There are lots of ways to save money and one of those has to do with energy. Perhaps you have made some energy saving decisions in your home that have allowed you to keep more of your money where you want it to be- in your wallet or your bank account- or maybe you just need that little push to become more energy cash savvy. Here we give you that push!
Lower the Temp on Your Water Heater
Lowering the temperature on your hot water heater will lower your water costs anywhere from six to 10 percent. If you love hot showers to ends your day or to start a new day then you owe it to yourself to turn it down in order to save both energy and your hard earned money. This is good for the environment and for your savings.
Unplug Chargers When Not in Use
Do not leave any chargers plugged into electrical outlets if they are not being used. Only plug in your cell phone, laptop, etc. when you need to charge it and then unplug it. Even when you are not charging something it is still drawing electricity and therefore running up your bill. Don’t throw your money away- unplug what you are not using.
If you tend to be forgetful in this regard then buy a power bar or surge protector and turn off the switch once you have given your electrical item enough time to get charged up. This will save you more money than you know!
Replace Your Light Bulbs with CFL’s
Next time you need to replace a light bulb in your home think twice about replacing it with the regular incandescent kind. The compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs with their spiral shape look a little strange but they are true winners in the energy world. They use less than a third of the energy of traditional light bulbs and they last up to 10 times longer. They do cost more money however but the amount of money you will save in reduced power bills in a matter of months will make it such that they will pay for themselves before too long.
Consider this, if every household in the United States replaced just one of their light bulbs with a CFL then the energy that they would save could light as many as 2.5 million homes annually- 2.5 million! Imagine that!
If you have always appreciated the versatility of different styles and colors of regular bulbs then you will be pleased to know that the CFL’s offer you the same. If you want pink bulbs for your bedroom then you can find them. If you want a candelabra bulb then that is no problem at all.
Make Low-Flow the Buzzwords for Your Bathroom
Bathrooms get a lot of use in most households. The more members of your family the more usage it gets! For this reason to save energy and cash you should think about installing low-flow water fixtures.
In days gone by toilets used (and wasted) gallons of water every time they were flushed. Every flush used five gallons of water. Luckily the situation has improved and today toilets are more efficiently designed than ever before. There are now low-flow models that use less than a gallon of water with every flush. Three of the companies that are leading the way when it comes to energy saver toilets include Kohler, American Standard and Toto.
Your toilet is not the only energy and money guzzler. Your shower is as well. To save as much water and money as possible but also to guarantee that you continue to have enough water pressure you should change your showerhead to a low-flow one. The low-flow head will decrease the consumption of water you use for bathing purposes by anywhere from 50 to 70 percent.
If you are not that mechanical that don’t worry- these water saving showerheads are easy to install and cost very little money to purchase. You can get one for around $10. Once you get use to your new showerhead you might want to move onto your faucet. There are now low-flow faucets that can also provide a means of saving you money and energy at the same time.
