Paying a lot of money every month for electricity, gas, and so on can burn a hole in your pocket, so logically, many people seek new ways to lower their energy consumption. With how expensive modern life is, you need to save every penny. So, why waste money on energy when you can take active steps to get lower bills? You do not have to turn your life upside down to rationalize your consumption. With some simple steps, you can save money for more important things. Check out the following methods that you can employ.
Also did you know a fun fact that the Wrigley building in Chicago was the first to have air conditioning?
Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your HVAC
HVAC systems suck energy like there is no tomorrow, so by optimizing how your HVAC works, you can save tons of money. The first step you need to take is to keep your unit well-maintained. Not changing the filters often can lead to higher bills. Dirty, clogged filters make your system require more energy to effectively heat or cool the house. Also, adjusting the thermostat in your home can greatly reduce your energy consumption. For example, the UK government and the World Health Organization point out that you should keep the temperature of your rooms at 18oC or 64oF. On the other hand, if you have young children or old people in your family, then you should set it to 20oC or 68oF. In any case, the temperature should not be lower than 18oC or exceed 24oC (75oF). Moreover, buy fans to help your HVAC heat or cool the rooms better. Ceiling fans spread the air around your house; thus, your HVAC will consume less energy. To go the extra mile, close any rooms you are not using to avoid wasting the hot or cool air produced by your unit.
Invest in Good Insulation
To help your HVAC unit perform better and require less energy, look for any cracks or holes that can allow draughts in or let the heat seep in. So, ensuring that your home is well-insulated can go a long way towards reducing your energy usage. All you need to do is to look for such openings, and then you can seal them using calque or sweeps. Generally, any of the previous methods are quite effective and do not require a professional, so you can actually install them yourself. Also, you can get curtains to block heat or cool air.
Buy Power Strips
If you think that your appliances are not consuming energy when turned off, then you are in for a big surprise. When you keep your appliances plugged in, they use up much energy even if you are not using them! In fact, up to 75% of your energy usage can be attributed to such appliances. So, you should unplug them when not in use. However, this can be inconvenient to do every time you want to switch off a device. Instead, you can invest in power strips; just flip the switch the power strip has to stop your devices from using electricity. It is akin to unplugging them. Moreover, you can get smart power strips, which can be set to “unplug” your appliances at a specific time.
Get Energy-Efficient Appliances
There is no better way to ensure that you are using less energy than purchasing new, energy-efficient home appliances. For example, ditch your boiler for a smart water heater. Boilers heat all the water in your home even if you are not using it. On the other hand, smart water heaters conserve energy by storing hot water in their tanks, helping you save some money. These heaters can be 300% more energy-efficient than other models! Additionally, energy-efficient clothes washers use up 45% less water and 25% less energy. Just keep in mind that energy-efficient appliances are more expensive than traditional ones. So, you will pay more at first, but you will save much more in the long term.
Change Your Bulbs
Even things as small as light bulbs can be big energy hogs. By just replacing your bulbs, you can significantly reduce your energy usage and lower your bills. Look for LED bulbs because they use 80% less energy than traditional ones. Furthermore, they also last longer, so you can get the best of both worlds: save money and enjoy long-lasting products.
Saving energy does not have to be overly complicated. With a little bit of effort, you can stop energy hogs in your house from making you pay higher energy bills every month. Maintaining your HVAC system, unplugging your devices, purchasing energy-efficient appliances, and so on are all effective methods of doing so. Not only will you save money, but you will become more eco-conscious as well.