In fact, chances are you still have a few bad energy habits that are leading to higher utility costs. Here are just a few ways you may be unintentionally wasting energy—and a few recommendations for changing your habits and lowering your bills.
1. Filthy filters
A dirty air conditioner filter forces the unit to work harder, which could increase total energy consumption by 5% – 15%. Clean or replace air filters every month during cooling seasons to keep your air conditioner running at peak energy efficiency. And while you’re cleaning the filters, take a look at the coils, and vacuum and clean these parts as necessary to keep your unit humming along.
2. Switch to LED Bulbs
Light bulbs may seem inconsequential, but wasted energy from inefficient incandescents can really add up over time. They’re far more efficient than incandescent lightbulbs, last longer and can provide a cleaner, more natural looking light. And when the holidays roll around, decorate with LED string lights—they use 90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent displays.
2. Don’t stand in front of an open refrigerator door
The longer the fridge door is open, the harder the appliance has to work to maintain a cool temperature. Decide what you want in advance to minimize the amount of time the fridge or freezer door is open.
3. Cracks in the foundation
You may not think that your home’s foundation has any impact on your energy use, but small cracks or gaps in the foundation can let a lot of heat or cold escape. Carefully inspect your foundation every year, and repair any cracks. Also, seal gaps around vents or ductwork with caulk or spray foam insulation.
4. Keep your fridge and freezer full
A full fridge-freezer needs less energy to keep cold as the items inside maintain the temperature. You don’t always need to do a food shop to make this happen. Simply filling up a jug with water for the fridge will have the same effect, plus this allows you to always have cold water straight from the fridge, saving water when running the tap. To keep your freezer full why not fill the empty spaces with paper?
5. Use the microwave when you can
Microwaves are far more efficient than traditional ovens as they use less energy and take far less time to achieve the desired results.
6. The dishwasher may be better
If you have a new energy efficient dishwasher, you may find that it actually uses less energy and water to use the dishwasher than it does cleaning by hand. This is especially true when running your dishwasher with a full load, as you’d need to be able to wash at least eight full settings plus general serving and cooking utensils in one wash using as little water as possible.
7. Wash clothes with cold water
Clothes washers and laundry detergents are designed to work efficiently with cold water. If you only wash with hot water when you need to disinfect, you could save $60 or more a year.
8. Clean the coils on your fridge
Chances are you’ve never bothered to do this. The coils on the back of your fridge can get really dirty which reduces efficiency, so aim to give them a clean at least once a year. Your fridge will last longer and cost less money to keep running.
9. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes
Your clothes washer and dishwasher are designed to run most efficiently with full loads. And more than that, if you run them only when full, you run them less often, which really cuts energy use.
10. Leaky doors and windows
Small cracks or gaps around windows, doors, vents, or ductwork can add up to large amounts of wasted energy. Check your windows, doors, and walls every year for air leaks (you can use a lighted candle to check for drafts), and seal the leaks with caulk or weatherstripping to reduce heating costs by up to 10 percent.
11. Air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle
Select the air-dry option on your dishwasher. Crack it open after the rinse cycle and your dishes will dry without a single kilowatt being used. You’ll also save energy by keeping your kitchen cooler.
12. Setting the temp too high or low
Don’t set the thermostat too low in the summer or too high in the winter. During the summer months, keep it set between 75°F and 78°F; every degree you raise the thermostat can result in a 5 percent savings in cooling costs. In the wintertime, set the thermostat at 68°F during the day and lower it to 60°F at night; for every degree you reduce the temperature below 70°F, you will save about 3 percent on heating costs.
