Monday, August 19, 2013

8 Simple Energy Conservation Techniques Every Home Should Consider

By Helga Stokes


The cost of electricity is continuously rising. This means homes are now spending more on power bills than ever before. However, you can adopt simple rules that can help use save on areas where power wastage occurs in most buildings. Below are some simple Energy Conservation Techniques you can use and reduce the cost of electrical power in your home.

Use energy efficient equipment. If you are buying a new appliance, ensure that it has the mark of the Environmental Protection Agency. This should guarantee you that the machine is designed to use the lowest power possible. Such equipment use between 10% and 50% percent less electricity and water than their conservative counterparts. However, you should be ready to pay a little more for the purchase.

Improve Insulation within your home. Heating and cooling consumes more than 50% of energy consumption in most homes. You need to ensure that the attic, floors, walls, and ceilings are well insulated. This will slow the flow of air from the inside and outside of the house, making it easier to control the temperature of the building.

Make windows more efficient. You can increase efficiency by installing new storm windows. This will reduce the loss of temperature by developing a dead airspace between windowpanes and sealing leaks. Although the installation will cost you more money, you will save a lot in the end because you will use less power for heating.

Use appliances more efficiently. The manufactures normally place recommended setting for appliances that use electricity. This ensures that they run at their most efficient output. If you can use these recommendations for your refrigerator and other home equipment, you will find that you will be paying lower bills. Even less minor considerations such as using the hot water more efficiently can help cut costs.

Seal air leaks. Cracks and gaps within walls cause loss of energy by allowing exchange of air between the inside and the outside. Areas around the doors and windows are usually the first to loosen. If you find it difficult to assess the problem, you can always hire an energy auditor.

Consider having a programmable thermostat. If your AC system is not put into check, you will end up paying unnecessary bills. A thermostat will allow you to determine when the house gets heated. It is unnecessary to have it running on full power when during the night or when you are outdoors.

Unplug devices that are not in use. Every home is full of little power supplies for charging PDA's, cell phones, cordless tools, digital cameras, and other personal gadgets. When you are not charging these devices, ensure that they are unplugged from the sockets. This will help reduce the phantom load in your house.

Turn out the lights. Most people leave the lights on when they leave rooms. Although this may seem like small things, the accumulated cost can be so much. You can even install fluorescent light bulbs, which use 75 percent less energy compared to other bulbs. Although they may cost more, their efficiency will return the cost in just a few months.

There are many energy conservation techniques that homes can adopt. The above mentions tips are just some examples. Start practicing these strategies today and you will be amazed when you find out how much money you will have saved at the end of the year.




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