You can save money on your energy bill quickly by making a few simple changes. Who couldn’t use an extra couple hundreds of dollars a year? In today’s economy, we can all use a little extra help. The simple changes in this article will produce hundreds of dollars of savings within the first year. Best of all, most of the tips in this article won’t cost you anything.
Heating your house is the most expensive part of your energy bill. Maintaining the burners in your furnace can save as much as 2% over the course of the year. This maintenance can get expensive and should only be done every two to three years. However, simple maintenance like cleaning/changing the air filter can save almost as much.
The second most expensive portion of your energy bill is your cooling system. Air conditioning consumes almost as much energy as heating. A few simple tricks will reduce your cooling expenses. Air conditioning units should be located in a shady place. This will keep the unit cooler and make it easier for your air conditioner to cool the house. If your air conditioner is not in the shade, a well placed tree can significantly reduce your cooling expenses.
Water heaters work almost 24 hours a day to keep water heated. Reducing the temperature on your water heater will make it easier to keep the water hot saving a great deal of energy. In a house of 4, you will save a hundred dollars or more by dropping the temperature just 5 degrees.
Dishwashers contain their own water heater and air heater. Running your dishwasher on a low heat setting and/or air dry setting will use the air and water heaters less. This approach will get your dishes just as clean, but do so at a reduced cost. Another great tip, is to wait until early in the morning or late at night to run your dishwasher. This will reduce the number of loads run and make sure the heat from the dishwasher doesn’t impact your house heating costs.
Stoves and ovens also use a lot of energy. You can’t stop eating, but you can save money by making minor changes to your cooking habits. Thawing food can make a huge difference. Thawed food cooks faster and cuts down on energy costs. Putting lids on pots and pans will also lock in heat and reduce cooking times.
Lighting is the most common way to save money in your house. Changing to compact fluorescent bulbs instead of the traditional incandescent bulbs can have an impact on your bills. Not only does it reduce the amount of energy used, but it also saves on the cost of light bulbs since these bulbs have to be replaced less often.
Basic maintenance can save money on your energy bill. If you have more time than money like most people in today’s economy, you can perform these simple maintenance techniques. This will reduce your energy costs and have several other green benefits as well. That means you can save money on your energy bill and feel good about doing it.
Ed Eddmanson enjoys showing people how to lower your energy useage and costs with his writing. Being kind to the planet is also one of his passions. His latest websites have ideas on how to lower your energy useage and costs with a powerstar ae125 electric tankless water heater or a bosch tankless heater.