3 Quick Ways to Save Energy at Home
Energy prices keep going up and up, and it is increasingly difficult to know where we use the energy in our home. Often times, a few simple changes in how you use appliances and other home products can make all the difference. Chances are, there are several energy savings at your house
that are lying right under your nose.
Here are three quick ways to save some power at your house.
Light Bulbs
If you haven’t updated your light bulbs to energy efficient halogen or LED, then you are missing out on valuable energy savings. Halogen and LED light bulbs save anywhere from 65%-80% more energy than their incandescent counterparts.
Energy saving light bulbs have come along way in their looks and style. When they were first released, this style of bulb was large and awkward. Nowadays, the LED and halogen bulbs look almost identical, and will fit in nicely with your home.
These energy saving light bulbs will cost you a little more up front to purchase. However, again, they will outlast their incandescent counterparts in the long run by an average of ten to twenty five times.
Appliances
Home appliances are one of the largest areas of energy use on your electric bill, and finding ways to minimize their usage will lower your bill dramatically.
For starters, older appliances typically have a much higher energy use than you might realize. Your old refrigerator or drying machine very well might be using three to four times the amount of energy that a newer model would.
Even once you’ve cut out older appliances, there is still a lot of energy that can be saved on newer ones. Specific models have a higher focus on energy efficiency than others, and if you do your research, you will find models that can save you money.
For example, a stick vacuum will save you a lot more energy than a regular vacuum.
Lastly, learn about the energy saving modes on your current appliances. Dishwashers typically have a quick run feature that will save you energy and water.
Pool Pump
If you have a pool, chances are your pool pump is sucking up lots of energy. Once recent study found that pool pumps accounted for almost 42% of a home’s energy usage. A pool pump can use up to 8,000 kwh’s per year or more.
There are several options to consider. First, you can purchase an energy efficient pool pump, one that is designed to cut down on your energy usage by 30-50%. You could also opt for a solar pool pump, which requires installing a solar panel or two. This will result in almost zero energy usage.
If purchasing a new pump isn’t an option, try getting a handle on when it’s running and how long its running for. If you can, cut down on the amount of time it runs during the day.
With just a couple small tweaks, you can cut your power bill down significantly. Not only will you be saving money, but you’ll be saving the
environment at the same time.
