Save Money on Home Utility Bills
How to Lower Your Energy Costs and Decrease Your Carbon Footprint
Jan 16, 2009
Drastic times call for drastic measures. The environment is calling for change by means of global warming. The economy is forcing those changes with the recession. You want to save money on home utility bills, and you would also probably like to decrease your impact on the environment. These simple tips are environmentally friendly and will show you how to lower your energy costs to save money every month and decrease your carbon footprint.
- Turn off the lights every time you leave a room. Simple but effective, and it is only a matter of getting into the habit which doesn't take long.
- Limit showers to ten minutes. Use an egg timer from the kitchen if you need, but you will be surprised how far ten minutes actually goes when you are in the shower.
- Program your thermostat to run on a lower setting (higher in the summer) during the times of the day when you will not be home. You can purchase an inexpensive programmable thermostat at your local home supply store.
- Lower your home's normal temperature for comfort by two degrees in the winter, and raise it by two degrees in the summer.
- Use the energy saver setting on your dishwasher.
- Wash your laundry with cold water, and put up a clothesline in the backyard to hang dry your clothing on nice days when the weather permits.
- Weather-proof your home. Seal doors and windows with caulk and weather-stripping. Use heavy lined curtains for added protection. Add insulation to your attic if possible.
- Unplug all electronic devices and appliances when not in use. You can use power strips with surge protection in areas with multiple components so all you will need to do is flip the switch to “off” on the power strip to stop wasting energy.
- Create a rain barrel to collect rainwater runoff to use for watering your garden and plants. This is a relatively inexpensive project, and it is simple enough to do with the kids as a family activity too.
If you have the money to invest, solar panels and wind turbines will dramatically reduce your energy costs. Also, begin replacing your current appliances with energy efficient appliances as you can. Try some of these suggestions out in your home. Every small effort you make really does begin to add up at the end of the month. You will save money on home utility bills while you help to save the environment. It is a win-win scenario.
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