(Today's article comes from guest poster Kelly Kilpatrick.)
5 Tips for Saving Money and Conserving Energy at Home
Living well starts in the home. This being said, there are so many things we can do to improve our home life, from changing the cleaning products we use to conserving energy. The following is a list of five changes you can make that will save you money, conserve energy, and improve your home all at the same time.
Befriend the Weather
As the fall season rapidly approaches, take time to evaluate your energy usage. Perhaps you don’t need to run your air conditioner all the time anymore. Open up some windows and cool your home naturally, while allowing it to “air out” at the same time. Conversely, if your home is a bit chilly, why not open the shades and let the sun warm your home. Natural light during the daytime can also help you to cut down on your electricity usage.
Switch to CF Bulbs
If you haven’t done this already, make it a point to start purchasing a package of compact fluorescent light bulbs each time you visit the store until you have replaced all of the bulbs in your home. Using just a fraction of the energy required by regular light bulbs, CF bulbs are extremely efficient and last up to ten times longer. The up-front cost will quickly reveal its value as you watch your power bills decrease.
Maximize Shower Time
If you are one of those people that spends a lot f time in the shower, try spending shorter amounts of time in the shower each day. Once you get down to five minutes, try staying there or going even lower. Tens of thousands of gallons of water per person would be saved if everyone took their shower with a sense of purpose and energy. If the shower is where you go to relax, take a good old fashioned bath, then rinse in the shower when finished rather than letting all that water run down the drain.
Find a Tolerable Temperature
If you absolutely must use your central air or heating system for whatever reason, consider altering your temperature settings. In winter time especially, you can relax around the house wearing seat pants or your favorite flannel pajamas and snuggle up with a blanket while watching a movie or reading a book to stay warm rather than setting the heater on 75. Soon you will find it’s easy to adjust to the temperature changes in your home, just as you do with the weather outside.
Unplug and Save
Most modern electronics use electricity even when turned off. Better known as stand-by mode, this feature is used especially by products that use a remote control. Rather than wasting energy when you’re not using your equipment at home, simply unplug or switch off your surge protector to save energy and money in the process.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who regularly writes on online nursing schools. She invites your questions at her personal email address: kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.
