You typically expect energy bills to spike midsummer and midwinter. The heat index crests, and your air conditioning turns on thirty-seven times throughout the day instead of the usual eleven. During the winter, your heating system takes over your utility bill. You accept both realities despite how painful they are to your budget.
Whether your utility bill proves exorbitant during an odd month or you just want to cut back on expenses, you can do more to save on electric and gas costs every month. Regardless of why you want to save money, the following seven tips and tricks will help you find how you’re wasting energy and what you can do to rectify the issue so you can start saving now.
1. Assess Your Energy Use
Before you can save money, you have to know where your money is going. Monthly utility bills are a good place to start because they show what systems cost you the most. The usual suspects tend to be the water heater and HVAC (heating and air conditioning) system.
To get more granular, invest in a home energy monitor. Your electricity or gas provider may provide one or email you a weekly energy report to show you where you may be wasting energy. However, consider using a smart energy monitor such as Sense. It will give you a better sense of your home’s energy usage.
2. Inspect Your Home
Once you understand your energy use, walk around your home and look for items that could lead to inefficient heating and cooling. Your home’s insulation, for example, is a likely culprit — especially if it hasn’t been inspected or replaced in years.
If the insulation seems up to construction standards, look at the seals on your windows and doors. They need to be weatherproofed every so often to keep hot and cool air where you want it — inside the house, not the great outdoors.
3. Watch Your Hot Water Use
If someone in your home likes long, luxurious showers, it may be time to chat about reducing water and energy use. Appliances also add to the total water-heating cost, with washing machines and dishwashers taking the most blame.
With the first, try to wash more items with cold water. You can’t do anything about the hot water the dishwasher uses, but you can wait to run a load until the appliance is completely full. Also consider investing in a solar-powered water heater to further cut your electricity or gas costs.
4. Turn Off Gadgets
Computers, televisions, and lights still consume energy if they’re left on and unused. Computers offer easy cost-savings with their built-in timers that allow the devices to use less energy — they typically turn off after a set number of minutes. Televisions sometimes provide the same benefit, although you may have to fiddle with the settings to activate this feature.
A better option — and one that thwarts both the television and the lights — is purchasing smart plugs. The Belkin WeMo Mini, for example, pairs with a mobile app, which you can use to turn off any connected appliance no matter where you are. And, if you’re not sure whether you left an appliance on, you can use the app to check that too.
5. Convert to Energy-Efficient Bulbs
Incandescent lightbulbs can consume and waste a lot of energy, so replacing them with green energy ones to reduce the effects of this common energy waster. ENERGY STAR certifies several bulbs, including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LED). Some lightbulbs use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs, making them worth the higher price tag.
To take this step even further, focus on smart lightbulbs. These bulbs offer added benefits, such as dimming on demand or integrating with motion sensors. In addition, you can monitor the lights remotely and control them through either a mobile app or smart plug.
6. Take Control of the Thermostat
Many homeowners leave the thermostat on its default settings. Unfortunately, the defaults often result in heating and cooling systems that run longer and harder than they need to. In other situations, you find yourself fighting with a roommate or partner over the temperature setting, which also wastes energy unnecessarily.
Change your home’s story by employing a smart thermostat such as the Nest, ecobee3, or Honeywell Lyric. One step above the standard programmable thermostat, the smart one learns your schedule and temperature preferences to save energy and money.
7. Change the Air Filters
Electric, gas, and solar power are only as good as their components. If you’re still losing energy or not seeing the performance levels you expected, check the air filters in your heating and cooling system. They get clogged with dust and pet dander and need to be replaced at least every three months.
If you want to quit wasting energy and fulfill your dream of a more sustainable lifestyle, focus on the seven tips shared here. They work in any home, regardless of the power source you use, to cut energy costs and save you money.
