Easy Money and Energy Saving Tips for Home Owners
Regardless of whether you are a novice or experienced homeowner, owning your own home is a huge step, and is an exciting time of life. But with complete independence comes complete responsibility – you own the house and you have to pay all associated bills and upkeep.
It is because of this responsibility and the associated costs that so many homeowners today are searching for ways to save themselves some money, and one of the best ways of doing so is through their energy bill. Here are a few tips as to how you can do yourself and the world some good by saving some cash and energy on a regular basis.
1. Change Your Filters Regularly
In order to get the most out of any appliance or piece of equipment with a filter be it your furnace, dryer and air conditioner it is absolutely crucial that you take the time and remember to properly change the filter on your furnace regularly as recommended by their developers. The majority of furnace manufacturers recommend doing it either on a quarterly or a monthly to keep the unit operating at peak efficiency.
2. Invest in Ceiling Fans
For some reason, a common misconception is that ceiling fans are a thing of the past. However, ceiling fans are actually incredibly beneficial to one’s energy costs and can end up saving you a bundle on your energy bill. If you have a ceiling fan in your house and use it properly, you can actually reduce your bill quite a bit. Problems can arise when people are unsure of how to use them correctly (yes, there really is a correct way using them). In order to be used correctly, ceiling fans should be set to spin counter-clockwise throughout the hot summer months, this will pull the hot air up to the ceiling and away from the living space. During the cold winter months, reverse the setting so that the fans blow the hot air down warming the entire room substantially.
3. Wash with Cold Water
Did you know that more than 75% of a washing machine’s energy expenditure is spent simply on heating the water that is used? So, by simply skipping the heating process altogether and washing your clothes in cold, think somewhere between 30-40 °C you will save a good percentage of your bill. DID YOU KNOW: That washing your clothes in cold water also prevents any running of colors? Bonus!
4. Consider a Clothes Line
Although somewhat of an older idea, and not necessarily possible for everyone, putting your clothes out on a clothesline in your backyard can save you a bundle by not running your dryer every day.
When it comes to saving money on your electricity bill, there are a variety of ways to do so. While putting multiple of these suggestions in place will have the most impact on your electricity bill – and your wallet – don’t stress about having to complete all of these tasks before your next billing cycle. As with anything starting small and going from there can make a world of difference, and over time as you continue to try and improve how energy efficient your house is, you bill will continue to reduce.