Are You Using These 6 Energy Saving Tips in Your New Home?
Don't settle for paying high energy bills. Use these little tricks to help reduce your monthly costs!
When it comes to your heating bills, you don't have to sweat when it comes to high prices. There are ways that homeowners can brace for the changing seasons and still save money on their energy bills.
These simple tips may small, but over time, they will help garner big savings. From heating to cooling, water heaters to appliances, learn how to save energy in your home and take the heat off of your wallet with these 6 energy saving tips.
Lighting
About 12% of your home electricity consumption comes from the use of light bulbs. Imagine the cost savings when you change out those incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs. By just replacing five of your home's most frequently used lights with energy-efficient ENERGY STAR bulbs, you could save $75 a year in energy costs and much more over the course of the bulb's life.
Cooling
Air cooling consumes about 13% of your home electricity use, but there are a number of ways you can lower that percentage without feeling the heat!
Ceiling Fans create a "wind chill" effect, allowing you to raise your thermostat temperature by 4 degrees while still feeling just as cool. Avoid using major appliances during the hours when the temperature is at its highest. Gadgets such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, and hot water heaters all add to the heat in your home while running. Finally, remember that lights generate heat. Use LED's or leave lights off and use natural sunlight as long as you feel comfortable.
Heating
Heating your home can eat up 29% of your electricity bill. In New Hampshire and during the winter months that number can jump up to 50%.
An efficient gas burner can substantially decrease the electricity use in your home. Gas burners are typically measured by Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE), which indicates how efficient the appliance is in converting energy in fuel to heat over the course of a year. Our new homes at Sawmill Ridge in Atkinson, NH use Concord Brand Gas Burners with an A FUE rating of 95%. This saves a New Hampshire homeowner about $10,000 over 5 years compared to older units which carry a 65% average rating. The national minimum rating on new furnaces is currently 80%.
Water Heater
13% of your total energy use is absorbed by your water heater. Reducing the use of hot water can save substantially over the course of a year. You can do so through simple tasks fixing leaks, installing low-flow shower-heads, and lowering the temperature on your water heater. You can also insulate your hot water pipes to keep the water warm.
Electronics
As more and more electronic devices make their way into our homes and hands, you can count on 21% of your energy bill directed towards these devices. Trim down usage by unplugging devices that are not in use or have reached fully charge . U se a power strip for your TV, DVD player, and sound system to save you a few watts each day. You can also replace old TV's and monitors with newer LED technology to really start saving .
Appliances
12% of your energy bill will inevitably come from necessary home appliances , but if you can't limit the use , you might consider upgrading to tech nology that is more energy efficient . With the average household spending over $2,000 on their electric bill each year, a 5% reduction in appliance energy use could save you $100 a year. Factor that over the lifespan of your appliance and it might be worth the investment.
Sources:
* ENERGY STAR®. [8/10/16]. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.
