A few energy saving tips

As a home owner, one of the biggest expenses I encounter is a high electric bill.  And we tend to do what we’ve been taught to do growing up. Well technology continues to improve and become more efficient. And if we don’t keep up then we’ll keep paying higher utility bills for no reason. Here are some tips that some of us may have overlooked that will reduce your utility bills…

Even though your appliances are in great shape they can use up to twice as much energy as an energy efficient one! You can actually recycle your old appliances and upgrade to new “ENERGY STAR” models, which is actually a huge step in the right direction! The saying holds true that “to make money, you have to spend money.” But that’s not the only solution.  If you have a dishwasher just set the water heater thermostat to 140 degrees or “normal.” Otherwise set it to 120 degrees or “low.” And be sure to check your dishwasher’s manual to see if you can use 120 degree water. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions on a yearly maintenance to extend the life of your unit. Also wash only full loads in your dishwasher and use the shortest cycle that will get your dishes clean. If the controls allow you to turn of the dishwasher before the drying cycle, open the door and let the dishes dry naturally.

And last but not least are the things that drain the most energy! By setting your air conditioner at 78 degrees or higher and/or your furnace’s thermostat at 68 degrees or lower (based on your demographic location and preferences.) When the temperature of the air conditioner is lower and/or the temperature of the furnace is higher, you end up using 3 – 5% MORE ENERGY PER DEGREE!! That’s a huge amount! And cleaning and/or replacing your filters regularly will also help.