17 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON ENERGY
·
Get a home energy audit every
couple of years with your power company to find ways to cut costs.
·
Check with your utility company
for rebates whenever you install energy-saving equipment.
·
Add more energy-efficient insulation to your attic, with the
appropriate R-value,
or resistance to heat flow, for your climate and the type of heating in your
house..
· Turn down your home
thermostat two degrees and save 24 kilowatt hours a month. It might not sound
like much, but it adds up.
· Buy a programmable
thermostat, especially if your home is vacant most of the day. Set it to turn on
a half hour before anyone arrives home.
· Adjust your thermostat to a
comfortable temperature and wait. Turning your thermostat up or down
dramatically wastes energy and increases your heating costs.
· Lower your hot water
thermostat 10 degrees, but no lower than 120 degrees. You'll still get all the
hot water you need and save 25 kilowatt hours a month.
· Fix leaky faucets -- one drip
a second is 20 kilowatts a month.
· Invest in weather-stripping
kits if you've got drafty doors.
· Trade your standard
candescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more energy-efficient,
last for years instead of months, consume little power and generate little heat.
· Turn off your computer when
not in use, or use the energy-saving "sleep" mode.
· Seal energy leaks. Caulk over
cracks and small holes around windows and exterior walls. Look carefully around
plumbing pipes, telephone wires, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains and under
countertops.
· Participate in your power
company's special energy-saving program. Some programs shut down electric
appliances for short bursts of time during peak hours. You hardly notice the
difference -- except in your bill.
· Buy major appliances that
sport the "Energy Star" sticker. That shows the appliance meets or exceeds
standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection
Agency.
· Consider a front-loading
washing machine. They use 50 percent less energy and one-third less water. Plus,
they remove far more water in the rinse cycle, and that translates into big
savings in dryer time.
· When building a home or
replacing a roof, select a roof based more on energy efficiency than on how it
looks. Light-colored roofs, such as white, galvanized metal or cement tile, do
the best job of reflecting the sun, and cool quickly at night.
·
Landscaping with the right mix of trees and shrubs can lower your energy bills
by blocking winter winds or the summer sun.
BACK
