Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Jun.12, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - Raffaelo

Times are tough financially right now: we’re feeling the extra strain on our wallets. But is your energy meter feeling the strain, too? You could be wasting unnecessary energy (and money!) around the home. Fortunately, some simple tips can help you become more energy-efficient, save money and benefit the environment, too.

Problems With Energy Production

Most electricity comes from power plants, which use coal and oil. Coal generates 49.7 percent of the electricity used in the U.S. (1). Oil and other fossil fuels, made of plants and animals that died millions of years ago, are also used in producing energy.

Unfortunately, these energy sources create pollution, which in turn contributes to smog, acid rain and water pollution. Oil and fossil fuels are finite: we will eventually run out, and our current supply is limited, making their price higher.

Very little energy is produced by natural sources: for example, 6.5 percent comes from hydroelectric power and 2.3 percent comes from other renewable sources (1).

Here are some easy ways to reduce wasteful energy usage and cut your costs.

Lighting

According to Energy Star, “In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the electric bill” (6).

• Turn off the lights (2, 3, 4). It’s so simple, and you’ve heard it a million times. Leaving bulbs burning when you’re not in a room will spike your electricity bill. The rumor that turning lights off and on causes power surges (and costs more) simply isn’t true (2).
• Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). True, they cost more than your standard incandescent bulbs. However, they’re much more efficient because they last up to 15 times longer (4), meaning you’ll need to buy fewer of them. CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs: this can lead to a $30 savings in energy costs per bulb over its lifetime (3, 5, 7)!

Electrical Appliances

• Unplug when not in use (3, 4, 8). Some appliances must stay plugged in to maintain a charge or programmed, (like your VCR, cable box, etc.). But the little ones, (such as toasters and coffee makers) should definitely be unplugged if they’re not being used. When they’re left plugged in, they’re still using energy – and racking up your bill, costing Americans billions of dollars a year. Another option: get a power strip and plug multiple appliances into it, allowing you to kill the power to all of them at once (5).
• Buy an Energy Star appliance (1, 3, 4, 7, 9). This is particularly important for big appliances that you use a lot, like your fridge/freezer, oven, dishwasher or TV. Despite a higher price tag on the showroom floor at your appliance store, an Energy Star appliance has a lower cost over its lifetime to operate and maintain. Energy Star appliances use between 10 and 50 percent less energy than conventional appliances (7, 9), saving you $75 per year per appliance.
• Wash only when full (3, 4). This applies to your washing machine and dishwasher. No need to run these appliances for just a few pieces of clothing or a couple of dishes.
• Use cold water to wash, then air-dry clothes (3, 4, 5, 10). It costs extra to heat the water, so washing laundry with cold water can save you around $60 per year (10). As Yahoo! Green notes, “90 percent of the energy used by washing machines goes to heating water” (3). If possible, dry your laundry on a clothesline or drying rack. “Abandoning your dryer in the summer can save you $43.60,” writes Lori Bongiorno for Yahoo! Green (5). Multiply those savings by the other seasons per year, and it adds up quickly!

Heating and Air Conditioning

Up to “half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling,” claims Energy Star (11), so make sure your heating and cooling systems are functioning optimally.

• Clean ducts and change filters regularly (4, 10, 11). Dirty filters and ducts don’t allow air to circulate properly, so heating and cooling devices need to work harder and use more energy to heat or cool your air.
• Turn the thermostat up in the summer, down in the winter (4, 5). You’ll prevent the air conditioner or furnace from constantly running. Also, consider a programmable thermostat, so you can adjust the temperature accordingly when you’ll be away. This can reduce your energy bill by 15 percent per year (5).
• Use curtains, blinds and shades to your advantage (3, 4, 10). Leave them closed to keep out light and heat in the summer. During the winter when it’s cold, open them in the daytime to let in heat, but close them at night to prevent heat loss.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated (3, 4, 10). As many as 80 percent of homes aren’t, especially older ones (10). Gaps and cracks around windows, doors and walls allow precious heat to escape, meaning your furnace has to work harder to heat your home. Insulation, weather-stripping and caulk can shave 10 to 30 percent off your energy bills (10).
• Look for Energy Star furnaces, air conditioners and windows (1, 3). Furnaces 15 years or older may not be energy-efficient. Energy Star models “are generally 15 percent more efficient than older models,” according to Yahoo! Green (3). Energy-efficient windows have thicker glass, so they allow less heat to escape: they’re almost twice as efficient as single-paned windows (3). If possible, choose windows that crank open and out rather than traditional double-hung windows. “Double-hung windows that slide up and down or sideways…must be loose enough to allow sliding, which also means they are loose enough to let air in and out,” cautions Diane Gow McDilda, author of The Everything Green Living Book (1).

Sources

1.    McDilda, Diane Gow. (2007). The Everything Green Living Book. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, pp. 16-17, 19, 47, 55.
2.    Bongiorno, Lori. When to Switch Off Your Lights. (April 2, 2009). Yahoo! Green. Retrieved June 5, 2009
3.    How to Save Energy Around the House. (October 30, 2008). Yahoo! Green. Retrieved June 5, 2009
4.    Save Energy and Money at Home. (n.d.). Environmental Defense Fund. Retrieved June 9, 2009
5.    Bongiorno, Lori. Seven Worthwhile Energy-Efficient Products. (March 25, 2009). Yahoo! Green. Retrieved June 5, 2009
6.    Lighting Products. (n.d.). Energy Star. Retrieved June 5, 2009
7.    Suhai, Peter. Saving Energy – Saving Money. (2008). Save Energy 365. Retrieved June 9, 2009
8.    Bongiorno, Lori. Vampire Power Costs. (May 27, 2009). Yahoo! Green. Retrieved June 5, 2009
9.    Appliances. (n.d.). Energy Star. Retrieved June 5, 2009
10.    25 Simple Ways to Save. (October 2008). Consumer Reports. Retrieved June 5, 2009
11.    Heat & Cool Efficiently. (n.d.). Energy Star. Retrieved June 5, 2009

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Posted under Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency, Living, Money Savers.