How to save energy in your home
With today's rising energy costs and the ever increasing need to go green there are significant ways that you can save energy in your home. Using these cost cutting tips will not just be good for your wallet but can be good for the planet as well. Here are some ways on how to save energy in your home-
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- Get a home energy audit- This can be a great place to start. The best advice for home energy savings is advice that is customized for you, your home and your lifestyle. A home energy audit is conducted by either a green auditor or your local utility can do just that. Best of all you can often recoup the cost by following the auditor's recommendations and reducing your energy bill. You can check online to find an auditor in your area. If you want to perform your own self-test at home (without contacting an auditor), then you can simply visit the U.S. Department of Energy's site for information on what problems to look for and further steps to take for home energy savings.
- Get a high-efficiency showerhead-You may be surprised to learn that a high-efficiency low-flow showerhead can save you up to 3,000 gallons of water per person per year and not to mention $50 in energy costs and 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide. Best of all today's latest and greatest models are specially designed to conserve resources while still feeling like a spa-quality showerhead that you will love to get into.
- Use the low-flow concept all over-You can take the showerhead concept and apply it all over the house for major water-use reductions. Low-flow sink aerator attachments go for as little as $2 per sink but can save thousands of gallons of water per year and give you serious bang for your buck. These devices also will improve the performance of your tank less water heater, if you have one. Small changes in water usage can really make a big difference.
- Consider recycling the water in your bathroom-You can use a water-conservation device which lets you reuse sink water to flush your toilet. If you are really diligent you can keep a bucket by the shower or tub and fill it with the cold water that comes out before the hot water kicks in. Then you can take the bucket outside and use it to water your plants. If you are refilling a glass or have a partially empty water container do not just throw the water out when refilling toss it onto your plants or even your lawn to help with water recycling.
- Always treat your water heater right-While tank less hot water heaters are great, if you ca not afford the switch right now, simple changes to your existing setup can cut your energy bills and carbon emissions by 25 percent or more. You can start by reducing the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees, wrap it in a cozy water heater insulating blanket and insulate the first three to six feet of hot and cold water pipes. These changes will take you less than an hour and cost less than $50 to complete.
- Stop doing what you do not need to-First and foremost stop hand-washing your dishes. It has been proven that most of us use far more water and soap than we need to when hand-washing, especially compared to a high-efficiency dishwasher, so save your time, water and power by putting dishes directly in the dishwasher after a meal. You will just want to make sure you fill up the dishwasher completely before running, and do not pre-rinse dishes unless your machine is a real weakling when it comes to blasting away gunk. (And if that is the case, perhaps it's time for a new Energy Star-certified model.)
