10 Ways To Conserve Energy And Save Money
By xzendor
The Cost Of Energy
Energy cost on on the rise and these 10 ways to conserve energy will help you to save money and reduce your carbon footprint even if you're not a conservationist.
As your well aware from the many news reports that abound, that the demand for energy is increasing across the globe at the same time in which energy resources are decreasing. To compound issues we are faced with the dilemma that the fossil fuels we've used over the last 100 hundred years are having a gross negative impact on the environment. These problems mean that a multifaceted approach must be taken to dealing with the problem.
As a homeowner you can start by taking steps that will conserve energy in your home; some are simple to do and some require a bit more work and up front cost. In the long run though the steps listed below will pay you back year after year in savings, especially as the price for energy goes up.
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10 Ways To Conserve Energy
Tip#1
Replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient florescent or LED's (light emitting diode fixtures). The florescent us significantly less energy than do there incandescent counterparts for the same amount of lumens they produce. LED's are even better, but they pack a substantial premium; on the positive side LED fixtures will need to be replace about every 20 years so they will pay for themselves for almost as long as you live in your home. Compare this to an incandescent light bulb which last about 750 hours and cost about $4 a pop and you can see a real cost savings; not only that but because these solid state devices use such little power your carbon footprint is very small.
Tip#2
Invest in lighting sensors that turn on the lights when someone is in the room and turns off the lights when the room is not being occupied. These sensors are available for outside use as well.
Tip#3
Use a light dimmer to control the brightness of your lights. In many instances full brightness is not needed and lowering the brightness of the lights can save you money. If you're still using incandescent bulbs switch over to three way bulbs and fixtures to reduce your energy consumption.
Tip#4
Do your best to use as much natural lighting to light up the interior of your home where possible. Check your local home supply store for inexpensive kits that you can use to light up the interior spaces.
Tip#5
Make sure your appliances like your refrigerator are spaced properly from the wall and that the cooling coils and fan are free of dust. Dust acts like and insulator making the cooling system work harder to keep your food cold and fresh.
Tip#6
Use zoned thermostats to set the temperature in various parts of your home. The best one also have timers so that you can set not only the temperature but the time you want those areas to be at particular temperature.
Tip#7
Make sure your home is sealed against air leaks as in the winter warm air is vented to the outside causing your furnace to generate more heat which means more fuel use, and in the summer the cool air leaks outside causing you to over use your air conditioner which consumes more electricity. Both of these results cost you money and increase your carbon footprint.
Tip#8
Insulate your water heater. This is important so that in the winter heat energy isn't leaking in to your basement causing you to run the heater for longer periods of time and at high temperatures to heat your water, and in the summertime this extra heat raises the temperature in your home causing your cooling system or air conditioner(s) to work harder using more electricity.
Tip#9
In many areas of the US and the world water must be pumped by the municipal water system into your home, this means energy must be used and this is of course passed on to the consumer. So reduce your water usage this saves you money, reduces the amount of energy used to supply the water and cuts down on pollution.
Tip#10
Use intelligent power saving power strips to power your electronic devices. This is especially true with computer and home entertainment systems that are comprised of multiple components. These smart power strips will turnoff all components, and only the ones that need to stay on will do so.
Visit my blog Alternative Energy Resources for more information on how you can conserve energy and save money.
Comments
Thanks Ghost32 For Your Comments
I Agree With You On The Florescent Bulbs As They Are Becoming A Landfill Polluting Problem.
The Problem Is That Industry And Government Have Yet To Implement Proper Waste Management Strategies For These Products.
And As Old Computer Screens And Laptops That Use CCF Start Getting Replaced This Will Become A Very Big Problem.
Also Florescent Bulbs Give Off Significant Amounts Of Ultra Violet Radiation Which We All Know Is Bad For You; So Until The Price Of LED Come Down Or Tube Lighting And Sheet Lighting Are Made More Readily Available We're Stuck With Them As An Incandescent Replacement.
And With The High Cost Of LED Fixtures Most People Won't Invest In Them Even Though For 15 To 20 Years They Won't Have To Be Replaced.
Granted Using Sensors To Turn Lights On And Off Is A Bit Extreme, But A Lot Of People Don't Pay For Utilities And Don't Realize The Expense Involved Because They Never See An Electric Bill.
I Do A Lot Of Reading Off And On The PC And I Need Good Lighting So So Variable Light Control For Me Is A Must So That I Can Adjust Things Just To Where It's Needed And Cut Down On The Waste.
You Must Live In An Ideal Temperate Zone, Up Here On The East Cost In The Winter Cold And The Summer Hot And Muggy.
Dual Flush Toilets Are Great, Seen Em' Love Em'.
The Power Saving Power Strips Are Great, There Are Charging Pads Which Draw Very Little Power And Will Charge Up Your Cell Phone, Tablet Or Notebook When You Place The Devices On Them And Turn Itself Off When The Charging Is Finished.
After All This Is The Age Of Wonder.
Thanks for the tips. I didn't realize there were easy steps people simply over look!
Thanks Michelle For Your Comment And For The Follow.
Actually This Is Just A Miniscule Number Of Ways That We As Consumers Can Save Energy; There Are Many More And When You Implement Today's Technological Advancements We Can Make A Strong Impact On The Environment And Our Wallets.
For Those That Are Interested They Can Check Out The Save On Home Energy Guide http://tinyurl.com/3rmlajp
Ghost32 9 months ago
Interesting, but a there are a few other points one might want to take into consideration:
1. Flourescent bulbs. There are huge problems with these that are generally ignored by the media and the politicians in charge. Mercury in the bulbs, short life in the cold or if turned off and on frequently, sometimes high startup cost, etc. Plus, many people are made seriously ill by simply being in the presence of flourescents. My wife, for example, is at risk of seizure if she spends more than an hour in Wal-Mart or any other building using flourescent lighting.
We deeply resent the outlawing of the flourescent bulb and are stockpiling, stockpiling, stockpiling....
2. That sounds workable. Although, having the habit of turning off lights when they're not needed (as we do) also does the job, without the cost of lighting sensors.
3. Also workable. We get the same effect, though, by using nothing but 40 watt bulbs in the first place.
4. Great.
5. Great.
6. Zoned thermostats? Hah! Our house doesn't even use heat OR cooling for most of the year, PERIOD! If you've got a standard on-grid "city home", though, they're indispensable.
7. Great.
8. Great.
9. Great. There are even "dual-flush" toilets one can install these days which use a fraction of the water for a "#1" flush that they do for a "#2". They're spendy up front, though.
10. Interesting. I didn't even know there was such a thing as an "intelligent power saving power strip". I'll have to look into that one.
Voted Up and Stuff.