Five Easy Energy Fixes For Your Home
Conserving energy is not only good for the planet but also good for your wallet.
Looking to save on your utility consumption but not sure how? Making simple improvements can make your home not only more efficient, but pay for itself over time.
These types of improvements also help to make your home more comfortable while reducing expenses.
Here are five easy home improvements for greater energy efficiency.
Replace Showerheads Does your showerhead use too much water? A good way to test yours is to place a two-quart pan at the bottom of your shower.
If it takes less than 12 seconds to fill, you may want to consider replacing your existing showerhead with a water-conserving model.
There are several types available that use less water without losing water pressure.
Aerated models utilize airflow to create pressure while conserving.
Other showerheads incorporate low flow technology by restricting the flow or pulsating water as it travels.
You'll also want to check your fixtures for leaks over time.
A leak that drips at a rate of once per second will cost you $1 per month.
Use Sink Aerators Don't let your hard earned money go down the drain - literally.
According to the EPA, if every home in the US changed their faucets and water fixtures to EPA approved Water Smart models, we could save as much as 64 billion gallons of water annually...
and with it 1.
2 billion dollars in associated costs.
You can easily tell if your sink faucets have been equipped with energy efficiency models by checking the labels on them.
Near the spout or opening of the faucet where the water comes out, check for a number label.
If it reads anything greater than 2.
2 (which stands for gallons per minute), replacing them will save both water and money.
Switching your home sink aerators can save up to 700 gallons of water annually.
Install a Water Efficient Toilet In 1994, the US Government enacted the National Energy Policy Act in which new manufactured toilets could not utilize more than 1.
6 gallons of water per flush.
Prior to 1994, toilets used as much as 7 gallons of water per flush wasting valuable resources.
Toilets that utilize less than 1.
6 gallons per flush are considered "High Efficiency" models that though much more costly initially, pay for themselves over time.
If your home still utilizes a model manufactured prior to 1994, you will most definitely want to switch to a newer fixture.
Late manufactured models, whether high efficiency or not, work just as well as their wasteful predecessors, if not better.
There are also several tax and government rebate programs that you may be eligible for to increase your savings.
Switch to Fluorescent or Energy Efficient LED Bulbs Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs or CFL bulbs use approximately ¼ energy of their incandescent counterparts.
Typically recognizable by their curly appearance, CFL bulbs have gained in popularity due to their energy savings.
Though more pricey initially, they have a longer lifespan of 10,000 hours and will essentially pay for themselves over time.
LED bulbs cost more than CFL bulbs but have a much longer lifespan, approximately 50,000 hours per bulb.
LED bulbs use dramatically less energy than the incandescent bulbs, 1/8 the energy cost and ½ the cost of CFL bulbs.
Install a Programmable Thermostat During the summer and winter months when your home HVAC system is working a bit harder due to more extreme weather, setting your thermostat back will save approximately 1% of your total energy bill for each degree (for period of time 8 hours or longer).
There are different types of programmable thermostats to help accommodate a temperature schedule in your home.
While more pricey and requires a bit more technical know-how for installation, a programmable thermostat will most definitely pay for itself over time in energy and cost savings.
While programmable thermostats are ideal, you can still benefit from energy savings with a manual thermostat by remembering to set the temperature 5 degrees higher or lower when leaving home, as long as the time period will be 8 hours or greater.
Home energy efficiency is a project well worth the undertaking.
Making investments up front into conservation not only pay for themselves over time, but save your household money as well.
Looking to save on your utility consumption but not sure how? Making simple improvements can make your home not only more efficient, but pay for itself over time.
These types of improvements also help to make your home more comfortable while reducing expenses.
Here are five easy home improvements for greater energy efficiency.
Replace Showerheads Does your showerhead use too much water? A good way to test yours is to place a two-quart pan at the bottom of your shower.
If it takes less than 12 seconds to fill, you may want to consider replacing your existing showerhead with a water-conserving model.
There are several types available that use less water without losing water pressure.
Aerated models utilize airflow to create pressure while conserving.
Other showerheads incorporate low flow technology by restricting the flow or pulsating water as it travels.
You'll also want to check your fixtures for leaks over time.
A leak that drips at a rate of once per second will cost you $1 per month.
Use Sink Aerators Don't let your hard earned money go down the drain - literally.
According to the EPA, if every home in the US changed their faucets and water fixtures to EPA approved Water Smart models, we could save as much as 64 billion gallons of water annually...
and with it 1.
2 billion dollars in associated costs.
You can easily tell if your sink faucets have been equipped with energy efficiency models by checking the labels on them.
Near the spout or opening of the faucet where the water comes out, check for a number label.
If it reads anything greater than 2.
2 (which stands for gallons per minute), replacing them will save both water and money.
Switching your home sink aerators can save up to 700 gallons of water annually.
Install a Water Efficient Toilet In 1994, the US Government enacted the National Energy Policy Act in which new manufactured toilets could not utilize more than 1.
6 gallons of water per flush.
Prior to 1994, toilets used as much as 7 gallons of water per flush wasting valuable resources.
Toilets that utilize less than 1.
6 gallons per flush are considered "High Efficiency" models that though much more costly initially, pay for themselves over time.
If your home still utilizes a model manufactured prior to 1994, you will most definitely want to switch to a newer fixture.
Late manufactured models, whether high efficiency or not, work just as well as their wasteful predecessors, if not better.
There are also several tax and government rebate programs that you may be eligible for to increase your savings.
Switch to Fluorescent or Energy Efficient LED Bulbs Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs or CFL bulbs use approximately ¼ energy of their incandescent counterparts.
Typically recognizable by their curly appearance, CFL bulbs have gained in popularity due to their energy savings.
Though more pricey initially, they have a longer lifespan of 10,000 hours and will essentially pay for themselves over time.
LED bulbs cost more than CFL bulbs but have a much longer lifespan, approximately 50,000 hours per bulb.
LED bulbs use dramatically less energy than the incandescent bulbs, 1/8 the energy cost and ½ the cost of CFL bulbs.
Install a Programmable Thermostat During the summer and winter months when your home HVAC system is working a bit harder due to more extreme weather, setting your thermostat back will save approximately 1% of your total energy bill for each degree (for period of time 8 hours or longer).
There are different types of programmable thermostats to help accommodate a temperature schedule in your home.
While more pricey and requires a bit more technical know-how for installation, a programmable thermostat will most definitely pay for itself over time in energy and cost savings.
While programmable thermostats are ideal, you can still benefit from energy savings with a manual thermostat by remembering to set the temperature 5 degrees higher or lower when leaving home, as long as the time period will be 8 hours or greater.
Home energy efficiency is a project well worth the undertaking.
Making investments up front into conservation not only pay for themselves over time, but save your household money as well.