How to Have an Efficient Energy Saving House
We could all use a little extra money in our pockets these days but, how is it possible to save money on your home energy bills? It is possible for you to have an efficient energy saving house with just a few steps.
Most people do not realize how much energy they waste by not doing simple things around the house. Start by checking your hot water temperature. The thermostat does not need to be any higher then 60 degrees centigrade which is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. With a higher water temperature you are only causing your water heater to mix cold water back into it to cool it down for use.
Saving electricity is another way to insure that your home is using energy efficiently. We have all heard our parents’ complain about making sure that the lights are off when you leave a room but, do we all practice this motto in our own homes? It is an easy way to save electricity.
Also, did you know that placing your home electronics like televisions, stereos and DVD players on “standby” when you are not using them still uses electricity? If you are not using these devices make sure they are turned off. These devices can draw an average of five to ten percent of household energy when on standby. Some appliances will even drain energy when they are plugged in but not in use like the microwave. If you are not going to use your microwave for a period of time, unplug it from the wall. Some people leave their microwave plugged in so they can access the time that is displayed on the front of it. A better solution would be to get a clock that ran on batteries and place it in a convenient spot where you can see it easily.
What about your computer? Leaving your computer on screen saver rather then turning it off uses energy. It sometimes uses more energy then if you were to actually using it. Leaving your computer on screen saver will also reduce the life of your monitor. A better option is to enable the display blanking feature to automatically turn off the monitor when your computer is idle. You might be surprised to learn that you can save $50 to $100 per year by making this small change.
Another small change you can make with your computer that will save your energy is to reduce the screen brightness. This will also reduce the battery time for you laptop. And you can replace your old CRT monitor with a new LCD monitor. This simple change will reduce your energy consumption by about sixty-six percent!
Another step to making sure that your home is using less energy is to change your habits when it comes to washing your clothes. If you are out to buy a new washer, buy a front loader. These washing machines save a huge amount of water and energy compared to the top-loading washers. You can also hang your clothes on a line to dry rather then in a dryer. You are saving energy and it is better for your clothes.
These simple steps will ensure that you are on the right road to getting your home energy consumption under control. You will see a difference in your bills and hopefully a difference in the world around you.
