How to Save on Energy Costs Without Remodeling

The virtues of energy consumption are many: we save money and help reduce our enormous carbon footprint. There are many changes people can make to their daily lifestyles to encourage conscious living and save energy. Ultimately, these steps are only superficial unless we also incorporate habits that avoid energy. Keep reading for new ideas to save you money!

AROUND YOUR HOME

1) Exorcise phantom loads: About 5% of our total energy use goes to keep appliances on after we've turned them off! TVs, battery chargers, computers and other electronics draw power regardless of whether the on button has been pressed; this means they turn on faster and often display the time and so forth. When I started unplugging my tv and vcr at night, I noticed my electricity bill dropped noticeably (a few dollars a month) and that there wasn't a distant hum in the background anymore. If you want to leave some cords plugged in, use Smart Power strips that allow you to cut power to certain plugged in items while leaving others on.

2) Turning down the thermostat vs. using a space heater: The US Dept of Energy runs the math for lowering thermostat temperature as follows: every 24 hours, a 1° decrease in heating temperature will save you 3% of your heating bill. So if you turn your thermostat down 3°, you'll get a nearly 10% discount on your heating bill. But, turning down your heater too much just causes discomfort and is a sacrifice most of us won't make. If you primarily use one or two rooms in your house during the day, though, turn your heat way down and invest in a tower space heater for each of those rooms you use. This will allow you to stay warm, but also avoid heating rooms you rarely go into. Look for one that will easily let you maintain the temperature. Mine has a thermostat and when you reach the desired temperature, you can shift the heat to low, which maintains a constant temperature.

3) How to Insulate and seal doors and windows easily. If you don't want to buy new windows just yet, or live in an apartment where you can't, Apartment Therapy has a list of 5 easy ways to cut drafts into your house along with pros and cons for each one. Tips include using rubber weather sealing and layered curtains.

4) Wash clothing in warm and cold water only. You only need hot water for really dirty stuff. Why? Today's laundry detergents cut dirt more effectively than heat. This doesn't just save energy, but reduces wear and tear on your clothing. Replacing clothing less frequently will save you money and cut down on your trips to the mall.

5) Recharge your portables. Instead of automatically plugging in your phone every night, keep track of how often you use it and then charge accordingly. If you only use your cell phone for a few calls a week, you can charge it twice a week and still have enough juice. Also, check out alternative ways to charge your items. This cell phone charger uses a single battery (use a rechargeable one) instead of a cord, which means you can charge your phone anywhere and avoid your charger's phantom loads. Solar Style offers solar recharging kits for under $50 that will charge most of your small electronics; it includes electric backup, too, in case you run out of sun.

6) Reduce your electricity use by doing something else: instead of a movie night, try playing board games or staging a play; curl up with a good book; invite friends over for drinks at your house rather than all driving to a bar (and encourage everyone to carpool or walk); instead of turning on the Treadmill, join a community garden and work off those calories while reducing carbon gases in the atmosphere.

IN YOUR CAR

1) Don't just combine errands, but cut down on driving. Much of our energy consumption is driving to places where we can spend money: the mall, grocery store, etc. Try cutting down on one mall shopping trip a month (or, ask when your favorite stores are having sales or releasing new clothing and only shop then). Weekly grocery store trips cost less money, but if you're worried about food spoiling try twice weekly trips instead of every other day.

2) Decide to get more exercise: While it may not be possible to start walking everywhere (or anywhere) for errands, a little extra walking in shopping centers and parking lots can make you feel better and cut down on your gas usage. In a parking lot, instead of circling around trying to find the closest spot, decide to get a little extra exercise and park further away where there are always free spots. In a larger strip mall, park strategically. Park where you will finish your shopping and walk to your first store. This way you accumulate packages and eliminate a lengthy trip back or multiple stops.

IN YOUR OFFICE

Businesses are finding that building green is, well, greener for their bottom line. Many of the tips that work at home are easily transferrable to the office, but businesses often have the cash to make real improvements like installing solar heaters and so forth. This makes them a major force for environmental change -- if we use them that way.

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

While individual changes are crucial to your pocketbook and will help save the environment, one of the major reasons for increased heating costs is supply and demand. By reducing our overall communal consumption, we also will reduce our overall costs as energy companies do not have to spend more money drilling deeper into the ocean or searching for new pockets of oil, coal and so forth. Taking action can be as large as staging a rally or as simple as letting people know about this great new product you found to save you money. The important thing is sharing your enthusiasm with others -- and letting them know they can easily adopt the same changes.

On a larger scale, start asking about better building options. Do you live in an apartment? Ask if the manager will consider replacing the windows with ones that are more sealed -- explain that the cost benefit will help them cut down on heating communal areas like hallways. Is your office considering relocating? Encourage them to look at newer, energy friendly developments as a way to cut down on overall costs. Do you have school age children? Get them involved in science projects that evaluate the practical ways to reduce energy consumption in the school building. Finally, check out Consumer Reports Guide to Reducing Energy for more suggestions!