Who doesn’t like more green in their wallets? There are many ways to make small changes that will make a big impact on your utility bills.
- Get an energy use consultation. This will tell you the areas of your home with the biggest heating/cooling loss, analyze your past utility bills, and often times they will even give you some suggestions on changes you should make.
- Add extra insulation into your home. This is something that helps you keep the warm air in when it is cold and cool air in when it is hot.
- Seal gaps with weather stripping and caulk. The Department of Energy has reported that 10% of air loss comes from windows, 15% comes from ducts, and 13% comes from the plumbing leading outside.
- Get some door sweeps. This keeps the warm air from slipping underneath your door. I use them in my home, and notice a difference when we have them on versus those we do not.
- Get a programmable thermostat. If you aren’t home, lower the heat. You can then have the heat kick on when you are on your way home. (This also works for air conditioning). According to the US Department of Energy, for every degree that your turn down your thermostat for an eight hour period in the winter, you can expect a correlating percentage of energy savings!
- By using a heated mattress pad on you bed, you are able to lower the temperature even more at night and still be toasty warm under your organic bedding.
- Did you know that many electronics, even when they are off, are using energy? By using a power strip, you are able to shut off the electricity easily.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use 75% less energy and last ten times as long.
- Make your water heater more efficient. Most old heaters are not insulated well. You can buy a sleeve for around $20 – $30 (make sure to check your owner’s manual first to make sure you can add an insulating cover). Also, make sure that the pipes leading from your heater to the wall are insulated. You can also turn down your water heater. Most of the time you can get away with setting it at 120 degrees.
- Make sure that your furniture isn’t blocking ducts or fans in your home.
- Put a dry organic towel in the dryer with your wet clothes to lower your drying time. If possible, use a clothes line outside to dry your clothes instead! Also, make sure you clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load.
- Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. Running a fan constantly can cost you an extra $7 a month!
I love when being more eco-friendly saves more green in my wallet! The best thing about a lot of these changes is that they are easy to do and do not cost you a lot of money. What changes have you made in your home this year to make it more eco-friendly?
For more tips on eco-friendly living, visit our Green Is Grand section!
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