Energy saving doesn’t have to mean ripping the house apart for large scale renovations. You will see a significant difference by making a few minor adjustments. For instance, programmable thermostats and Energy Star appliances are some of the most highly rated methods of saving energy. The state and federal governments often subsidize these purchases through tax incentives, rebates and loans to encourage good stewardship of the earth as well. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the smaller steps you can take to save on electricity.
The first step toward energy saving comes with a realistic assessment of your home energy use. Plug-in electricity monitors like “Watt’s Up” and “Kill-A-Watt” will show you which appliances or electronics need to be upgraded. You can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, by investing in a $30 energy monitor like this. Similarly, a full-house electricity meter like the “PowerCost Monitor” or “The Energy Detective” will reveal the power usage of electric stoves, air conditioners or other appliances whose cords are hard to reach. This can also be an indication of how much “phantom power” your house uses from electronics or appliances that are left plugged in when not being used.
The next step in your quest to save energy is to invest in some direct power conserving devices for the home. Programmable thermostats can save up to 1% of your energy costs for every degree you turn down the heat or turn up the air conditioning for an eight hour period each day, states the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy agency of the US government. For instance, if you dropped the thermostat from 68 to 61 from 9 am – 5 pm while you’re at work, you can cut your heating costs by 7%. Your thermostat will let you automatically time when these temperature changes take place, so you won’t even have to think about it. Smart Power Strips are another one of the great ways to save electricity. For $35, you could divide your electricity uses into three sections: the control outlet, one or more hot outlets and one or more switched outlets. For example, you can plug your desktop computer into the control outlet, the cable modem and router into the constant hot outlet and all the other devices (printers, speakers, etc) into an easy on/off switch outlet.
You can also find energy saving as a secondary feature of many household products. For instance, a dimmer switch is intended to offer homeowners more versatile lighting in their homes. Yet, it also can also save the life of your lightbulbs and cost you a little less on your electric bills. Of course, fluorescent lights are better at saving you money, but do not have as much ambiance. Similarly, automatic timers on pool pumps, computers and other appliances are designed to turn devices on or off, but these also save on your power consumption. Timers can also be found on bathroom fans, which may be programmed to run for a set period of time after your shower but not all day long. Motion lights function as wonderful power saving devices by providing you with light only when you need it. Power bars protect your equipment from damage during power spikes, but will also cut off all power to your devices with the flip of a switch.
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