How to Save on Energy Costs

During the period of global economic crisis, saving money becomes a must in our life. There are different ways to save money. One of them is to reduce your energy consumption. Here are some simple tips for you:

1 - Use the heating system in a smart way.

During the months of winter, 65% of our electricity bill reflects the amount of our heating cost. In fact, there are ways to reduce this cost, while we continue enjoying the comfort.

a) Adjust your thermostat to 19 C (66 F) at night. In fact, a cooler temperature can bring you a better sleep.

b) When you stay at home, keep the room temperature at 22 C (72 F). If you still feel cold, you can put on more clothes instead of turning the heater higher. When you watch TV, you can use a blanket to cover your legs.

c) Adjust your thermostat to 15 C (59 F), before you leave home.

d) Maintain the temperature of the hall and unoccupied rooms at 15 C (59 F). For preventing their cool air from entering other rooms, you should close their doors.

e) When there is no door to separate the rooms, you should heat all the rooms at the same temperature.

f) If your heating system works with gas or oil, you should have it inspected once a year.

2 - Reduce the heat loss.

On an average, doors and windows are responsible for 35% of heat loss. In winter, you can install plastic film over the interior of windows for reducing the heat loss. And, of course, when you open the doors or windows to ventilate the house, don't forget to close the heating.

3 - Reduce hot water consumption.

Each day, we use a lot of energy for heating water. There are also ways to reduce this consumption:

a) Instead of a bath, take a shower and shorten its duration (10 minutes maximum).

b) You can install a low-flow showerhead, which use 40% less water than normal showerheads.

c) Turn off the water, when you start to soap or when you are brushing your teeth.

d) Do laundry only when necessary, preferably with cold water.

e) Rinse the dishes with cold water.

f) If you have a dishwasher, make it work only when it's full.

4 - Use the appliances in a proper way.

a) Use the microwave oven, oven toaster or crock pot, whenever possible, rather than the oven or stove.

b) Cook food on the stove with a diameter smaller than the pan being used.

c) Put a lid on the pot to reduce cooking time.

d) Don't place a refrigerator near a heat source such as stove.

e) If your freezer is not so full, you can keep some ice cubes inside, which help the freezer maintain its low temperature more easily.