Simple Tips For Saving Energy Around The House

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Not only are we becoming a more eco-friendly society, but we’re also becoming more money conscious as the costs of almost everything has increased over time. While it’s hard to avoid the prices of everyday items like food or gas, one way to save money is through energy efficiency usage. Here are a few tips for saving energy around the house to assist in lowering some of your bills:

1) Change all of the light bulbs in your house to energy-efficient light bulbs.

Because energy-efficient bulbs cost more, people tend to avoid buying them. However, even though you will be spending a couple more dollars at the store now, energy-efficient bulbs help you to save much more over time because they last eight to 15-times longer than regular bulbs. And, not only will you save money, but these bulbs are also better for the environment!

2) Reducing the amount of water you use is one of the best ways to save energy in your household.

Your home has many different sources of water, making it easy to save the amount you’re using.

• Don’t leave the faucet running when you brush your teeth. This may not seem like much, but it will save you thousands of gallons of water a year—bringing your bills and your energy usage down.
• Take shorter showers. Showering can use between 6 to 45 liters of water per minute, and costs you a lot of money.
• Fix any leaking faucets. A leaking faucet can waste thousands of gallons of water a year.
• Use a watering can to water your plants rather than an outdoor hose. This will use less water and will prevent you from drowning your plants.

3) Think before you switch on the air conditioning.

Needlessly using your AC is one of the main energy wasters. Turn on your ceiling fan first. If it is too cold, put on a sweater, or wrap yourself up in a blanket before cranking up the heat. Closing the curtains is also a great way to keep the outside temperature out, leaving your home to either stay cool in the hot summer months or warmer during cold, harsh winters. To maximize the effect of curtains, try placing a chair or other item of furniture against the window to eliminate gaps on the side of the curtain where your homes heating or air source may be escaping.

4) Set and run a schedule with a programmable thermostat is one of the best ways to control costs.

With a programmable thermostat you can set times of day that you want the heat or air conditioning to run. If you and your family are often gone during the day, you can program the thermostat to be a fixed degree, preventing it from running frequently while the home is empty. No more rushing out of the house and forgetting to change the temperature for the day!

5) Unplug electrical devices you aren’t using.

Small electronics such as coffee makers, home entertainment equipment, cable/satellite/ DVR receivers, televisions, cell phone and tablet chargers, home computers, monitors, and printers are all draw phantom energy—energy your electronics are consuming even when switched to the stand-by or off position or energy when they aren’t in use. While individually these devices only use a small amount of energy when in the off or standby position, overtime the total of all the electrical consumption you could be saving by unplugging these items is significant.

For more every day energy savings tips follow Beazer Homes on Facebook and Twitter. Also, learn about how you can save big year-over-year when you live in an ENERGYSTAR ® certified Beazer home.