Have you noticed your heart rate accelerate when you get your energy bill? Whether it’s the natural gas, electric, or oil bill, we’ve all seen our energy costs rising. Most of us are becoming more concerned over just how much our energy costs are.
What are some of the primary ways to save on your power bill? Let’s first take a quick look at what systems within our home use the most energy. The list below shows how they are broken up percentage wise by the amount of energy they typically use within an average American household.
1.) Heating uses 31%
2.) Cooling takes 12%
3.) Water Heating uses 12%
4.) Lighting comes in at 11%
5.) Computer & Electronics makes up 9%
6.) Appliances are typically 9%
7.) The Refrigerator 8%
8.) Other items 8%
One of the best ways to save on your utility costs is by having an Energy Audit done of your home. In many areas, this is a service that might actually be provided for free by your power company. At the very least they can recommend a Energy Auditor that for a reasonable fee do a whole house energy audit check for you.
Once an Auditor has inspected your home, and you have corrected the deficiencies, you can oftentimes expect to save anywhere from 5-30% on your energy costs.
When talking with your power company be sure and ask them if they are offering any free conservation kits or programs which oftentimes include money saving services or items. If they don’t have any current programs be sure and ask if any are coming up.
When it comes to cooling a home, a few efficient ceiling fans will cost you much less money in the long run to cool your home than central Air Conditioning will. If you already have central air conditioning, decide to use it only on the most uncomfortably hot days and incorporate your ceiling fans to take care of the bulk of your cooling needs the rest of the time.
When it comes to Hot Water Costs, one of the least expensive ways to save money is by installing a Hot Water Blanket. These typically cost around $25 and can be installed yourself. A quick test to see if a Hot Water Blanket will save you money is by feeling the sides of your Hot Water Heater. If it feels warm then you will unquestionably save money. Be sure and check your documentation that came with your Hot Water Heater to make sure it doesn’t have any warnings against using a Hot Water Blanket. This is especially important if you own a Gas Hot Water Heater. Make sure the blanket has an R-11 rating. The Iowa Energy Center reports that using these blankets can lower the cost of heating water by 25 to 40%.
Not to be overlooked in saving on water costs is the installing of inexpensive low-flow shower heads and water faucet aerators. You not only save on heating costs but water costs as well while helping the environment.
Another way to save money is by checking with Energy Star when you are forced to replace an appliance. The Energy Star program has a list of energy saving appliances that will not only save you money but will also earn you rebates from your local power company, as well as possible State and Federal rebate/credit programs. Energy Stars website helps you locate the programs specific to your area.
Many people have heard that switching your standard incandescent bulbs out for Compact Fluorescent Lamps (called CFL’s) can save you money. Most however might be surprised to learn that CFL’s actually use a whopping 75% less power than a standard bulb and they last up to 10 times longer than your ordinary incandescent bulb.
For Electronics turning them off can really add up over time. If however you don’t like to wait for the items to warm up or load up as in the case of computers, make use of their Sleep Mode which dramatically decreases the random power they draw when not in use.
One of the largest ways you can greatly reduce your energy costs is by incorporating Green Energy. When Solar Power and Wind Power were first introduced to the masses, many people simply couldn’t afford the technology as it had costs that went into the tens of thousands of dollars.
That is now a thing of the past and what you might be excited to learn is that today’s technology is not only less expensive but you can receive drastic savings by building your own Green Energy. There are now complete energy system guides available that can help you build your own Solar and/or Wind system for between $100 to $200. These technologies will provide you with years and years of free energy that doesn’t pollute the environment.
Take a moment to educate yourself on the best ways to save money with your own Green Energy power system at http://www.SolarPowerPreview.com
Article Source: U Publish Articles
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