Apr09
Ideas to cut energy bills
It costs more than $2,200 a year in energy bills to run the
average American home, and more than half of that is for heating and cooling.
The experts at personal finance company Wallet Hub have
this advice for lowering those bills:
1. Get an energy audit. You’ll have an easier time sealing
an energy leak if you know where it is, and an auditor can show you.
2. Replace all of your incandescent light bulbs with
LEDs—even if they’re not burned out yet. They’re wasting more money in energy
costs than you’ll waste by replacing them before they’re spent.
3. Use caulk to seal cracks and gaps around windows.
4. Add attic insulation and make sure it’s property attached.
5. Learn about the energy use of your appliances. The more
you understand about energy, the less of it you’ll waste.
6. If you’re planning to move to a newly built home, choose
and architect or builder who is committed to “green building” and energy
efficiency. Many green building strategies don’t cost any more when they’re
incorporated during construction—like making energy-efficient choices for the
direction the house faces and where the windows are placed.
7. Replace outdated furnaces and air conditioning systems
with updated models that are designed to work more efficiently, waste less
energy and save you money.
8. When you replace appliances, look at more than the price
tag. Consider how much it will cost you each year to operate the equipment.
Often, the savings on your energy bill will more than make up for the slightly
higher price you pay for more efficient models.
9. If you’re remodeling your home, make energy efficiency
as high a priority as more visible upgrades like a beautiful granite countertop
or new cabinets. You can’t “see” energy efficiency, so it’s too often out of
sight, out of mind.