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How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Ever known that right in your own home, you can save money and conserve energy? It’s actually very easy and you’ll most likely be amazed at how much money you can actually save just by following a few energy saving tips. Some tips given might require a little extra effort while others will require you to make big investments. The results will benefit your environment and your pocket.

The two most important sources of energy in our homes are electricity and gas. Our household appliances such as cookers, blenders and microwaves all function by using electric power. We cook our food and heat up our homes using gas. Many times we use home appliances without ever thinking about the amount of money we would save just by being a little more cautious to avoid wastage of energy. Being energy efficient has benefits such as reduction of costs and control of energy emissions.

The refrigerator is an appliance used most frequently in the home yet many people are ignorant on how to save energy when using this appliance. Don’t leave the door open after you have picked the item you wanted. Leaving the door open lets in warm air making the refrigerator work harder thus using more energy. Setting freezing temperatures lower than necessary leads to using more electricity than is actually needed. Creating enough space around your fridge allows for more air circulation for it to be energy efficient. The seal around the refrigerator should always be intact and ensure you switch it off when away on vacation. When your refrigerator is too old, replace it by buying a new one. Old fridges use more energy than new ones.

Using pressure cookers does help save energy by holding in steam and pressurizing the vessel. Use pressure cookers whenever possible to save on energy. The energy of your home water system can be saved by setting the temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This way less energy is used to heat up the water. Insulate your hot water lines to prevent them from cooling very fast thus saving on energy. Compact Fluorescent lamps (CFL) are more preferable than the incandescent light bulbs due to their energy saving capabilities. A 27 watts Compact Fluorescent bulb will light up as much energy as a 100watt fluorescent lamp. Replacing all your incandescent light bulbs in your home with Compact Fluorescent lamps can save you high electricity bills.

Insulation of your house should be done very well to ensure that energy is conserved. The resultant effect during winter is that the rate of heat flowing out is slowed. During summer the effect is the same when the rate of heat flowing in is slowed. Check all your windows and replace all that are leaking or old. Replacing windows can save you between 7 and 24 percent of your heating and air-conditioning bills. Bigger savings would however be made by replacing single-glazed windows. If you are not sure, you can always rely on inspection services that can detect any weak spots or defects in your house and point you to the right solution.

A very important tip you should always keep in your mind is to unplug your electronic equipment when not in use. Electronic equipment continues to use electricity when not in use but still plugged onto the socket. Using light coloured fabric for your curtains lets in light during the day, preventing use of indoor lighting thus saving on energy. Solar panels for heating your water can reduce your energy costs greatly.

Go through your house and try to come up with new ways of saving energy. It may look like a tedious job, but in the long run you will save a lot of money.

 

Consideration was received for the editing and publishing of this post.

Clay Miller
the authorClay Miller
I am the creator/writer of Ways2GoGreen.com and Ways2GoGreenBlog.com. I'm an advocate for oceans, beaches, state parks. I enjoy all things outdoors (e.g. running, golf, gardening, hiking, etc.) I am a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Go Wildcats!!). I'm also a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Kentucky.

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