Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

Our focus on "Going Green" is broad and deep. And it can begin with simple tips to increase consciousness around energy efficiency in our daily lives.  The US Department of Energy has published a list of easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy. 

A typical family in the US spends approximately $1,900 a year on utility bills for their home.  Much of that energy is wasted.  Whether your home is new or well-lived in, a systematic review of energy usage and features can quickly reveal opportunities for savings.

We recommend you take a whole-house approach, view your home as an energy system with interdependent parts. For example, your heating system is not just a furnace—it’s a heat-delivery system that starts at the furnace and delivers heat throughout your home using a network of ducts. Even a top-of-theline, energy-efficient furnace will waste a lot of fuel if the ducts, walls, attic, windows, and doors are not properly sealed and insulated. Taking a wholehouse approach to saving energy ensures that dollars you invest to save energy are spent wisely.

Tips to Save Energy Today

• Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Source:  www.energysavers.gov