Having lower energy costs is something that we all need to strive for to save money and decrease our carbon footprint. Here are four things that you will be surprised to realize can lower your energy costs. Have a look at them and improve your energy efficiency at home.
Update or Replace Your Windows
Since the heat gained and lost through the windows is responsible for between 25% to 30% of heating and cooling energy used in residential areas, it’s important to minimize it. This can be done by updating your home’s windows if they’re old and ensuring to seal any cracks. Don’t forget to update any worn weather stripping so that you fully insulate your home. If your windows are old and completely aged, it will be best to replace them altogether. When you do this, go for modern ones with double panes. These will be a lot more insulating than single-pane windows so you will make even more savings as far as your energy use is concerned.
Pack Your Freezer Full
If you have a freezer, you may not be aware that it will run a lot more optimally if it’s packed full. Whenever possible, therefore, do your best to ensure that it’s full and has no large spaces at any given time. You can do this by doing complete grocery shopping so you have healthy and necessary items inside it. This will actually be another way of helping you maintain lower expenses. Shopping in bulk will often cost a bit less than buying a few items in small quantities and over a number of trips to the store. Aim to keep your freezer full at all times so you can enjoy more efficient use of energy.
Plant Trees
If you’re one among the roughly 90% of homeowners who believe that it’s important to maintain their yard well, you have the right idea of keeping a green environment. Two out of three people who own backyards also say that they would consider hiring a professional tree service to take care of the trees in their yard. This is an extremely important thing to do as far as energy efficiency goes. More trees in the environment mean healthier surroundings and more protection from extreme weather. Since they can provide shade from the bright sunlight and break high-speed winds, you will do well to have more trees in your environment. Healthy, mature trees also provide a great place to play and relax for children and adults alike, and when you can get this from your yard, you won’t need to go miles in search of a park to relax in.
Don’t Leave Devices on Standby
Finally, it’s important to know that many electronic devices go into standby mode when they’re not used for a certain period of time. While they will appear to be off, they will still be on and they will therefore be consuming energy. Over a number of nights, this energy adds up to a lot and will cost you money that you could have saved. From displays and mobile devices to kitchen appliances and more, you need to be sure that items not in use are turned off. With just 7% of users making it to the third page when using a search engine, it’s clear that most of what people need to find online will be covered sufficiently in the first two pages. You can use this information to check online for power strips and other devices that will help you ensure that things that have been left plugged in aren’t still consuming energy.
From the tips above, you’ve hopefully found a few things that will enable you to make more energy savings around the house. Use them and see your energy bill drop.
