- Replace your light bulbs
Traditional incandescent light bulbs consume an excessive amount of electricity and must be replaced more often, which leads to higher yearly expenses. Popular compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), Halogen incandescent bulbs, and light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) use 25-80% less electricity and last up to 5 times longer than traditional bulbs. Although energy efficient bulbs are more expensive off the shelf, their efficient energy use and longer service lives mean that they cost less in the long run. Energy efficient bulbs are the clear winners in terms of their environmental and financial benefits.
- Use smart power strips
You might not have known but chances are you have upwards of 15 appliances in your household that suck power from your system all day every day. Regular power strips that extend the number of outlets in your home won’t cut it. Replacing these old power strips with smart power strips will give you all the same convenience, with added benefits. It saves energy by electronically unplugging all of the devices that are plugged into the “Automatically Switched outlets” when the device plugged into the control outlet is turned off.
- Install Low-Flow Showerheads
A simple solution to reduce your homes water energy use it to install low-flow showerhead. Low-flow showerheads have a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute), while most conventional showerheads use 5 gallons per minute. Over a year, this can save you more than 2,000 gallons of water, costing about $30. Mother Earth will thank you!
- Seal those leaks
On average, heating and cooling account for 50% of a home’s total energy consumption. In fact, those little leaks add up quick and can be equivalent to leaving open a 3-foot-by-3-foot window! Take simple steps like caulking windows, sealing leaks around chimneys and recessed lighting, and sliding draft guards under your doors and you can save up to 20% on heating costs.
- Schedule Energy Efficiency Audit
Give a call to your local home energy audit professional to check as to where your household currently stands in terms of energy efficiency. These auditors are equipped with specialized tools and skills that can help them to evaluate energy efficiency of your home and determine where efficiency can be improved by recommending some low cost measures. This will help you to figure out as to which parts of your home needs your immediate attention.
