Want to Save Energy and a Few Dollars?

Now that we are in the heart of the summer almost all of us are seeing those energy bills skyrocket upwards. So how do we save energy without spending a ton of money to do so? Thankfully there are a few easy and cost effective things we can do that are little to no cost.

Windows

While replacing older windows with ENERGY STAR certified ones is a great way to save money, it can be really expensive. A simple way to help is to utilize curtains or shades. Make sure they are closed when the hot sun is out. This will help to deflect some of the heat coming in. This technique can also be utilized in the winter except you keep the curtains open to let the heat in instead of keeping it out. Best part about this is it cost no money (assuming you already have curtains or shades in place).

Thermostat

In the summer time raising the temperature a couple of degrees can have a big effect on your cooling costs. A great way to offset the higher temperature is to utilize a portable fan or your ceiling fans. While these fans do use energy it is significantly less that your HVAC unit. While portable fans won’t technically cool the room, the air movement makes it feel cooler (you can read our blog – Do Fans Cool for more info). If you already have the portable fans, this is an no cost way to save.

Exhaust

If you are in an area where the nighttime temperatures drop to a comfortable level, exhausting all of the hot air out of the home and replacing it with the cool outdoor air is a great options. The best option is if you have a window fan that is powerful enough to exhaust the entire home like the Air King 9166. You can either bring the cooler air in or exhaust the hot indoor air out. If you have a box fan or other type of fan, this can be utilized as well. ONE CAUTION – make sure the fan you are using is rated for use in a window and never use a fan if it is raining. Depending on if you have fans or not, this can be a no added cost option. If you do need to buy a fan, the prices can range from small to significant.

Water Heater

This might seem like an odd one but a majority of water heaters are not set correctly. Does your hot water get to a temperature that is so hot you can’t handle it? This probably means it is set too high and you are paying to over heat the water. If it is too hot, you can adjust the top temperature of the water heater, which will save you money. This might take some trial and error to get it right but it will be worth it in the end. Going away for a week? Turn the temperature down considerably so you are not heating water you will never use. NOTE: make sure to remember to turn the temperature back up when you return. Once again this is a zero cost to you item you can do.

Light Bulbs

This is one that we have suggested in many of our other blog posts but it still holds try. While there is a cost to this, it is worth it to replace any incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs with LED. LED bulbs use a fraction of the energy and in general last a lot longer.

These are just a few things that can save energy and save you money. We would love to hear your ideas.

To learn more about Air King air circulator fans including window fans use the menu bar at the top of the page. Also read through our other energy saving blog posts.

Do you have energy monsters in your home – Unplug unused appliances

Look around your home. They are lurking all over– Energy Monsters. Homeowners in the United States waste a considerable amount of energy and ultimately money each year on appliances and electronics that are constantly drawing energy. We refer to them as energy monsters.

Stop for a minute and think about all the electronic items you have in your house, digital clocks, appliances, phones, computers, etc. All of these items are drawing energy by just sitting there. Granted they do use considerably more energy when being used but would you keep a light on in a room you are barely using? That is basically what we are doing when we have these electronics plugged in when not in use.

Take another look around your home and ask yourself what doesn’t need to be plugged in – the clock radio in the guest room that never gets used, the TV/DVD in the basement that gets used maybe once a week, the toaster oven with the digital display? How many items can you find?

Another energy monster is an older appliance like refrigerators. Remember when you had the great idea to not be wasteful when you bought that new fridge and decided to put the old one out in the garage to use for extra storage. Well, that might not have been the best idea. Typically older refrigerators are considerably less efficient than new ones. If it feels like the fridge is running non-stop that also means the electric bill is running non-stop. The energy savings of replacing that with an ENERGY STAR certified fridge might pay for itself in less than 5 years.

Our homes are filled with opportunities to save energy. Some are bigger than others, but they all make a difference. To learn more about other helpful cost saving tips visit the climate change section at www.airkinglimited.com