Change Habits to Lower Energy Bills
By Kristi Vaughan
When it comes to reducing home energy costs, you could be your own worst enemy. And it's not just the obvious actions such as leaving doors ajar or running half-full loads of laundry that are at fault. Some minor changes to your daily habits could save you major money over the long haul.
Not Using It? Turn It Off
Computers, TVs, radios, lights, exhaust fans...the list of appliances that consume energy is extensive. And while many of these are necessary part of our daily lives, they should be turned off when we're not using them.
The California Energy Commission estimates an electric bill savings of as much as 10 to 25 percent if you just turn off that extra refrigerator in your garage. Similarly, closing the fireplace damper when you aren't burning a fire can knock up to eight percent off your heating bill.
Just Do It...Differently
Changing the way you shower, do laundry, or even cook can also save money. Showers use gallons and gallons of hot water. The longer the shower, the more water used and the more money down the drain. Multiply one long shower by the number of people in a house and the days in a year and you can see how water heating energy is gobbled up. What would happen is each family member reduced the length of their showers by half?
Washing and drying clothes is another energy-eating task. But you can reduce costs by washing clothes in cold water, if possble, and only doing laundry when you have a full load. Cleaning the dryer's lint trap after each use is also a good idea, for fire safety reasons as well as energy reduction.
When it comes to cooking, the Connecticut Light and Power Company recommends the following energy saving tips:
- Preheat the oven only when necessary.
- Keep pans covered if possible.
- Fit the pan to the size of the cooking unit.
- Heat only the water you need.
- Use microwaves when possible.
- Buy appliances that have received the ENERGY STAR rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Power Down
Many of today's new appliances use power constantly, even when you don't think they are turned on. Unplug televisions, computer peripherals and similar devices when you're not using them.
If you are leaving for just a short time and don't want to fully turn off your computer, check and see if there is a power reduction or sleep mode you can use that will require less power.
Check the Curtains
Closing curtains at night and opening them in the morning can also reduce power consumption. During the day, the sun warms the house, but at night the curtains keep heat from escaping through the windows. The opposite works during summer. To get the maximum benefit, consider installing insulating curtains.
