Hello World! Welcome Friends! You are probably already aware that adopting energy-saving measures in your home is one of the best ways to lower your electricity bills and save money in the long run. If this reason alone is not enough for you to strive to use energy more efficiently, perhaps saving the environment can motivate you to take action.
Did you know that 27 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States originate from electricity production? Whether you realize it or not, your home adds to the country’s total carbon footprint whenever you consume electricity. The higher your home electricity consumption, the higher the electricity production, and the more you are unknowingly hurting the planet.
If you think that you are doing your share in reducing your environmental impact but you have yet to adopt energy-saving improvements in your home, you are mistaken. Unfortunately, adopting personal energy conservation habits is not enough. To make a huge impact on climate change, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends households to take concrete measures in reducing their energy use. If you want to know how to get started, here are several home improvement measures that you can do to save energy.
Add Insulation
Home insulation is critical because it allows you to retain heat inside your home during the cold season and to keep heat outdoors during summertime by reducing heat transfer. Installing insulation in your roof, attic, walls, floors, crawl space, and basement can help you save as much as 15 percent on your home’s total energy costs according to the EPA.
To ensure that you are adding the right insulation in your home, you need to consider its R-value or the ability of the insulation material to diminish heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the greater the reduction of heat transfer or insulating capacity. Note that the recommended R-value depends on the climate in your location and the area in your home where you are insulating.
For instance, R15 insulation is ideal for 2×4 exterior walls if you live within climatic zones 1 to 7 as determined by the US Department of Energy (DOE). If you are insulating your attic and you live within zones 5 to 8 (colder regions), you need at least R49 insulation to reduce heat transfer effectively. You can check the DOE and EPA’s guides to home insulation for the recommended R-values by climate zone.
Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances
Perhaps your home appliances are old and need an upgrade. While they may be working just fine, you will be surprised to know that they are using a lot more energy compared to their newer, more energy-efficient counterparts. For instance, a two-decade-old refrigerator could use as much as 1,700-kilowatt-hour (kWh) a year, while a new ENERGY STAR-certified refrigerator of the same size only consumes around 450 kWh.
Look for the blue square ENERGY STAR label when shopping for appliances as it is the symbol for energy efficiency devised by the US government to make it easier for consumers to purchase products that cost less electricity to operate.
In addition to using energy efficient appliances, a lot more can be done to help you conserve energy and bring down costs. According to leading experts, energy storage systems in Singapore are helping many of the inhabitants when it comes to their energy requirements. You want to experience energy that is cleaner, efficient, cheaper and does not end up polluting the environment. A good energy storage system is perfectly capable of doing the same.
Rely on Ceiling Fans More
Ceiling fans are more than just functional decorative pieces that offer a gentle breeze. They are also great for saving energy when you use them simultaneously with your air conditioning system. Ceiling fans provide a wind-chill effect that can help lower your body temperature.
Because of this cooling effect, you can raise your indoor temperature by at least 4 degrees, and you will feel just as comfortable. Keep in mind that you are reducing your electricity consumption whenever you raise the thermostat.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a device that allows you to adjust the times you turn on your home’s heating or air-conditioning according to a schedule of your choice. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy noted that you can significantly save energy by setting your thermostat to 68oF during the cold season while you are awake and programming it to a lower temperature when you are sleeping or away from home.
The same strategy applies in the summer. You can set the thermostat to 78oF when you are at home and need cooling. When you are out, you can keep your home warmer than normal to minimize energy consumption. Remember to consider the schedule of every member of your family when programming the device and to adjust the temperature when your home will be unoccupied for at least four hours.
Use a Smart Power Strip
Your electronic devices, appliances, and other home equipment continue to use electricity even when they are turned off or in standby mode. That means you are wasting precious energy and indirectly hurting the environment even when you are not using any of them. One study by the Natural Resources Defense Council revealed that the amount of energy wasted by inactive devices translates to 50 large (500-megawatt) power plants’ worth of electricity or about $19 billion a year.
You can easily prevent such waste of energy by installing a smart power strip or advance power strip in your home. This technology saves energy through its auto-switching capabilities. It automatically shuts off the supply of power when the appliance or device is detected to be unused or in standby mode.
If you are one of the millions of people on the planet who is worried about climate change and is eager to do something about it, you can begin by carrying out the energy-saving improvements discussed above. You can also check on power 2 choose to see guidelines on how to make better choices when it comes to electricity.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
Spring Cleaning Early? Don’t Mind if We Do!
5 Things To Do With Your Leftover Food
How to Choose the Best Gaming Chair
Strategies for Preventing Pests in Your Garden
What Makes a House Harder to Sell?
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