When we’re heating our homes in the dead of winter or cooling down the family with refreshing air conditioning in the blazing heat of summer, we may start to worry about the effects on our utility bills. At a time when all families are looking for ways to decrease monthly expenses, here are a few of our best tips on optimizing your home for best energy practices.
Insulation
Home insulation keeps warm air inside in the winter and cooled air inside in the summer. Holes in insulation or deteriorated material can result in massive energy loss as the heat leaks through the cracks in the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Low Flow Faucets & Fixtures
Fitting your kitchen and bathrooms with specially designed “low-flow” fixtures can reduce water waste during everyday use. A low flow shower head can result in hot water savings of 25-60%, according to American Electric Power.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
The new advances in lighting technology have created simple, cheap solutions to long term energy savings. The new generation of energy saving light bulbs can last up to ten times longer than standard incandescent bulbs and save hundreds of dollars per year by using less energy to produce the same amount of light.
Weather Stripping Doors & Windows
The majority of heat and energy cost gets wasted in poor seals around doors and windows. You thought that draft in the bedroom was just a nuisance but it could actually be costing you hundreds throughout the year by allowing all that valuable heat or conditioned air to escape into the vacuum of the great outdoors. According to Energy Star, air leaks account for thirty to forty percent of heating and cooling loss. Simple weather strips around doors and windows can have a dramatic increase on your utility bills.
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans keep air circulating throughout the house, which prevents air from building up and stagnating in the various nooks and crannies throughout the home. Keeping the air flowing allows for the temperature to even out across the space and keeps your thermostat from misreading the room temperature. Good use of ceiling fans can lower your energy bill by $15-$20.
As you can see, it isn’t always a major endeavor to protect your home from energy waste. A few simple tweaks can change not only your own monthly utility bills but our global carbon footprint.
