Energy-Saving Tips For Your Home Part 1: Appliances, Electronics and Lighting

If you own your home, or have to pay for utilities if you rent, these costs can add up. And who doesn’t want to learn to save a few dollars here and there. Because even if you only save a few bucks per initiative, it adds up by the end of the year you’ll be looking at hundreds in savings.

We will look at different things you can do around your house to save on energy and money as well. Not to mention by using them wisely, you’re also effectively extending the life of your appliances which means you won’t have to buy them as often. Here are some of our best tips.

Refrigerator and Freezer

• Ensure your fridge/freezer is away from heat sources, including sunlight and the oven.
• Check on the door seal to make sure it hasn’t deteriorated over the years as you can lose energy that way
• Use an external thermometer to check on the temperature inside. Idea temperature for the fridge is between 35F to 37F, and for your free is -0.4F.
• When you clean your fridge, don’t forget the back and underneath. These areas can collect a lot of dust and debris and can affect the functionality of your fridge.
• Give your fridge at least three inches between the back of the fridge and the walls.

Dishwasher

• Use the energy-saving feature as often as possible.
• Don’t use the heat-dry function or opt to shut off the dishwasher after the rinse cycle is finished and leave the door open so the dishes dry au naturel.
• Always make sure your dishwasher is full when running it so you don’t waste water and energy.

Clothes Washer and Dryer

• Use cold water instead of warm or hot.
• Wash full loads of laundry instead of only doing small loads at a time.
• Remember to clean the dryer lint trap after each and every cycle. Make sure to vacuum the outside vent as well.
• Hang your clothes to dry instead of using your dryer whenever possible.
• Use the permanent press dryer setting instead of high heat when drying your clothes to save on energy.

Electronics

• Remember to turn off all your electronics, small appliances and even your home office equipment like computer and printer when you’re not using them.
• Connect multiple electronics to one power bar so you can easily turn off items with one quick switch
• Unplug any items not in use to reduce phantom power use.
• If your TV has a power-saver mode, use it.

Lighting

• Replace your old light bulbs with either CFL or LED light bulbs as they last longer and save on energy.
• Don’t turn the lights on during the day – natural light can brighten up a room.
• If you’re not in a room, turn off the lights. There’s no sense in wasting energy if it’s not being used.
• Make sure to clean the light bulbs and fixtures regularly since dust can affect the functionality of a light bulb.
• Reduce excess lighting by only focusing light where you need it with table lamps or track lighting.