10 Ways to Save Energy at Home this Year

If you have already switched to power strips, set your thermostat to an energy-saving temperature and always turn off lights when you leave the room, and now would like to save more energy around the house, it is time to step up your energy conservation efforts.

Reducing your energy consumption helps you lower your carbon footprint, increase your efforts to combat climate change and save money on utilities.

So, if you have already taken some steps towards energy conservation and are ready to take it to the next level, here are 10 things you can do to save more energy inside and outside of your home.

10 Ways to Save More Energy at Home

1. Install Motion Sensor Lighting: Switching some of your outdoor lighting to motion-sensing fixtures is an easy way to save energy while still having the light you need when you need it. Motion sensors make lights turn on only when someone is in the area, so energy is not wasted by illuminating areas when no one is around. When you step out of your car or when you or a guest approach your porch, the lights will automatically turn on to illuminate your path and will automatically turn off when no longer needed.

2. Install a Timer for Landscape Lighting: Outdoor lighting is an important part of your overall landscape design, but it is possible to use more energy than necessary when illuminating your property. One way you can avoid wasting energy is ensuring that you never forget to turn off your landscape lighting and accidentally leave it on all night. You can accomplish this by simply installing a timer that will turn your lights on at dusk and turn them off after a set amount of time. If you typically leave the house before sunrise, you can also set your timer to make sure you have plenty of light to make it safely to your car in the morning.

3. Switch to LED Lighting Indoors and Outside: It was not that long ago that we were all swapping out our incandescent bulbs for CFLs to save energy and lower our utility bills. Lighting technology has continued to improve and we now have an even better option that uses about 75% to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last about 25 times longer. The upfront cost is usually more, since LED bulbs are more expensive than other options, but you will see significant savings over time.

4. Switch to Solar Outdoor Lights: Another option for lowering the energy you consume for lighting your yard is to switch to solar-powered light fixtures. While you may not be ready to move your home completely off of the power grid, this is an easy way to get started and to harvest the sun’s energy to illuminate your outdoor living areas.

5. Install a Solar Panel System: Many homeowners are choosing to lower their carbon footprint and save on electricity bills by installing solar panels to power their home. When you are ready to move to a whole-house solar power system, you might want to check out the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) program, which can be used to access funding for a wide variety of home improvement projects that save energy or water and make your home more sustainable.

6. Wash Laundry with Cold Water: You may not want to wash all of your laundry with cold water, but every load you wash on cold will help you save energy. Washing clothes and other laundry in hot water requires that water to be heated up by your hot water heater. By reducing the amount of work your hot water heater has to do, you can either save electricity (if it is an electric water heater) or gas (if it is a gas water heater).

7. Stop Baking in Metal Pans: If you are a frequent baker and have an electric oven, you can save more energy simply by switching out your pans. Metal pans take longer to heat up than other options, so opt for glass, ceramic or oven-safe stoneware to cut down on your baking time and your electricity usage.

8. Grill More: Your desire to save energy is the perfect excuse to squeeze more outdoor grilling into your schedule. By using your barbecue grill more often, you can save some energy by avoiding using the stove and oven in your indoor kitchen. However, the real savings comes from not heating up your home while cooking inside, which means your air conditioning unit will not have to work harder (and use more energy) to cool your home.

9. Install More Windows: Installing more or larger windows is not the least expensive option on this list, but it is an effective way to significantly reduce your day-time electricity use. By allowing natural light to bathe the interior of your home, you may find that you rarely need to turn on the lights when the sun is shining. Just make sure that you install energy-efficient windows so that your energy consumption for heating and cooling your home is not significantly affected.

10. Schedule a Home Energy Audit: A home energy audit is a good idea for homeowners who are looking to take their energy-saving efforts to the next level, as well as those who have not yet made any changes to conserve energy. There are companies that will perform this service for you for a fee or, if you live in certain areas, you may be able to get a free in-home energy survey with energy-saving recommendations specific to your home. For example, if you live in San Diego, you can schedule an Energy Specialist to come to your home by calling (800) 411-7343.

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