Energy expenses are some of the household’s huge costs every month. Surprisingly, most homes can reduce these expenses by two main strategies. These are doing significant home improvements and some simple behavior changes. If any homeowner implements these two, they can realize huge differences. Besides, saving energy at a large scale by many homes leads to environmental conservation as they enjoy savings in costs.
Below are some of the ways in which homes can save energy:
Simple Behavior Adjustments
First and foremost, most people can reduce their energy consumption and thus the costs if they adjusted some of their habits, even without buying energy-efficient appliances. For example, if you ensure you switch off lights when you sleep, and any time you get out of a room or no one is using them, you can save a considerable amount of cash. You could also minimize the use of appliances that use lots of energy; for example, you could hang your clothes to dry instead of using a dryer.
Other habits that could help you save a lot on power are using your AC less during summer or setting your heater thermostat lower during winter. If you can control heating and cooling, which are the heavy energy consumers, you can save substantial amounts.
Buying Energy-Efficient Appliances
Most of the household’s energy bills have 13% of the total figure contributed by appliances. It would be best to purchase any device to consider the initial cost and the annual running cost. You may find that energy-efficient machines are slightly costly, but they can save you 9-25% energy costs to operate them.
To be sure you buy an excellent energy-efficient appliance, check the energy star label. The label is a federal guarantee that the appliance consumes less energy when in use and on standby mode, far less than the conventional machines. For example, if you get an energy star certified clothes washer, it cuts energy usage by 25% and water consumption by 45% than a standard machine.
Fit Energy-Efficient Windows
Did you know that windows are some of the biggest energy wasters in your home? The windows could increase your heating bill by 10-25%. But the good thing is that you can minimize heat loss through the windows by replacing single-pane windows with double pane ones. Additionally, having exterior or interior storm windows can cut avoidable heat loss by up to 20%.