Saving Energy at Home
Keeping your home comfortable and functional costs energy. You need electricity to power your lights and appliances, and gas or other fuels to power your heat. Without those things, your home would get a whole lot less comfortable in a hurry. But energy doesn’t come cheap. It costs you in dollar terms, and it also costs our planet in the form of pollution and global warming. So if it’s possible to keep your house comfortable without using as much energy as you do now, it would be good for everyone. Here are a few tips for saving energy at home.
Make a habit of turning off the lights — and more
Yes, your mother always used to nag you about this. She was right. Leaving lights on is the silliest and most obvious way that many Americans waste their energy and, therefore, their money. Try to make a ritual of turning off lights as you leave rooms. If it becomes a habit, you’ll save money.
Don’t forget about the other things besides lights, though. How many of us leave our sound systems on after we off turn our TVs? How many of us leave our computers running overnight or — worse yet — over a long weekend or even a week away from the house? That’s an unnecessary waste of energy, especially considering how easy it is to turn things off remotely and automatically these days.
Try to make a point of remembering these things, and help yourself out with technology. Put lights on timers or use smart home technology to turn them off from afar. You should also be able to set up your computer to sleep or shut down after a certain amount of time has passed.
Invest in your appliances and other large electrical items
How old is your dryer? How efficient is your refrigerator? You should ask yourself these questions periodically, say pros who specialize in appliance repair in Oahu, Hawaii. It’s important to have modern machines that are well-kept. Maintenance and repairs are essential, because an appliance with problems can often be a very inefficient one. Trust a professional to make sure that your machines are working smoothly — reliable pros will be sure to give you the high-quality parts that belong in your appliances, rather than poor replacements that may make things less efficient and therefore more expensive.
Modern appliances are designed to be as energy-efficient as possible under the circumstances, and a good repair specialist can help you make sure that you’re getting the most out of yours. Getting a new machine might be the solution to sneaky high operating costs.
Check out your attic and roof
We lose energy in our homes in all sorts of ways. Air-conditioned or heated air can escape into the outside world through doors, windows, and even walls. Siding is important, and so are the seals on your doors and windows. But don’t forget to look up, too. Your attic and roof are major culprits when it comes to energy loss.
Statistics show that homeowners can suffer as much as 25 percent of their energy losses through attics and roofs. Check with roofing and insulation experts, say the pros at Everlast Roofing, who know plenty about everything from shingles to PBR panels. It’s worth upgrading and fixing things if the experts you call notice any problems, because the energy savings you’ll gain will offset the expense of the fixes!