We live in a very fortunate era. Our era is driven by both innovation and technology. You also have smart technology and transportation efficiencies too. Useful apps are everywhere, and this makes it easier than ever to live much more efficiently. If you want to find out more then simply take a look below for energy efficient ideas.
Lower your Thermostat
You need to adopt the habit of reducing the temperature in your home while you are away. Dropping the temperature by just a few degrees can reduce your monthly bills by way more than you realize. If you lower your temperature by around 10 degrees while you are away at work, then this can save you quite a lot. In fact, you may even be able to save up to 15% on your energy bills every single year.
Compost where you Can
You absolutely don’t need to have a ton of space in your yard if you want to start a compost pile. Compost is the result of waste that decomposes over time. Your fruit or even vegetable waste becomes very valuable if you leave it for a while and it also reduces the amount of trash that you produce on a day to day basis. If you have a small container with a lid in your yard then make sure that you use this to compost as much as you can. If you do this, then you will soon find that you are able to make your home much more energy efficient.
Low-Flow Showerheads
Installing a low-flow showerhead will improve the water efficiency of your home. Low-flow showerheads have a general flow rate of around 2.5 gallons per minute. Most normal showerheads have a flow rate of around 5 gallons per minute. If you do this, then you will soon find that your water bills drastically reduce and that you are also able to save a huge amount of money this way too.
Seal your Windows or Replace Them
Go the extra mile by taking the time to seal the leaks in the windows around your home. If you know that your windows are incredibly draughty then why not think about adding some weather-stripping? If you can do this around your frames, then you will soon see a huge difference to your general energy efficiency. You can add a bead of caulk over any minor cracks in the drywall or you can even add some shrink film to your windows. If you do this then you will soon find that everything is way more energy-efficient and that your energy bills reduce significantly. If you want to improve things even more then why not think about replacing your windows? Check out windowsrva.com to find out more.
Take a Look at Your Window Treatments
Curtains and blinds aren’t only about making your home look good, but they also have the very important function of keeping the light out. This goes for sunlight too. Just think about it, in the hot summer months, when the sun is blazing, your house is getting pretty toasty, right? Well, getting solid-quality window treatments such as ABC Blinds can help you out. Generally speaking, when it comes to window treatments, you’re going to want something that’s going to keep the temperature staying constant in your home. You want to leave out all the hot and cold air and leave in all the comfortable air.
Limit the Use of your Space Heater
Even though your gas and electric heaters will feel nice and they will also keep your feet nice and toasty when the weather outside is cold, they are not the best way for you to heat your home at all. A lot of heaters are not energy efficient and they are in fact a drain on your energy bills. You need to try and be prepared to limit the use of your space heater if possible. If you have an energy-efficient space heater then you still need to make sure that you layer clothing so that you can keep it turned down if possible.
Limit your Water Use
The average homeowner can easily save a small fortune on their water bills by making a few small changes to their water use. You have to be conscious about the running water that you have, and you also need to make sure that you turn off the water when you brush your teeth or when you shave. Bathing can easily use 75 gallons of water when compared to the shower, which uses an average of 17.2 gallons of water. You also need to avoid doing half loads of laundry. If you do a full load then this will get more clothes washed at once, and therefore you can save a ton of water and money.
Replace your Incandescent Bulbs
In the year 2014, a lot of bulb makers stopped producing 60w and 40w incandescent bulbs. That being said, we are not doomed to live in the dark at all. Halogen bulbs, CFLS and even LEDs are now ideal if you want a longer-lasting alternative and they are much more energy-efficient when compared to your older bulbs. With the average homeowner using 40 bulbs in their home, it’s safe to say that swapping to greener bulbs is the best way for you to save on your energy bill.
Unplug your Unused Chargers
Chargers for your cell phone or even battery chargers are quite often left plugged in. They are referred to as being energy vampires and this can make you use way more energy than you think. Plugs and chargers tend to consume 0.26 watts of energy when they are not in use when compared to the 2.24 watts of energy when they are connected to your phone. If you unplug one charger then this might not make much of an impact, but collectively, these chargers may well be responsible for up to 10% of your energy. For this reason, you need to unplug them when they are not in use.
Washing with Hot water
Avoid running your washing machine with hot water. Instead, opt for cold or even warm water if possible. 90% of the energy that your washer uses is actually used to heat the water and you will only be using 10% to run the machine. This means that you need to use cool water for every load so that you can save the biggest amount of energy where possible.
Add some Attic Insulation
Adding some insulation to your attic can help you to seal in any problematic air leaks and you may even find that you can drastically improve your home’s heating and cooling too. The amount of insulation that you need to cover your attic will depend on the size of your home and the climate but at the end of the day it’s more than possible for you to get this done for an affordable price if you go through a reputable tradesman.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are not cheap to say the least, but they are a very popular way for you to heat up your hot water. You can also generate a lot of electricity for your home too. Solar panels come with many benefits. They can help you to save a lot of money on your energy bills in the long-term and you may even find that they promote lower fossil fuel usage too. This can give you annual tax incentives and it may also help you to lower your bills overall.
Replace your Computer
A lot of tech experts estimate that you should replace your computer every four years or so. When the time comes for you to replace your desktop- why not replace it with a laptop? Laptops use around 80% less electricity and they are also able to run on less energy. Laptop computers tend to peak at 60 watts in terms of energy usage whereas desktops tend to use around 175 watts. Laptops don’t come with a cheap price tag of course, but when you break it all down, you will soon find that you are able to save quite a lot in terms of your energy bills and that your home becomes more energy efficient too.
