Five Tips to Save Energy

As energy costs continue to rise, it becomes more important to find ways to save energy. Here are five simple tips for saving energy at home. These are basics and may seem obvious but when you really implement these guidelines you will be able to save hundreds of dollars on your energy bill every year. 
 

1. Don't leave things on unnecessarily. If you leave a room, turn the lights out. If you are not using the computer or the television set, turn them off.

   This simple guideline will save you lots of money in your yearly energy bill, so it is important to educate all members of the family to make sure they don't waste electricity. To remind them, you can put notices under light switches and near commonly used appliances to turn them off when they are not being used.

2. 
   
   Switch to low-power fluorescent lights. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use one quarter of the electricity of regular light bulbs. Not only do they use less energy to produce the same amount of light, they also last much longer than regular light bulbs.
3. 
   Do not overheat or overcool. During the summer months, keep the thermostat set at about 78°. If you are leaving the house for any period of time, the thermostat can be set to 85°. Supplement the use of air conditioning with ceiling fans. Electric fans use a lot less electricity than air-conditioning and provide an effective means to cool the air.

In the wintertime, rather than overheating your house it is better to wear plenty of warm clothing. The thermostat can be set at 68° during the day and down to 55° while you are sleeping. Cutting back on heating and air-conditioning can save you up to 20% on your electricity costs.

4. 
   Make sure your house is well insulated. Energy used to heat or cool your house is wasted if the cool or hot air is escaping through cracks and poor insulation. Windows should be caulked and doors well sealed.
5. Don't waste water. Install low flush toilets, fix leaky taps, and take shorter showers. This will cut down on the energy needed for hot water, and also reduce your water bill.