How to Conserve Energy in Your Home
Implementing good energy-use habits in your household will provide a host of benefits to your family in both the immediate and distant future. Learning simple ways to save energy will not only cut down on the cost of your utility bills, but will also reduce stress on our local energy generation and distribution systems, reduce the amount of air pollutants released into the the environment, and cut down on the depletion of non-renewable resources like coal, petroleum, and natural gas. What’s not to love about that?
Energy Efficient Heating & Air Habits
Whether you rent an apartment or own a single-family house, keeping your home heated and cooled can be costly when temperatures are at their most extreme! Keep these techniques in mind and share them with your family to conserve cooled and heated air when you need it most.
- During periods of warm temperatures, plan to do your heat and humidity creating chores in the mornings or evenings. Avoid activities like running your dishwasher, taking hot showers, and doing laundry in the middle of hot, humid days.
- When you’re at work or away from your home during the day, keep your windows down and covered by curtains and shades to prevent excess heat from entering. These same practices can reduce heat loss in the winter. You can even invest in energy saving window treatments to better insulate your home.
- Cut down on the time you would typically run exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom to avoid losing cool air.
- Use ceiling fans to supplement cold air flow coming from your HVAC unit during warmer seasons, then change them to run clockwise during the winter to trap heat inside your rooms.
- Consider investing in solar roof tiles or panels if you're able to make the investment.
- Before leaving your home for 8 hours or more, set your thermostat to 80 degrees or higher in the summer and to 60 degrees in the winter, or invest in a smart thermostat like a Nest to keep energy usage optimized and temperatures comfortable.
- If you're building a new home or it’s time to upgrade your HVAC unit, choose one that is ENERGY STAR approved.
How to Conserve Energy in Your Home with Simple Household Habits
These simple habits can go a long way in keeping energy usage low every month of the year!
- Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees or even cooler if you plan to be away from your home.
- Turn off lights and electronics when you leave a room.
- Replace your light bulbs with energy-saving CFL bulbs, which use only 25% of the energy that regular bulbs do, and last about 10 times as long!
- If you have a desktop computer in your home, turn it off when you’re not using it. The monitor is especially costly to run.
Conserving Energy When Cooking & Cleaning
It’s not just heating and air conditioning that can hike up the amount you spend on energy during extreme weather months. Common activities like cooking and cleaning can also contribute. Be mindful of the following tips to save money and energy throughout the year.
- Stock your freezer. A full freezer is more energy efficient than one that’s empty because food retains cold temperatures.
- To thaw frozen food, set it out in advance or use the microwave instead of running it under hot water.
- Use your microwave, toaster, or crock pot instead of your oven to cook smaller meals.
- Keep your oven clean so that it uses energy more efficiently when you do use it.
- Try to use the oven light and timer to gauge the doneness of your dish instead of opening your oven.
- Make sure your refrigerator door fits properly, as a loose gasket will cause cold air to leak.
- Do not run any additional refrigerators or freezers unless they’re necessary for your family’s food storage. These appliances can tack an additional $100-150 per year onto your electricity bills.
- Stop your dishwasher when it begins its dry cycle and allow your dishes to air dry.
- Only wash clothes with hot water when they’re very dirty. Otherwise, they can be washed with cold or warm water.
- Clean your dryer’s lint trap after each use to keep the machine efficient and prevent a fire hazard.
- If it’s time to upgrade your kitchen appliances or washer/dryer, look for those that are ENERGY STAR approved.
Commit to Conserving Energy Today!!
It doesn’t take much to significantly cut down on your home’s costs and energy loss. We at Fuller Land & Development take this cause to heart because these helpful habits not only save our clients money but they make our environment better, as well! To learn more about how we implement environmentally friendly practices in our business, give us a call!
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