Regardless if you are feeling the pinch from the worldwide economic downturn, we could all use some genuine and easy to implement energy saving ideas. We all know to lower the thermostat when we sleep at night and to install low flow shower heads, but we may not realize just how much the following steps can lead to a lower electric bill.
First, if you live in an area where air conditioning is mandatory, it is important to remember to change your air filters. The air filters installed in air conditioning units filter out harmful dust and bacteria from the air, but they only work for so long. In general, an air filter should be replaced once every month, but check with your manufacturer to find out what they recommend. An efficiently running air conditioner unit can lead to a lower electric bill in no time flat.
If you enjoy cooking from home, you can help keep cooking times down to a minimum by always remembering to use lids on all of the pans you cook with. By keeping that energy closer to the food you are preparing, you can significantly reduce cooking time and, in turn, reduce the amount of time you have to have your stove on in the first place. Even if the recipe you are preparing doesn't ask for a lid to be used, you likely aren't hurting anything by trying to save energy.
Almost every home in the world has at least one faucet that drips on occasion. When most of us think about home improvement, we don't think about replacing washers and tightening faucet heads, but the reality is that, with every drip, you are wasting water, and wasting energy, too. By making faucet maintenance part of your regular home cleaning duties, you can nip any significant energy loss in the bud and that will lead to a lower electric bill.
For some people, only doing full loads of laundry and dishes in your dishwasher is common sense, but for others, a reminder may be needed. No other single appliance uses more resources than your washing machine, so if you can limit the number of loads you do, you can save yourself significant cash. Even better, upgrade to a new, energy efficient washing machine and reduce your energy use even further. Check for the official Energy Star rating sticker on new appliances for your home.
Every day in the home, there are appliances, electronics and other items that are plugged in, but not in use. Normally, these items don't use any measurable amount of electricity, but if your coffee maker, DVD player or microwave has a clock, it is slowly sucking down the juice, a little bit at a time. Keeping these items unplugged or only having one plugged in instead of six can lead to a lower electric bill before you know it.
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