These 4 ways to save on energy will helo your sanity and your budget.
With all seven of us in the house at the same time, lots of things can happen. It seems to get messy, and we start just plugging things up and leaving all the lights on. (is it just my family) After, checking how much we spent on energy we had to look into how to save money around the house.
More on how we keep the seven of us organized here.
The price of energy keeps climbing many are wondering if they can tighten the budget and reduce their energy bill. There is always room for improvement and, with that in mind, here are some ideas for trimming your monthly energy bills.
A great ways to save on energy used for cooking:

Unless you are willing to eat only lunchmeat and raw fruits and vegetables you will need to cook. Cooking in quantity conservers energy; for instance, when you boil potatoes it may take longer for a large pot to come to a boil but it won’t take longer for the potatoes to boil.
Another way to save energy is to use your microwave to reheat or to cook frozen vegetables. If you must use the oven have it do double duty by loading it up with several items that can be reheated over the next few days. A crockpot is another energy-efficient way to cook although it is a poor way to reheat food.
Energy used for lighting and entertainment-

Renew efforts to light rooms only when being used. Have televisions plugged into energy strips and when turning off the TV for the night also turn off the strip. Did you know televisions use electricity even when they are turned off? If possible use only solar lights for outdoors.
Turning off lights and using power strips was a game-changer for me. My energy cost went down by over $65 dollars just making sure all the lights and power strips were off. We also considered using the incandescent bulbs or compact fluorescent lighting but haven’t made the switch yet.
Ways to save on energy used to heat water-

Whether you use electric or propane a lot of money is wasted keeping water hot and ready to be used. A tankless water heating system would be ideal but can be expensive to install. Instead, check to make sure the water heater temperature is set only as high as you can bear it. It is a waste of energy to have to dilute your shower or bath water with cold water to keep from being scalded.
Also, unless you are willing to wait for the hot water to reach the right temp when you wash your hands, don’t even turn it. If you impatiently wash your hands and turn off the water before it has gotten hot, all you have done is made the hot water heater take in cold water and made the heater return all the water to its set temperature. #wastingmoreenergy
Energy used to preserve food

Refrigerators are a must; there is no way around it, but there are ways to make them more economical. We all know this, but it bears repeating; refrigerators work more efficiently the less time they spend with their doors open. You can also reduce the time your fridge has to run by letting food cool before putting it away and by vacuuming the dust bunnies out from under and around it.
Quick note: Great way to save energy, plan your meals which means less time deciding what you want our of the fridge.
Another common bit of knowledge that we often overlook: freezers are at their most efficient when they are full. If you have too much-frozen food for the freezer section of your fridge but not enough to fill your freezer, then put boxes or blankets or something inside the freezer to take up the extra space. This one really shocked me.
Energy to heat or cool your house
Reducing heating cost is where most of the energy goes so this is where you will want to focus most of your efforts.
In cold weather make sure all of your windows and doors are cleared of debris so they can make a good seal. Keep window shades up and curtains open on sunny days, especially on the sides of the house that receive the most sun.
Change furnace filters at least once a month and check vents for chinks. Openings found in the vents can often be repaired with furnace tape. Make sure that all registers are free of obstruction from furniture. Also, make sure that cold air ducts aren’t covered up. A ceiling fan set to rotate clockwise will force the warm air at the ceiling back down into the room where it is needed.
More ways to save on Energy
In hot weather, you do just the opposite. If it is hot enough to use the air conditioner, keep window shades and curtains closed to keep out the sun’s heat. Try to keep the thermostat set to one temperature. Change or wash AC filters regularly and change the setting on ceiling fans so they will rotate counter-clockwise.
Cook outside as much as possible to cut down on heat generated from cooking or eat cold sandwiches. When cooking inside is necessary do it in quantities and reheat in the microwave. For those blessed few times when it is neither too hot or too cold let the sun and the outside air work their magic for as long as possible.
These tips have really reduced my utility bills, it does take make your work harder. But, whats better to work harder for than your own money. Make sure you share your tips on saving.
More ways to save: Here
purposely,
The All Purpose Woman
Leave a Reply