Simple Things You Can Do To Save Energy
Save energy this summer with the following easy no-cost or low-cost tips....
1. Clean and/or replace A/C filters monthly or as needed. Dust and dirt lowers your air conditioner's efficiency and uses up more energy unnecessarily.
2. Keep window coverings closed during the day, especially on the south, east and west sides of your home.
3. Use the "sleep" feature on computer equipment to power down when not in use after a predetermined amount of time. Turn off and unplug electronic items when not in use. Some electronics still use energy even when turned off, such as your cell phone charger, VCRs, TVs, etc.
4. Lower your thermostat on your water heater. Are you really taking super hot showers in the summer too? Probably not, so turn it down and save yourself some money and energy.
5. Install a low-flow shower-head and sink aerator to reduce general water consumption and hot water use. There are also low flush toilette kits that reduce the amount of water used to flush your toilet. This is really useful if you live in an older home with an older toilet. The FREE way to achieve this is to fill up an old half gallon milk container with water and place it in your tank. This will consume volume in your water tank and therefore use less water to flush. I don't think it saves as much water as a kit, but the price is pretty good....FREE.
6. Replace costly and inefficient incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star compact fluorescent bulbs. They use 2/3 less energy and last up to 10 times longer! Also use dimmers, timers and motion detectors to help reduce your electricity consumption.
7. Use mastic to seal all exposed ductwork joints. This will help cut down on cooling and heating leaks in your ductwork system.
8. Install a programmable thermostat. This way you won't have to remember to turn the air up before you leave for work. The thermostat will do it for you and save you money on your utility bills.
9. Install ceiling fans and turn your thermostat up a few degrees. Ceiling fans create enough air movement in a room to make it feel cooler by 4 degrees or more!
10. Choose native plants for your landscaping. They will likely not need much if any watering by you if you select plants that are adapted to your local weather conditions. Proper placing of plants around your home can also help on your heating and cooling bills. Try keeping your A/C condenser unit in the shade. Placing the right kind of trees in the right places can be a huge help too. Put evergreen trees on the north side of your home and leafy ones on the south side. Evergreen trees will help cut down on cold winds blowing from the north in the winter and leafy ones will provide shade on your home in the summer months but still allow sunlight to shine through in the winter. *Be careful to keep plants and trees from touching your home. Branches and vines that are on your home provide a highway access route for bugs and critters to come on in. I love bugs and critters of all kinds. Just not inside my home. :-)
All the aforementioned tips are for informational purposes only. Individual results may vary and I am not guaranteeing anything what so ever. Do all of the above at your own risk and research anything before taking action.
