When it comes to boosting your energy savings, you’d be amazed how much a difference little things can make. There are a number of factors that can affect whether you save money on your energy bill – and some of these things are completely free or cost only a token amount. Here are some tips for boosting your energy savings.
Tip 1: Make long showers a luxury item. A long, hot shower can feel great, but you normally don’t need a 30-minute shower to get clean. Make your long showers a luxury item, once a week or so, and take five-minute showers the other days of the week. You’d be amazed how many gallons of water you’ll save and how much you’ll be boosting your energy savings.
Tip 2: Bask in the sun. Whether it is summer or winter, you can usually find sunlight most days. Opening up your drapes and letting the sun heat your home can save you a lot on energy costs. Only pull the shades on rooms where you need privacy, or where the sunlight is causing problems viewing the television or computer screen. Lower the thermostat and let sunlight heat the rest of the house. During the heating season, however, shut the drapes or curtains at night-time to add another layer against the cold night air.
Tip 3: Swap your bulbs. Surprisingly, many homes are still using incandescent light bulbs even though Energy Star-certified fluorescent bulbs have a number of advantages, including a 75 percent reduction in power use and an affordable cost. Take a couple of hours out of your day to swap out all of your bulbs at once, and you’ll be boosting your energy savings by the next electric bill.
If you have any other questions on how to improve your energy savings, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc., serving Dayton and the surrounding area with pride.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about boosting your energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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