6 Tips for Reducing Your Electric Bill and Carbon Footprint
As we continue to witness weather-related catastrophes one after another on a global scale, a greater proportion of the population worries about global climate change. Our concern translates into a greater awareness of our carbon footprints, and attempts to reduce our impact on the world also benefit our budgets in a time when the economic recession has hit us as individuals the hardest. Fortunately, a few simple changes can save us money and reduce our carbon footprints:
1. Turn off the lights when you are not in a room. This may seem simple, but most of us are guilty of leaving a light on somewhere at one time or another. If you have children, this is a constant battle; consider installing sensors that can detect if someone is in the room.
2. Change out incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent lighting. CFLs use 20 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer. Replacing all of your light bulbs with CFLs ensures that you will use less electricity, saving you money and reducing your carbon footprint.
3. If you are not using an electronic device, unplug it from the wall. Even if a device is not turned on—or it is on standby—it is drawing energy. In fact, standby power for appliances is estimated to be 5 to 10 percent of residential power usage. Plug these devices into a power strip, and conveniently turn an entire strip worth of devices off with a single movement.
4. Treat your house like the greenhouse it is. Windows let in light and heat; consider investing in insulated window treatments, and use this greenhouse effect to your advantage. Open the blinds—especially the southern and western exposures—in the winter to let in light and heat; keep them closed in the summer to retain cool comfort.
5. Check your insulation. Examine your windows, doors, and the walls because leaks are everywhere. Heated and air conditioned air leaking from your home is energy and money seeping away. Have your windows and insulation inspected, and install weather stripping around doors.
6. Consider new appliances. Of course, it doesn’t make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on new appliances if you don’t need them, but if you are in the market for a new appliance, invest in one with the Energy Star logo to save energy—and money—in the long run.
Small changes will add up to environmental—and economic—surpluses.
Author Bio
Lyndsi Decker is a freelance writer and at the time is promoting a utah electrician and other Electrical repair in Utah. When not blogging she enjoys spending time in the great outdoors.
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