There are ways big and small to reduce your use of energy and, thus, your energy bills. Many of these cost very little or even nothing to implement. Here are five ways to conserve energy in your household.
1. Adjust Your Behaviors
Simply adjusting your behaviors costs nothing and is highly effective. It’s easy to turn off lights and appliances you aren’t using, for example. You should turn down your thermostat in the winter and turn it up in the summer, as heating and cooling your home makes up about half of your energy bills.
2. Replace Incandescent Bulbs With LEDs
Incandescent bulbs use a surprisingly large amount of energy and need to be replaced relatively often. LEDs operate very efficiently and can last two times longer than an incandescent bulb. The cost of LEDs has come down significantly in recent years.
3. Install a Programmable or Smart Thermostat
With one of these thermostats, you can save a lot of money on your heating and cooling bills. You set a schedule on a programmable thermostat, while a smart thermostat uses artificial intelligence to decide when to heat or to cool your house. Most people save about $180 per year with a programmable thermostat and even more if they upgrade to a smart one.
4. Use Power Strips
“Vampire power” is a significant part of your energy bills. Many devices go into standby mode, which consumes about 75% of the energy used by household electronics. You can use a power strip to shut off power to multiple devices when they’re not in use.
5. Purchase ENERGY STAR Appliances
Appliances that have the ENERGY STAR seal use a lot less energy than their traditional counterparts. They cost a little more but use between 9-25% less energy than other appliances.
It's On Electrical, LLC is a company in Ambler, PA, that offers electrical services, including installing programmable and smart thermostats. We also handle interior and exterior electrics and electrical panels. Call us today to schedule a visit from one of our electricians.