Energy Saving Tips for Your Home: A Powerful Way to Save Money!

Looking to save money? The answer might be right at home.

According to research by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American household spends $2,000 on energy costs each year, with nearly 30% of those costs spent on appliances, lighting, and electronics. When you realize that more than 10% of that amount goes to lighting alone, surely there are ways to save money each year through small changes in behavior.

Even if you don’t own your own home (and, therefore, appliances and windows), there are plenty of options to help renters lower their energy costs. Browse the energy saving tips below to see what works for you.

Make Efficient Choices

When you know what choices cost you the most, it’s easy to make small changes in your favor.

• Take the time assess your home for energy efficiencies with this government energy-usage assessment tool. Some power companies and libraries also have portable energy meters you may check out to measure the voltage, electricity cost, and electronic consumption of your appliances.
• It does help to turn off your lights and appliances when not in use.
• Unplug unnecessary equipment (such as seldom-used audio equipment and computer printers) and enable the power-saving options on video consoles.
• When reheating food, remember that a microwave uses less energy than a conventional oven.
• Browse this handful of money-saving clothes-washing tips that include washing your clothes in cold water, using cold-water detergents, and regularly cleaning out the dryer lint filter.
• Lower your water temperature to 120 degrees and save anywhere between $36 and $61 per year.
• Be smart about your interior climate. Lower your thermostat by 5 or even 10 degrees at night or when you’re not at home. Open drapes and blinds on sunny windows to warm your house in the winter; close them in the summer to keep the heat out.
• Regularly replace your HVAC filter. Dirty filters reduce air flow and cause your furnace or heat pump to work harder.

Invest in Energy-Efficient Items

Even little investments can make big differences in your energy savings. What’s more, rebates and tax credits can help further defray the cost of purchasing more energy-efficient items.

• Switch out all incandescent bulbs to compact florescent bulbs. According to Consumer Reports, you’ll save about $56 over the life of each bulb. They use 70-80% less energy and last 10-20 times longer than traditional bulbs. LEDs use up to 90% less energy and can last up to 25% longer than incandescent bulbs.
• Look into smart technologies for your home such as thermostats (here are some that cost less than $200) and lights that you can schedule to turn off and on at pre-set times or program from your smart phone.
• If you can afford it, replacing your old refrigerator can save you up to $150 per year on your bills. In some states, a government program will pick up your old, working refrigerator or freezer for free, recycle it responsibly, and give you $35 in exchange!
• When shopping for appliances and other household items, look for the government-backed Energy Star® Not only are these products determined by the Environmental Protection Agency to be most efficient, but also you may be eligible for a rebate! You don’t have to purchase big ticket items like freezers and dishwashers to get money back, either. Here are just some of the Energy Star® products listed:

Energy Star Products

Lighting fixtures, lamps

Ceiling and ventilating fans

Heating and cooling equipment including water heaters, heat pumps, boilers, furnaces, and air conditioners

Electronics

Office equipment

Lightbulbs

Thermostats

Room air cleaners and purifiers

Dehumidifiers

Roof products

Game consoles

Televisions

Vacuums

Yard care tools

 

• Remember that tax credits can defray of up to 10% of equipment costs for replacing old windows, doors, and skylights. The limit per year is $500 total, up to $200 for windows.
• If you can’t pay to replace windows and doors just now, weather stripping and caulking can reduce your heating bills by 15 to 30%. Adding insulation and covering hot-water pipes can save you another 10%.
• If you are really serious about making improvements—such as adopting solar, small wind, fuel cell, or geothermal systems—Residential Energy Tax Credits can apply to up to 30% of the costs.

Energy Savings Resources

Looking for more bright ideas? Plenty of resources exist online for everyone from homebuilders to renters when it comes to saving energy costs. Look for government-backed programs like the ones below, or conduct a search for “energy saving incentives” and the name of your state to get started.

Focus on Energy: www.focusonenergy.com

Run by the Federal Energy Management Program, this initiative encourages Americans to make energy efficient choices through incentives like tax credits and rebates.

Energy Star: www.energystar.gov

Run by the Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star encourages Americans to save money and protect the climate through energy efficiency.

• Rebate Finder: https://www.energystar.gov/rebate-finder
• Energy Star Tax Credit Finders: https://www.energystar.gov/about/federal_tax_credits

Energy Saving Incentives by State

• DSIRE energy incentive programs by state: http://www.dsireusa.org/
• gov incentive programs by state: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solarpoweringamerica/database-state-incentives-renewables-efficiency

Saving money by saving energy is in everyone’s best interest because it preserves the health of our planet. By putting in a little energy of your own into reducing your energy costs, your wallet will feel healthier, too.