What Will Take up the Most Energy This Winter and How to Cut Down

Are you always hunting for ways to cut down energy costs in your home? Does it seem like the electric, water, and gas bills keep getting higher and higher? We talk about four places to check for problems and how to button up those systems for a more efficiently operating house in this post.

HVAC systems

When a central heating system is not running in the best shape, it will use a ton of energy. Things like cleaning the fans, vents, and ducts are necessary maintenance tasks. One way to figure out if the furnace is the culprit is to look at energy costs from the winter before and compare them to this years' bills. 

If the cost is higher and there is no rate increase, then chances are, your HVAC system may need a thorough cleaning and tune-up. It is also important to note that the cost of energy use is different at different times of the day, depending on demand. By keeping to low-demand times, you can save a lot on your overall energy bill every month.

The water heater

Energy loss through the water heater is a common issue in many homes. One way to address this problem is to use a blanket to insulate the hot water heater. Pipe insulation will further reduce heat transfer keeping the water hotter making it easy to keep the temperature on the tank lower. 

The U.S Government says keeping the water heater below 120 degrees Fahrenheit is a great way to prevent scalding accidents and reduce energy costs. Of course, you can also save a lot by getting a tankless water heater, as it heats as needed rather than maintaining a whole tank of water at a time. 




By going for a new water heater installation service when your unit is over ten years old, you can find a more efficient model saving even more money.

Inefficient lights

Old-fashioned light bulbs can burn a lot of energy. Replacing them with fluorescent ones is a helpful way to avoid excess energy use. To save even more money, homeowners can opt for LED lights. 

These lights can last for decades and outshine any other bulb. Replacing all the ones in and outside of the home before winter can prevent bulb blowouts and the need to go outside more often. It is also prudent to keep your lights off when not in use so that your home isn’t needlessly sucking energy and building your monthly costs.

Appliances like the washer and dryer

When your refrigerator, stove, and microwave get old, they can run poorly too. As these systems age, the frayed cords, worn bearings, and slippery belts let the equipment move and wear out faster. To prevent these issues, it is best to replace these items as they begin to break down or you notice a rise in energy bills. 

You can test the theory about which piece of equipment is doing the damage by unplugging each item one at a time and checking the electric meter. The one drawing the most power is where to begin investigating.

Winter is hard enough without all the extra bills and problems with equipment breaking down. To prevent these issues, it is a good recommendation to maintain home equipment and systems. When items are past their life expectancy, it might be the best idea to replace it.

Eco Friendly Tips for Your Car

We all know that our cars are not the most economically friendly inventions. Since 1970, CO2 emissions have increased nearly 90%! Read on to learn how you can reduce your car’s carbon footprint (and save a bit of cash while doing so).

Clean It Out

While it pays to be prepared, you’re also paying extra to keep your emergency kit and other items in the back of your car. Every 100 pounds reduces your MPG by 1%, and if you have a smaller car, that extra weight will affect you fuel economy even more. 

Automakers do all they can to reduce the weight of their cars to make them more fuel efficient, but you can also do the same.

Maintain Your Tires

It is important to maintain your tires not only to keep you safe, but proper tire pressure will also save your gas mileage. Determine what your psi should be, and then consistently check your tire pressure using a pressure gage. 

 Refill your tires when necessary. You could also install low-rolling-resistance tires, or “smart tires” that waste less energy than other tires.

Use the Right Gasoline Grade

Most cars will run on regular gasoline without compromising performance. If your owner’s manual suggests that you use premium grade, but doesn’t require that you use it, you can

save money by switching to a lower grade. 

The only effect you may see is a decrease in acceleration power, but that might not be such a bad thing after all.

Drive Conservatively

If you are an aggressive driver, you are likely losing fuel economy. To save gas, and consequently the environment, accelerate slowly, don’t speed (driving above 55 mph will decrease fuel economy by 13% every 10 miles), use cruise control, and avoid idling whenever possible. 

You should never idle for longer than 10 seconds, unless you are in traffic (it is illegal to turn off your car when on city streets). It’s only a myth that restarting your car burns excessive amounts of gas, as cars these days are made to warm up very quickly.

Avoid Traffic

Rush hour traffic causes you to idle your car and waste gasoline. Whenever possible, avoid traffic. Either find another route, or wait it out.

Combine Trips

Whenever you can, combine trips to save gas. Stop by the grocery store on your way home from work, or carpool with a coworker or neighbor. If you’re only going a short distance, walk or take public transit. 

 If you can’t get where you’re trying to go with public transit, find out if you can ride part of the way and drive (or bike) the rest. Another way to save gas is to avoid getting lost. 

When you get lost or take a wrong turn, you may add 15 minutes or more to your trip. Before you leave, make sure that you know where you are going and that you have good directions.

Stop Using the AC

Consistently using the air conditioning can increase fuel cost by 21% or more (according to Consumer Energy Center). MythBusters recently did an episode to see if using the AC really does affect your fuel economy, and they found that rolling down the windows is more fuel efficient. 

They filled up two SUVs with 5 gallons of fuel and took them out on a track. The AC SUFV stopped 15 miles before the SUV with its windows down. Of course, there are some days where it is just too miserable to not use the AC, but on mild days, roll down the windows.  

However, once you hit about 40 mph, the drag on your vehicle no longer makes this an efficient option, and you should again roll up the windows and turn on the AC (or just the fan, if you can stand it).

Drive a Green Car

The best thing you can do to be more eco friendly is to buy an eco friendly car. There are many hybrids on the market that are cleaner, more efficient, and will save you money on gas. 

 If you can’t yet afford a new hybrid or electric car, find a car with high gas mileage, or purchase a used eco-friendly car. 

Some of the most eco-friendly cars currently on the market for 2016 are: the Toyota Prius c, Nissan Versa Note, BMW X3, Lexus CT 200h, Mazda CX-5, Mazda Mazda3, Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the Toyota Prius v. 

 If you are looking to buy a new car, you can use this calculator to find out just how much money you’re going to save by switching.

How to Save Energy on Your Home Air Conditioning

There is a lot you can do in order to ensure that you do not waste energy on your air conditioning. After all, you use your air conditioner the most during the summer. In fact, there may be days when you do not wish to switch it off at all. In hot climates, having an air conditioner is very important. So you need to find out ways, which are the most energy efficient, in helping you to cool your home. This way you will not have to pay any high energy bills. Thankfully, there are many different things you can do in order to use your air conditioner in a more efficient way, spend less money, and avoid wasting energy too.

First, you need a thermostat that is programmable for your air conditioner. This is a device that is temperature sensitive. Once it is programmable, you would be able to control when your air conditioning is switched on. You need to choose from the various programmable thermostat models available in order to find the one that will suit your specific needs. There are models that you can program for the whole week. This will suit those who have varying schedules and routines. So you can program each day depending on when you leave and when you come back.
There are also the five and two day models. These can be programmed for those five weekdays and the two days at the weekend. This is best for those who follow a different schedule during their weekend.

With a programmable thermostat you enjoy a cool house when you leave and be welcomed by a cool house when you return. Your air conditioning will get switched off during the rest of the day. You would be saving on energy this way.

Second, you need to think of solar energy in order to keep your home cool and to save on money too. The solar panels you use will take in energy during the day. You can use this energy in order to power the air conditioning system of your home. This way you would be using the sun in order to keep your home cool. Even though you should not turn towards solar energy for all your heating needs, but this is definitely an efficient way for you to lower your energy bills. Even though the start-up costs for using and installing solar panels may be somewhat expensive, the long-term savings that you would be making will make it worthwhile.

Of course, regular maintenance is important but is often neglected by a lot of people. You need to clean out your system each month. This will help you to get rid of any kind of dust or debris that may be lying around. You must replace the filter, too. Having less dust will ensure that your air conditioning system works more efficiently. You will also save energy this way. 

These are simple techniques that can be practiced by all in order to save on energy bills. Click here for more energy saving tips.