Winter is in full swing. With winter comes ramped up power bills. Between heating your house, your water, and keeping your work and entertainment running at all hours, it’s no wonder electricity bills spike during the winter months. That’s why it’s so important to find energy savings where you can; it can save your wallet from a massive sucker punch!
However, monetary savings aren’t the only reason you should try to conserve energy in the winter. Heating the home accounts for over 40% of carbon dioxide emissions relating to electricity worldwide. So, if you’re looking for ways to save money and your carbon footprint, check out our 7 proven energy saving tips to lower your bill below!
1. Keep Your HVAC Maintained
Nothing destroys your ability to stay warm in winter like a broken HVAC unit. Even if you haven’t noticed any problems as of yet, regular AC maintenance can ensure that your system is working properly.
How do you know if you need maintenance on your HVAC unit? If your power bill has jumped or your heater sounds like it’s ready for liftoff when it turns on, you might have a problem that needs resolving.
Another part of this regular maintenance that you need to include is to replace your filters on the regular. Dirty, clogged filters make your system work much harder than it needs to, and can skyrocket your energy costs.
2. Seal Your Home Up Tight
If you haven’t taken steps to winterize your home, you’re wasting massive chunks of your energy bill. You can lose as much as 60% of the heat your furnace produces through the walls, windows, roof, and floor. No wonder it feels like your home’s never warm!
If you take the time to search your home for gaps and plug places where air leaks out, you’ll be able to control your inside temperature more efficiently. This will not only slash your heating bills in the winter, but help you save on cooling costs in the summer, too!
3. Follow the Lighting Commandments
For maximum energy savings, you should always follow the lighting commandments. What are the lighting commandments? They will proceed as follows:
- Use LED lightbulbs and energy saving lights in your home where possible
- Turn off all the lights upon exiting the room
- Use natural light whenever possible
- Turn off all exterior lighting when it’s not in use
- Dust your lightbulbs regularly
- Reduce your wattage
- Use lamps rather than overhead lights where you can
If you follow these commandments, you’ll see a drastic reduction in your lighting bill, and your energy bill as a whole.
4. Unplug What You Don’t Use
This seems like common sense, but if you’re not using an electronic device, don’t leave it plugged in. Even if it’s powered off, it’s still siphoning electricity from your home.
Your phone’s the primary culprit for this electronic usage sin. We know it’s tempting to leave it on the charger overnight, but it’s unnecessary. Charge your phone in the hours before you go to bed, so you can unplug it while you sleep.
5. Don’t Touch That Thermostat
Time for us to channel our inner dad and explain why you shouldn’t mess with your thermostat too much. Over-adjusting your thermostat makes the system work harder than it needs to in order to compensate for the constant changes in temperature.
You’re better served picking one temperature to set for your thermostat and leaving it there. If it feels too warm or cold in the house, adjust your clothing. Dressing for the day will let you stay comfortable while also saving on your energy bill.
6. Kitchen Energy Savings
Your kitchen is a massive source of your house’s energy consumption. Makes sense, considering you have several major appliances (e.g. refrigerator, dishwasher, oven) running or plugged in at all times. Below are some energy saving tips for your kitchen:
- Invest in energy saving appliances where you can
- Keep your refrigerator and freezer full, but not over-full
- Your microwave is not a dirty hack; use it over your stove for energy savings
- We know it’s tempting, but don’t open that oven door to peek at your baking
- Wait until nighttime to run those dishes; it’ll cut the strain on the power grid
- Keep your fridge set to manufacturer-recommended temperatures
By following these steps, you can save loads of money in the most electricity-driven room in your home.
7. Saving Energy for Laundry Day
If you want energy savings for laundry day, your first thought should be to invest in energy-efficient appliances. However, if that’s too much money up front, you can save money and energy in other ways.
Washing your clothes with cold water, and only washing when you have full loads of laundry cuts your energy costs and the amount of laundry trips you have to take. Over-filling your dryer and not cleaning your lint traps can make the drying process less efficient, requiring more use and therefore more energy. You should also try to use low-heat settings where you can.
Need to Find More Energy Savings?
Whether you’re looking to save your wallet, the environment, or both, finding energy savings is crucial to proper home maintenance. Finding ways to save money in your home can be tricky, but you don’t need to research alone.
If you need more energy-saving or other home improvement tips, why not check out our blog daily for more articles like this one? You’ll find tons more useful content and household hacks that will improve your life and save you money and time!
