Want to save money on your electricity bills? Here are 5 tips to conserve energy and save money!
#1. Energy Efficient Appliances
If you have several old appliances, they will work together to increase your utility bills throughout the year drastically. Old dishwashers will use more water. Old hot water tanks take more power and time to heat up less water. Refrigerators and freezers run longer and work harder to keep our food safe. Replacing old appliances with new, energy efficient products will cut down our costs while also increasing our ability to cook (and eat!) wonderful things in the kitchen or have clean, fresh smelling clothes.
#2. Cold Water Washes
Speaking of clothes, consider washing all of your clothes, towels, sheets, and more in cold water in the future. Most washing machines nowadays are designed to conserve energy by using cold water and do as good of a job in getting your clothes clean. There are many brands of detergent made to clean clothes in cold water. As well, there are some stains, such as sweat, oils, and blood, which come out better in cold water. Warm and hot water actually works to set some of these types of stains into your clothes and sheets. Cold water is just as, if not more effective, at cleaning than warm or hot water in our day and age.
#3. Hang Clothes to Dry
Another big power user in our homes is our clothes dryers. Not only do they use a lot of energy to dry all of our laundry, but they can also add some heat to our house during months where we want to keep our house cool. In these months, consider hanging your clothes to dry outside. The sun and the wind will work together to dry your clothes reasonably quickly. The UV Light from the sun can work to kill certain bacteria that can gather in your clothes, and depending on the quality of the air where you leave, your clothes will smell amazing! Plus, hanging clothes up outside gets you enjoying the outdoors which is great for your mental health.
#4. Programmable Thermostats
If you don’t have them, consider replacing or having someone replace your old thermostats with programmable ones. A programmable thermostat will allow you to heat and cool your house when you most need it while allowing your furnace to use less energy when you are out or away. Some people think it takes less energy to keep your house at the same temperature all day, that it takes too much power to bring the heat back up or to cool the house back down. This is not true. Slight variations in the temperature will not cause your heat or air conditioning to work too hard.
#5. Clean Up
Lastly, keeping your house clean can reduce your energy costs. For one, a dusty or dirty house can cause blockages in our heating systems forcing our furnaces to work harder for less effect. Cleaning and replacing your furnace filters regularly (monthly or every other month) can bring down the costs of heating your house. As well, clean windows help more light and heat to come into your home.
Summary
There you have it! 5 simple tips to save money while you conserve power around your home. Keep it simple and enjoy those lower energy bills!
