12 Nov 08 
Saving Energy Equals Saving Money
Saving energy equals saving money and there are hundreds of ways to do your part. I will give you just a few ways that I have found to be easy, inexpensive and in return will save you money. By changing the light bulbs in your house to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) you can save about $45 in electricity cost per light bulb annually. The average home has roughly 15 active light bulbs and if homeowners were to change every light in their house to CFL bulbs, they would save about $675 in electricity costs during the life of these light bulbs. Shading can save up to 40% of cooling costs. Planting trees in strategic areas of your yard will not only increase the value of your home but will also save about $100 – $250 a year in energy costs.
Thinking of buying a new washing machine? If you replace a washing machine that is older than 1994, you will save up to $110 a year on your utility bill. When you buy an appliance, Energy Star approved, that item can save you up to 50% than on non-Energy Star approved appliances. Newer washers will not only save energy but will also conserve water as well. Other ways to conserve water is by changing your shower head. For an investment of $10 or less you can save $50 to $75 per year on water bills and $20 to $50 more per year on energy bills (depending on your current shower head and utility rates). Every new shower head should pay for itself within the first year.
New homes have been being built green to reduce their carbon footprint for some time now, but if you need help maximizing your energy efficiency you can call your local energy provider and they will often send an expert out to help you coordinate your energy saving efforts, usually for free. These experts will perform various tests such as a thermo graphic scan to find out if there are any air leaks into your home, a combustion safety test to determine how safely your heating system is working, a blower door test to find out how airtight your home is and so on. Pin pointing exactly where you are producing the most heat, leads your AC unit to run longer. They will also go through your past utility bills to check your energy consumption levels.
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Tags: annual electric bill, build green, california green homes, carbon footprint, cfl light bulbs, energy efficiency, energy efficient appliances, energy reduction, energy star, Real Estate, thermo graphic scan, water conservation
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A great way to add value and energy savings to an older home is to improve the insulation and install new energy saving windows-at re-sell time you will more than get your money back by having those upgrades done.
Scott – Great tip
Valuable tips indeed. Little things and hacks in our home can save a lot in long term. Also we are not just saving the money, but we are saving our environment.
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I think it is great the green thing has finally caught on. The list could go on and on for energy saving tips, but I think most people are willing or can only afford to spend so much going green. However, if we all did those small things we could make a huge difference.
Great, timely post. While homeowners might be averse to spending money in this economy, a little money upfront can save a lot down the line–and help the environment too.
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Here is a good environment post by my friend Pixelhead… stop by and check it out.
We replaced our washer last year with new front loading one. I love it. Saves us money on our dryer too because it spins out a lot more of the water. If the average home owner just did one thing a year it would pay for itself.
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Many home builders in my area actually install CFLs in their model homes to show the public that they’re also onboard with the “Green” movement. Plus these days, everyone’s looking to save a few dollars here and there.
Great post.
There are water harvesting systems now that not only collect rainwater but make it available to use for flushing the toilet and water for the washing machine.
I must say that going green is the way to go. I have changed all my light bulbs to the CFLs and have also purchased a new washing machine. Although I did not see a drastic change in my monthly bill, I know that I am saving money in the long run.
I need to live a little Greener. We dont really try. My Wife fills the recyle bin with trash. We got a letter stating we shouldnt be doing this.
There are a lot of small things that can be done around the house that add up big savings on energy bills. I’ve noticed a huge savings alone in just changing my lights to CFL’s. Another good idea is to turn your heat down at night or while nobody is home. There are many programmable units these days that can do this automatically for you.
I have a website with a “Build Green” page. It gives some great resources on how to reduce your energy costs and your impact on the environment. I hope it helps.
http://www.mvhomebuilders.com/Green_Building.php
Great ideas here. I did some more research on how I can help and found a great video on Howcast http://www.howcast.com/videos/365-How-To-Reduce-Your-Carbon-Footprint
I’ve also heard that getting new seals for your refrigerator can help a lot. These are good tips to save a couple hundred $$$.
Using energy efficient lighting at home can indeed save us more energy and money. Aside from compact florescent lights, I also use LED light bulbs and halogen spotlights at home. They are also energy efficient.
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A great way to add value and energy savings to an older home is to improve the insulation and install new energy saving windows-at re-sell time you will more than get your money back by having those upgrades done
Saving energy is certainly a good way to save money and keep our environment clean. Over the last two years I’ve changed out all of my incandescent light bulbs to compact florescents and all of my appliances are energy star.
There are a lot of things you can do to save energy and money without feeling the pain of sacrafice. A lot of the things you can do really have no negative impact on your life whatsoever and a positive on society as a whole.
Many homes that use combustable appliances can save money by simply having an HVAC technician come out and "tune" up the appliance. When these things are shipped from the manufacture they fall out of calibration and do not come adjusted for elevation. I read on the Energy Star site that a savings up 5% can be achieved by simply calibrating the combustable appliances
In my opinion LED lights are the best. Not only are they super efficient, but the recessed cans can actually be insulated, as a side benefit.