Ways to cut energy costs in Your Home
Review your energy requirements annually
Examine all your energy costs in detail so that you know where your energy dollars are going. That way when you see the electric bill spiking, you can find out what is really going on before it gets out of control.
Install energy saving lighting
This is probably the single most important thing you can do to not only save money, but also to save energy. Incandescent lighting is much more expensive to operate than fluorescent lighting. Modern compact fluorescent emit the same light as classic incandescent but use 75% or 80% less electricity.The single greatest source of greenhouse gases in Canada is power plants--half our electricity comes from coal plants. One bulb swapped out = enough electricity saved to turn off two entire power plants--or skip building the next two. The typical North American house has between 50 and 100 "sockets" If we all bought and installed two compact fluorescent bulbs? Five? Fifteen?Compact fluorescent bulbs don't just work, they pay for themselves. They use so little power compared with incandescent bulbs, a $3 compact fluorescent pays for itself in lower electric bills in about five months. In addition, compact fluorescent, even in heavy use, last 5, 7, 10 years!
Eliminate Phantom Load Energy Use
A "phantom load" is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Use power strips or manually unplug DVD players, computers and cell phone chargers to save electricity from disappearing without a trace
Install programmable thermostat
You will be delighted with the savings a simple upgrade like a programmable thermostat will yield. Best of all YOU can determine the temperature you desire for each room. If used properly, a programmable thermostat can save 10% per year on heating and cooling bills.
Maintain your HVAC units
Purchase a service contract. Make sure filters are replaced regularly. Clean HVAC systems can save customers money as they perform more efficiently, decreasing energy costs. Another alternative is to use ceiling fans. They take a lot less energy that the air condition, and moving air feels cooler.
Turn off lights and equipment
Train everybody to turn off lights as they leave rooms. Install energy saving bulbs wherever possible. Turn off computer monitors and computers. Energy costs soar when power is wasted.
Install Energy Efficient appliances
Buy or lease but replace with energy efficient electrical equipment for maximum energy savings. Efficient products can reduce energy use by 30 to 50 percent. For example, many home and commercial appliances run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A typical household equipped with Energy efficient products can reduce its yearly energy bills. In 1997 alone, these efficient products and building designs have kept more than 15 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. At the same time, these products saved businesses and consumers more than $1 billion in energy costs.
Energy Efficient Doors and Windows
Wherever possible, close doors so that individual room thermostats can operate efficiently. Install Energy efficient, and or double glazing, storm doors and windows wherever possible.
Install on demand water heating
Why keep a 400 hundred gallon tank of water hot all the time? Install on demand hot water heaters in bathrooms and wash up areas. That way you just heat the water you use. If you absolutely must keep the old hot water heaters, see if you can shut them off when not in use.