Nowadays conserving energy has become the trend, but there’s more in it for you than you may realize. Besides helping reduce your family’s carbon footprint, you could actually put a few more dollars in your pocket. It’s a win-win situation!
Locate the rooms in your home that use the most lighting and switch those light bulbs to Energy Star-qualified bulbs which use less electricity. On the other hand, downgrade the light bulbs in rooms that are frequented less often with 60-watt or even 40-watt bulbs. Guest rooms, closets, and pantries are good places to make these changes to lower watt light bulbs.
An initial investment, yes, but one that will pay for itself in the long run! Energy Star appliances include refrigerators, ceiling fans, dishwashers, etc. These appliances have improved quality while decreasing the amount of electricity used for each task and they last longer than normal, government rated machines.
Use sensors for outdoor lighting! There’s no need to have those bulbs burning all night long, so hook them up to a sensor where the light is activated according to movement. Additionally, program your thermostat. This ensures you won’t be running the heating or cooling system 24/7 but your home will still stay at a reasonable, comfortable temperature.
This tip is easy to overlook when shopping for new appliances or fixtures to remodel your home, but it’s time for a mental shift when conserving energy. Go to your local stores to see what appliances/home fixtures are available before shopping from the store that is further away (and potentially more expensive!). If appliances have to be delivered from far away, that uses a lot of gas and electricity to get the item from point A to point B. These are costs of energy we don’t necessarily think about often, but it’s all part of the bigger picture.