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Loading...Home Energy Facts: Start Saving!
- Shelley Stonebrook
- February 21, 2012
- 7:30 am
- 46 comments
Conserving energy in our homes is a worthy goal for many reasons, including decreased environmental impact and more manageable utility bills. Here are a few quick energy facts and some resources to help you start saving—in more ways than one.
1. Tree power
Properly placed shade trees cut your electricity use by as much as 40 percent in summer.
2. Phantom power
In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. That’s because just having things plugged in uses energy.
3. Light power
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which cost just a few dollars, use 75 percent less energy and last about 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
4. Program power
A programmable thermostat could save you as much as 15 percent on heating and cooling costs.
5. Fan power
Use fans for cooling because for every degree you raise your thermostat in hot weather you reduce your cooling costs between 7 and 10 percent.
Check out these resources to learn much more about creating an energy-efficient home:
- 10 Easy Ways to Save Energy at Home
- Zap Phantom Loads to Save Energy
- Save Loads of Energy with Caulking and Weatherstripping
- Save Energy and Money Now
What are your best tips for saving energy? Please share them in the comments section.
Related: 3 Solar Energy Options for Your Home, 12 Laundry Tips for Maximum Energy Savings and Save Energy in the Kitchen: 10 Cooking Tips
Read more: Conservation, Eco-friendly tips, Green, Home, electricity, energy, energy bills, home, home cooling, home heating, save energy, utilities, utility bills
Shelley Stonebrook
Shelley Stonebrook is an Associate Editor at Mother Earth News—North America’s most popular magazine about sustainable, self-reliant living—where she works on exciting projects such as Organic Gardening content and the Vegetable Garden Planner. Shelley is particularly interested in organic gardening, small-scale, local food production (and consumption), waste reduction and cooking.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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people are talking
thanks, will try.
yummy, can't wait to try it.
Thank you Dr. Greger.
Thank you for the information. So very needed now.
cool. thanks. I've been using salt water ones
46 comments
+ add your ownnoted
Thank you.
Thank you.
thanks for sharing
good reminders
Thank you
Thank you for all the helpful tips.
Our electric company just started sending out a 'comparison' page as to what our neighbors use and what we use. So far, we use less energy than our neighbors do.
We like open windows, fans, the programable thermostat, trees, and LED lights.
thanks
nothing i didn't already know, but at least now people wont think i'm crazy
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