Whether you are interested in doing your part for the environment or simply saving a few dollars on your utility bills, home energy savings tips can certainly help you. You’d like to spend less each month, right? I would, too, so I’ve devoted a little time this week to finding some easy things everyone can do to conserve energy.
Let the sunshine in! Let Mother Nature take responsibility for heating some of your house during the winter months by opening the curtains on south-facing windows during the day. Be sure to close them, though, at night to keep the night’s cold air from chilling your rooms.
Help your heating and cooling systems do their jobs. You can do a lot to help your HVAC systems work efficiently by keeping your registers free from dust or dirt. You should also keep your furnace’s filters regularly.
Use landscaping to shelter your home. Trees aren’t just a lovely addition to your yard. A well-positioned tree or two can offer your home cooling shade and protect it from harsh winter winds. Don’t worry if you can’t afford large trees; you can always plant smaller, more inexpensive trees and wait for them to grow.
Air dry your clothes whenever possible. Hanging your clothes from a clothesline rather than running your dryer can save energy and keep your clothes looking great. You also won’t have to worry about trying to cool your house after the dryer heats it up.
Turn off electronics when they are not in use. Electronics that are left on or in standby mode can suck up a great deal of electricity. I have to admit that I’m still working on this one; I tend to let my desktop computer run in standby mode for days on end because I forget that it’s on. Now, I’m trying to make more of an effort to remember to shut it down entirely when I’m done using it.
Use motion sensors to manage room lighting. These sensors will turn on the light fixture in a room whenever they detect someone entering the room. After a period of dormancy, they will also turn the lights back off. You won’t have to walk around the house flipping switches at bedtime anymore.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
CFL’s are great for those high usage lights. Don’t run the oven when the A/C is on. Don’t stand there with the flippin’ door open
What I find to be a key in this area is the effective and timely opening and closing of windows and doors during the day and evening.
Second, run major appliances in the evening if at all possible. Mostly referring to the dishwasher and the washer and dryer.
First, they can either help heat at nite or prevent your house from heating up during the day. Second, in some areas electricity costs significantly more money during daytime peak usage hours
Another great way to save money is to join a loyalty membership. I use http://www.cashforgasandgroceries.com and get a $25 Visa gift card each month just for shopping at the same grocery store or gas station. It’s simple, all I do is mail in my receipts each month.