If you own a home, especially a home with a pool, you know that energy bills can get expensive! Don’t worry, this article won’t tell you that you can only save money if you start reclaiming rainwater and stop using air conditioning in the summer! Even if you are sensible energy user who doesn’t fall into typical stereotypes, like the person NEEDS the house cooled to 70 degrees on a 90-degree day or the person that accidentally leaves every light in the home on all night, you can still save money with easy, rational techniques.
Here’s some easy to implement tips for saving money on energy bills.
- Install smart technology thermostats in your home. Programmable thermostats connected to your Wi-Fi are easy to install and allow you to adjust the thermostat from wherever you are (even outside the home). These thermostats can even learn your typical daily routine and go into energy saving mode while you are outside of the home and vary the temperature when you are only using certain parts of the house. Simply program your thermostats to your liking and look forward to saving up to 10% on your monthly heating and cooling bill.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances. If you purchased a home without energy-efficient appliances, you may want to consider investing in them now. While there is a significant upfront cost to replacing appliances, you’ll be realizing significant savings over time because the units use less electricity or gas (depending on the appliance). Most energy efficient appliances will pay for themselves in energy savings over the course of the useful life of the appliance.
- Replace your HVAC filters. Air conditioning filters are very inexperience, but many homeowners don’t realize how often they should be changed to maximize your AC’s efficiency and reduce dust and particulates in the air. The dustier your air filter, the harder your AC unit needs to work to push out enough cold air. A common home should have their air filter changed at least once every 3 months (every 2 months if there’s a pet in the house), but consider doing it even more often if you live in a hot climate and it’s the summer months.
- Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are set to the proper temperature. Double check the settings on your refrigerator and freezer to make sure they aren’t working overtime. The USDA says the desired temperatures for maximum food safety is 40 degrees for the refrigerator and 0 degrees for the freezer. Anything lower means you are using excess energy to unnecessarily lower the temperature of your food and drinks. Keep your fridge and freezer full (but not too full) to better regulate the temperature without impacting food safety.
- Lower the temperature of your water heater. In a similar vein to the trick on your refrigerator, lowering the temperature of your water heater can result in big savings. According to the US Department of Energy, water heating accounts for about 20% of your home’s energy use. Most manufacturers have a default setting on their water heater of 140 degrees, but many professionals note that reducing the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees will result in drastically reduced costs (6-10% of your energy bill) with little notice by the homeowner during their daily shower. It also reduces mineral buildup in your tanks and pipes, allowing for not just a savings in utility bills but also maintenance.
- Make sure all windows and doors are completely sealed. Air leaks caused by cracks in electrical outlets, pipes, doors, and windows that aren’t completely sealed can mean that your home isn’t heating and cooling properly, and your HVAC unit is fighting (and working overtime) to maintain the thermostat’s set temperature. With weatherstripping, foam-type tape and caulk, you can see energy savings of to 30% (depending on the current condition of your home). It may be worth calling in an expert to find all the leaks and get them sealed properly given the savings at stake.
- Consider going solar. Solar power is gaining a lot of traction in the sunniest states in the US, and with the help of federal tax credits, which reduces the cost of installation by 30%, you can go solar at a relatively affordable upfront cost. According to a recent study in Texas, going solar allowed for a 45% reduction of a household’s utility bill, which amounted to a savings of $744 per year in an average household, and since the average lifespan of a solar panel is 25 years, the total savings over the life of the solar panel is $18,600 for an average household.
All of these tips are proven to save you money without impacting your lifestyle. Not only will you save money by implementing these tips, but several of these suggested changes will also increase the value of your home! And, as an additional bonus, a reduction in home energy usage also reduces your carbon footprint, which means implementing these changes benefit not just you, but the entire community as well.
About the Author:
Mike and his team comprised of mortgage professionals who have decades of combined experience and have closed hundreds of mortgage loans across multiple states are passionately committed to this country’s service members.