Lower Those Lights
Living in your own home comes with a whole slate of responsibilities—cleaning, keeping the house in order, regular maintenance, and repairs, among others. However, one responsibility that is looked over when owning a home is making an effort to save energy. With the price of electricity rising ever so slightly, every watt saved is another few dollars in your pocket. So this week, we have a few tips on what you can do as a homeowner to save energy here and there.
The biggest drain on energy in a household is leaving components on when no one is using them. This includes lights, televisions, computers, dvd players, and gaming systems. It’s not rocket science—if no one is using them, the electricity used to power them goes to waste. If you’re the type of person who forgets to turn off the lights every so often, make it a habit of going around to turn everything off before you sit down for dinner. You can even get your kids involved in it too!
Another easy way to save energy is to only use the dishwasher and the washing machine when you have full loads. This practice is not only energy efficient, but also economical—if you’re going to do it anyway, you might as well get the most cleaned while you’re at it. Also, washing in cold water can significantly lower your energy bill.
Speaking of laundry, make sure you clean out the lint screen on your dryer regularly. By making sure that the lint screen is clear, you can make your dryer 30% more effective, which translates to huge savings on your electricity or natural gas bill.
When shopping, try to look for the EnergyStar logo. The Environmental Protection Agency grants the EnergyStar logo to products that meet their set of strict guidelines for being energy efficient, so by choosing EnergyStar, you can potentially be saving a lot on your monthly bill. Especially when it comes to light bulbs and appliances.
Just a few minutes each month can drastically change your energy bill—little changes over a short period of time morph into big savings in the long run. As a homeowner, and especially as a parent, saving a few dollars here and there can really make a difference, and beyond that, you are making a conscious choice to help the environment. With great power comes great responsibility, and as a homeowner, power is truly a responsibility.
