Being energy efficient (or using less energy) is beneficial to my family in a variety of ways that affect us both directly and indirectly on a daily basis. Direct benefits include saving money and time while improving our quality of life.
At the same time we’re also indirectly putting less strain on the energy grid while conserving natural resources and reducing emissions that can harm the environment.
When we first set out to remodel our home from top to bottom we made the conscious decision to invest in energy saving products. Living in rural Michigan, we knew this would be crucial to maintaining our energy bill, especially when old man winter knocked at our door.
Our windows, doors and appliances all came energy star rated. But throughout our home our televisions, shower heads, lamps – right down to the lightbulbs are all energy efficient. In addition to lowering our monthly energy bill we also saw a significant, positive impact on our yearly taxes thanks to rebate programs for energy saving appliances.
But the impact made by these decisions would be for naught if we didn’t make an effort to find easy ways to make our home more energy efficient (and further save on our energy bill).
One of the easiest habits our families can get into is turning off the lights when we exit a room. This is a habit best started early but an old dog can still learn new tricks.
We also run our entertainment hubs off a single power strip, that way they can all be shut off before we leave for the day by unplugging that single switch. Many people don’t realize that products will pull electricity even when they’re turned off, which can really add up over time.
Even our window trimmings are working to save energy. Energy savings curtains black our light, reduce noise and block out the cold that seeps through a windowpane, and prevents warm air from escaping but one of our biggest energy savers is adjusting the thermostat.
When we’re gone during the day we turn it down to about 58 degrees which saves as much as 15% towards our heating bill. We also leave it cooler at night while our family is tugged snuggly in their beds. In the summer, we do the opposite!
But if you’re noticing your bill is still high despite these fixes, call your local heating repair experts. There may be something wrong with your HVAC system.
How does your family make your home more energy efficient?
These are all great ideas. We need to implement a few more at our home.
Just changing our windows to double pane made such a huge difference in our electric bill. I will have to try a few of your suggestions and see how much more that helps us too!