fans in the bathroom 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing to keep the warm air in the room. Insulate your water heater and hot water pipes to prevent heat loss.

To save on your water heater bill, which accounts for 14-25% of your energy use, make sure you're not running your dishwasher or washing machine unless it is a full load. You can shorten your time in the shower or bath by just 5 minutes. If you can eliminate taking baths you would lower your hot water heater bill and water bill because you use less water when you take a shower. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees. Make sure to repair leaky faucets as soon as you see the leak, nobody wants to pay for water that is going to waste.

By doing little things, depending on the season, you can save even more money. During the winter make sure to keep your blinds or drapes, on your south facing windows, open to allow the sunlight to warm your house and close them at night to reduce the chill from the windows. If you lower your thermostat to 65 degrees for 8 hours a day, you can save 10% on your heating bill; the best time for this may be at night when everyone is tucked in their beds. Check your windows and doors for any cold air that may be coming in and fix the problem. During the summer, close your blinds during the day to prevent the heat from the sun to warm your house. Set your thermostat as high as you are comfortable with to lower your energy bill. You can save 10% on your air conditioner bill if you are able to plant trees or bushes near your air conditioner unit to provide shade for it, just don't block the airflow.

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Comments

Sun, 17 May 2009 at 1:11 AM, by Mike
An energy audit can help you figure out the steps that make the most sense for you and your home. Regarding the home energy audit, it’s important to get the right audit–accurate and actionable and looking at the right things like duct leakage, air infiltration, and equipment efficiency and combustion safety and an analysis of utility bills. For a bit more background on audits and additional links, follow my post at http://greenhomesamerica.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/home-energy-audits-2/
Thanks and good luck!
Mike

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