If you have been dealing with high energy bills, you may be looking for a few easy ways to cut down on energy expenses.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to reduce your energy use and save more than a few bucks on your bills. And you don’t have to completely stop using your air conditioning, sit in the dark all the time, or take any other drastic measures.
Let’s take a look at a few practical and simple things you can do to cut down on your energy use.
1. Be Mindful of the Sun
The sun is a great natural source of warmth and light — but if you’re not careful, the sun could end up costing you money. Since spring is officially here, most homeowners are throwing open their curtains to let the warm sunshine in. But letting too much sun in on a warm or hot day can actually be harmful.
The sun will increase the temperature in your house, which will force your AC to kick on and work harder to keep it cool. So instead, you need to use the sun mindfully. On hot days, consider keeping your curtains shut so your home can stay cool. And on colder days, let the sun in to help warm up your home naturally.
While draperies can help reduce heat loss by up to 10%, they can also be opened to let in natural heat. This can be a super easy way to give your HVAC system a break and save on your energy bills.
And with the Department of Energy (DOE) stating that 45% of the average energy bill goes towards heating, it’s important to utilize what you can to cut down on heating and cooling costs.
2. Take a Look at Your Lightbulbs
If you haven’t switched out your incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs, you’re wasting a ton of money on energy. Swapping out your old lightbulbs for energy-efficient ones can save you money every year because not only do LED bulbs last longer, minimizing the need to buy replacement bulbs, but they use a lot less energy.
LED bulbs come in a variety of colors and temperatures so you can buy whichever bulbs are best for your home. And you can take it a step further and take a closer look at your light switches.
Do you have a room that could use a dimmer switch? If so, consider installing one to save electricity. Lightbulbs and switches are a great place to start when it comes to reducing energy use — DOE statistics show that about 22% of all electricity generated in the U.S. is used for lighting..
3. Keep Your Electronics Unplugged
Did you know that when something is plugged in, like a phone charger, it’s using electricity even if it’s not being used?
This is why it’s important to keep electronics unplugged when you’re not using them — this can be a huge energy saver. And if you struggle to remember to unplug your device chargers, consider investing in a surge protector.
This way, you can plug your electronics into the surge protector and with one flick of a switch, they can be “unplugged”. You won’t have to remember to unplug your devices and you’ll actually be keeping your chargers in good condition by not having them plugged in all the time.
While they may not seem like much, these simple tasks can do a lot to help you save on your energy expenses. It also may be a good idea to talk to your energy provider about your usage.
With the specialty gases market expected to pass $14 billion by 2026, there are plenty of options for gas and energy use. So take a look at your energy use and figure out a few simple steps to take to help save yourself some money.