Do you fear opening the mailbox each day? Do you get a sinking feeling in your stomach when you see the energy bill sitting atop your pile of mail? Do you get lightheaded when you see the amount you owe the utility company?
Computers, refrigerators, televisions, and air conditioners all consume power at alarming rates. It can feel like you’re living in a power plant; your energy bills can look like you’re running a power plant. It’s tempting to go without life’s little luxuries - like light bulbs - to save money, but no one wants to live like it’s 1899. So how can you lower your monthly energy bill without making radical changes to your lifestyle?
Instead of replacing all of your home’s insulation . . .
Use caulking to insulate your home against hot summer days and cold winter nights. Your home’s windows may be locked tight, but air can still seep in and out of your home through gaps in baseboards, trim, and electrical outlets. According to the World Wildlife Fund, around 60 percent of a homeowner’s monthly energy bill goes toward heating and cooling indoor air. If your home is sealed tight against harsh and extreme weather, you can reduce your energy bills by 25 percent. This improvement will only cost you the price of one caulking gun. Run a strip of caulking around your home’s windows, doors, baseboards, and electrical outlets placed on outside walls.
Instead of throwing out your air conditioner . . .
Turn the thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for at least eight hours a day. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you’ll reduce your yearly energy costs by 10 percent. Invest in a programmable thermostat. Most thermostats can store multiple heating and cooling programs; you can set the temperature to change at different times of the day. Try setting a higher temperature for weekday afternoons when you are out of the house and a lower temperature for evenings when you are relaxing at home. And make sure you install your thermostat in the right spot. A thermostat placed in direct sunlight will give false readings, as will one placed above a floor vent. Install your thermostat on an inside wall, away from any doors and windows.
Instead of living in the dark . . .
Save energy by using CFLs. An incandescent bulb is inefficient; most of the energy it consumes is converted into heat, not light. A CFL bulb uses all of its energy to create light, making it 75 percent more efficient than an incandescent bulb. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if you switch out an incandescent bulb with a CFL bulb, you’ll save around £30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. To save even more money on your monthly energy bills, cut the power to all appliances and electronics when not in use. All of those glowing red and green lights on televisions, coffee makers, and cell phone chargers consume power, even when the appliance is turned off. Invest in power bars and surge suppressers; when you are finished watching a movie or making your morning coffee, just flip the switch on the power bar. You could reduce your total energy consumption by 10 percent, according to the European Commission.
Instead of washing your clothes in a river . . .
Wash your clothes in cold water. Cold water works just as well as hot for washing dirt and stains out of fabrics. And your shirts and pants will still smell fresh and clean, no matter what temperature the wash water. Most of a washing machine’s energy - around 90 percent - is spent heating the water. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, you’ll save 25p each time you wash your clothes in cold water. If you do three loads of laundry a week, you’ll reduce your energy bills by £39 a year. And don’t forget your clothesline. Your clothes dryer is one of your home’s top energy-consuming appliances, second only to the fridge. By retiring your dryer, you could save another £100 a year. Install a clothes line outside, keep a drying rack in your laundry room, or simply hang your shirts on your shower curtain rod.
Instead of showering in ice cold water . . .
Insulate your home’s hot water pipes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, an insulated pipe keeps water two to four degrees warmer than an uninsulated pipe. The water flowing from your kitchen sink will be hot in seconds. And all of that hot water means you can turn down the thermostat on your water heater. By reducing the temperature on your hot water heater by 10 degrees, you’ll save up to 5 percent on your energy bills. Most homeowners choose polyethylene pipe sleeves for insulation because they are easy to find and install. Simply wrap these tubes around any hot water pipes you can reach, securing with wire or acrylic tape every few feet.
By making these changes, you could save enough on your monthly electricity bills in one year to pay for a thirteenth month. But your thrifty ways will have an impact on something other than your bank account; while increasing the size of your savings, you’ll reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Department of Energy, the United States emits 2,481.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases - 35 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions - to produce and transmit electricity. Every little action that reduces your energy consumption helps reduce those emissions, which in turn leads to a cleaner and healthier planet.
