With all the modern amenities your home has to
offer, it can be easy to lose track of exactly how much energy your appliances
are using. Closely monitoring your energy usage at home is good for both your
environmental impact and your personal finances, as small uses can quickly add
up. Use these tips to save money and the planet by
lessening your household’s energy consumption.
Choose energy-efficient appliances
Next time you upgrade your appliances,
consider choosing an energy-efficient appliance. Make sure you compare
all your options based on their efficiency and annual utility cost. If you’re
looking for a good resource for information about energy-efficient appliances,
check out Energy Star. Energy Star marks
appliances that fit their criteria for efficiency with their seal of approval.
When shopping for an appliance, look for the Energy Star logo to make sure you
are making an eco-friendly choice.
Use smart plugs and other smart devices
Smart plugs are great tools for scheduling and
controlling energy usage of your appliances or any other device that requires a
wall outlet. Simply plug the smart plug into your electrical outlet, then plug
any device into the smart plug. The smart plug will allow you to control the
flow of electricity to the device that is plugged into it. Most smart plugs are
controlled using either a smartphone app or a voice assistant
like Alexa or Google Assistant. Using apps, you can turn devices on and off
from anywhere in the world, schedule how long you want to keep devices running,
and monitor energy usage and flow to devices.
Insulate and weatherize your home
Making sure your house is sufficiently weatherized and sealed off from
fluctuating outdoor temperatures can help you save a lot on energy costs.
Consider hiring a professional to identify and seal all the weak points in your
house where cool or warm air can flow in or escape.
Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs
Are you still using incandescent light bulbs
in your lighting fixtures? It might be time to swap them out for something more
energy efficient. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last much longer than
incandescent bulbs. Some energy-efficient light bulbs also have smart
properties that allow the user to turn them on and off using a voice assistant
or a mobile app.
Add motion sensors to outdoor lighting
Motion sensors are a common tool for managing
the energy use of outdoor lighting. Not only are motion
sensors energy efficient, they are also convenient. They allow you to turn on
your lights simply by walking near them. They can really come in handy when
taking out the trash or walking your dog at night.
Turn off the lights when you exit a room
This is a simple tip that can have a huge
impact on your utility bill. Make it a habit to switch off the lights as soon
as you exit a room. It may sound like a small thing, but all the extra energy
usage can add up if you regularly leave lights on when you are not using them.
Switch out or clean your old shower head
Old, weathered shower heads can accumulate
hard water and slow down water flow. By switching out your old shower head, you
can save up to $145 a year on your
electric bill. Alternatively, you can clean the hard water buildup from your
old shower head by soaking it in white vinegar.
Cut back on your shower time
Bathing makes up a large portion of water
usage in many homes. Showers generally put out 2.1 gallons of water every
minute. If you are looking to cut back on energy and water usage, consider
shortening the duration of your showers. Keep in mind that by showering for
less than 10 minutes, you are using less water than a full bathtub holds.
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