Saving energy can be quite challenging because it requires you to buy energy-efficient home devices and change how you think and act when it comes to saving precious electricity. However, with the many awesome benefits you stand to enjoy aside from lower monthly power bills, the fact that you’re doing the environment a great service is the icing on the cake.
Among other benefits to nature, conserving energy at home helps lower harmful emissions from power plants, conserve limited fossil fuels, and prevent drastic changes to global climate patterns. You may find it hard to believe that the simple act of turning off the switch one hour every day can make a difference, but it is just the case. Keep in mind that protecting the environment is a collective effort and requires sustainable small actions from everyone.
Here are some of the easiest and best ways to save energy at home and help conserve the environment at the same time:
1. Keep your heating system in tip-top shape.
Any problem with your home’s heating system will not only make life unbearable during the winter but also make your power bills skyrocket month after month. And the only way you could prevent your heating system components from breaking down is by having them periodically serviced by competent HVAC specialists. You can tap a furnace repair company if your furnace suddenly bogs down and stops providing the heat you need. You can also have their crew check on your other heating system components such as the heat exchanger, evaporator, condenser, blower motor, and thermostat to make sure that everything works perfectly.
2. Replace the A/C filter regularly.
Many homeowners have the wrong notion that their air conditioning system’s filters are built to last the A/C unit’s lifetime. This cannot be farther from the truth. The thing about those A/C filters is that they can get all dirty and inefficient too quickly. When the filters are clogged with dust, pollen, and other small contaminants, they will diminish the A/C system’s performance and take longer to cool a room. So instead of you having the luxury of just setting the A/C to fan setting, you’d be forced to keep the cool setting on for a longer period.
3. Get a programmable thermostat.
A programmable thermostat is one cheap investment that would easily pay for itself after a few months of usage. Such a modern home device is excellent at helping lower monthly energy consumption. The more high-end ones can be conveniently controlled using a smartphone or even ‘learn’ your living pattern and use that learning to program itself. Now, that seems like some heavy sci-fi stuff, but home devices get smarter each year, and you should never stop getting the ones that would give you great returns over time.
4. Mind your insulation.
Among the surest ways of letting yourself pay shocking amounts each month is to ignore your home’s insulation. Your insulation system is supposed to regulate indoor temperature and conserve energy. Home insulation is meant to keep the warm air during cold weather and the cold breeze during summer. As such, you should periodically check and promptly seal air leaks. Additionally, you have to regularly inspect your attic, ceiling, and wall insulation to see if the insulation materials are still in excellent condition. If not, then the wisest thing to do is replace them on your own or hire a professional insulation installer.
5. Shift to CFLs/LEDs and energy-efficient appliances.
These days, more and more homes are making the switch from incandescent bulbs to CFLs and LEDs due to the latter’s energy-saving and eco-friendly features. For one, LED lights significantly last longer, use lower energy, and are brighter than incandescent bulbs. Meanwhile, investing in newer, more energy-efficient home appliances with excellent ENERGY STAR ratings would also help you save big on your monthly electrical bills. With their high-efficiency features, these appliances are automatically eco-friendly since they consume less power than older model appliances.
6. Switch off regularly.
Finally, you should make it a habit to switch off all electrical appliances, fixtures, and everything that uses electricity for at least one hour monthly, weekly, or even daily. It might not look like you’re going to save significantly on your monthly power consumption. But if there were an increasing number of homeowners that would do this simple act regularly, it would do the environment a huge favor.
Which of these energy-saving habits are you doing already? Just heed all of them and other power conservation tricks, and you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll save monthly plus how big your contribution would be to the global efforts to conserve the environment.
