The recent ice storms we experienced in Andover, North Andover, Central Massachusetts and New Hampshire reminded us once again how much we rely on energy in our everday lives. Even a short interuption in service reeks havok on our simplest activities of daily living. So it makes sense not only from an economic standpoint but from an enviromental perspective to use our energy as wisely and efficiently as possible. Since there are several easy ways to cut your home energy costs, what better time to start implementing them than right now? You may have already heard many of these tips repeated by experts, but they are tried and true and really do help you save.
- Washer and Dryer Use: By simply by changing the temperature from hot to warm on your clothes washer you can halve your energy usage. And if you line dry just half of your clothing on an indoor drying rack, you can save up to $52 per year.
- Replace your upright freezer for a chest freezer. Chest freezers consume up to 25% less energy because the cold air does not pour out each time you open the door. You can calculate what your current model versus a new one would save you at recyclemyoldfridge.com.
- Change all of your bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs or light-emitting diodes. Incandescents only use 10% of their energy for light, the remaining 90% is turned to heat.
- Make it possible to unplug devices when not in use. Many of these devices use power even in their stand-by mode. A simple way to do this is to plug your televisions, printers, iPods and cellphones into a power surge protector. By switching one button, you can even turn them all off at once. This small change could save you up to $100 per year.
- By weather stripping drafty doors and caulking windows can save you up to 20% on heating and air conditioning costs.
- Installing double-paned Low Emissivity windows can save you up to $450 per year in energy costs. See which windows are classified as Energy Star on energystar.gov.
- Choose an Energy Star Appliance when the time comes to replace your home’s leading energy guzzlers. These include your refrigerator, clothes washer, clothes dryer and dishwasher. You will save up to $75 per year.
- Wood Burning stoves can save you anywhere from 20% – 40% on your home heating bills.
I’m committed to saving energy in my home and hope you are, too. I can help you find qualified service professionals to help you with the many of your home maintanence projects.
