When reducing my carbon footprint and trying to save money at the same time, I like to look at all ways I can do both. One way is to reduce my energy use at home. This can be done in so many ways and it is easy to do as well as being more cost effective in the long run. Reducing how much energy you use will definitely help in the bills department! Some of these tips require getting others on board at home and others are as simple as changing one thing. Check out these tips for reducing your energy consumption at home you may not have considered.
5 Ways to Save Energy at Home
Decide if you actually need the heater or air conditioner on-Many of us get into the habit of just turning on the heat or air conditioner without thinking if we actually need it on or turned up. Wear layers at home on cool days and turn on your heater only when you absolutely need it. The same goes for your air conditioner. Use cool nights to keep your home cool and well ventilated and don’t run it all night. If you expect an especially hot day, start your air conditioner earlier rather than waiting until its hot. For more ways to cool your home without AC, check out this post.
Consider swapping for a tanklesss gas water heater- Have you heard of a tankless gas water heater? They are a new way of having hot water at home that don’t require as much energy- In fact, they can drop your energy use as much as 30-50% according to ipropertymanagement.com.
Properly seal doors and windows- To help both your heater and AC run the best, seal up any leaks. They won’t have to work as hard, then. Additionally, keeping your home sealed properly makes it less hot or cold overall.
Do full loads of laundry- It’s imperative that you wash your clothes in full loads to save money. Both a small load and a large load use the same energy. Don’t waste a load on a couple of articles of clothing. Additionally, dry only full loads if possible. You should also consider washing only in cold water. For most jobs, hot water isn’t necessary. Using hot or warm water when it’s not needed is a large energy waster, especially if you don’t have a tankless water heater.
Use natural light when possible- Instead of flipping on that light as yourself, ‘ Could I just pen a curtain”? Many times we just flip on a light out of habit rather than need. Of course, you don’t want to keep your drapes open all summer, but if it’s not summer or the deep cold f winter when you are trying to keep heat/cool in, try to use natural light whenever possible.