Reduce Your Home Energy Costs With These Tips

It is not exactly a secret that the cots of natural gas and heating oil for homes has risen, nor has it exactly been a secret that cooling or heating a home through electricity in the summer can be an expensive proposition. To further make matters worse, many electric costs are predicted to skyrocket as well. One of the most obvious options on how to ease the pain is to reduce energy costs by making your homes or businesses use energy more effectively. Part of the reason for the price hike, at least in the state of Pennsylvania, is that rate caps put in place by the government of the commonwealth in 1997 are about to expire.

We have all heard the warnings to turn the lights off when we leave a room or turn off electrical appliances when we are not using them. Recent technology means that even the person who forgets to flip a switch when he leaves the room can contribute to household savings. Fluorescent light bulbs that fit in standard sockets may be slightly more expensive than your standard incandescent lamp but they also need to be replaced far less frequently during normal use. (From experience, these types of light will dim rather than burn out completely when they need replaced.) Due to the nature of the lights, they are capable of providing as much candlepower as the standard type of bulb, but use less energy while doing so, resulting on further savings on your electric bill.

Old appliances can place a further drain on an already stretched budget. Replacing them may not always be an option, but if you can do so, the equipment will pay for itself eventually. Homes that are insulated poorly can be another burden to the homeowner. Poor insulation can cause heat in the winter or the cool air in the summer to seep into the outside. Making sure your home is insulated properly will also realize savings.

If you can not do that or the insulation in your home is fine, you may be in luck if your home has thermostats that control the temperature in each room separately. By turning off the heating or air conditioning in rooms that are not being used, electricity or fuel consumption is lessened.

If you do not mind eliminating your dryer, you can save quite a bit on electricity used to do your laundry by spin drying or using a drying rack. Further cost reduction can be realized by washing your clothes using cold water only. Alternate methods such as solar panels and windmills are often thought of, but using them to get rid of your power company may not be the best solution, although in many climates you can supplement the power or heat coming into your home through the use of more environmentally friendly methods.

Sources:

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/

"How to Cope With Energy Costs." Amanda Kiester. August 1, 2007. The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA 2007