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If you want to lower your homes energy usage, turn off the lights in vacant rooms makes sense. However, here are some other ways to make a more significant decrease in your energy usage by going green in each room of your home.
Attic
Saving energy starts with ways to prevent outside weather from invading your home. The attic space is the most neglected and less visited area of your home. However, it can also become prone to air leaks from inside your home. Install attic insulation that is rated R-30 and seal any known or visible leaks.
Bedroom
Adding carpet or rugs for comfort can also help to retain heat in the window, especially if there is little to none flooring insulation. Do not block air vents with drapery or furniture.
Bathroom
In this air, hot water costs can be cut back by shortening showers. Aerating, low flow tap and showerheads can also be used to reduce water use.
Living Room
During the summer time, block the sun from overheating your home by installing draperies or shutters. Insulate the walls with injected foam to keep hot air outside and from seeping through porous block walls. Seal any leaks to ensure escaping of cool air is not being released. Leave the shades and blinds open during the day to naturally heat your home.
Family Room
Use ceiling fans during the summer to help your room to feel cooler as they use no more electricity than a standard light bulb. Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs providing the same amount of light.
Replace your five most used light fixtures and bulbs with energy star products. If every American did this, we would save $8 billion per year in energy cost. Using an energy star qualified television can be 30% more efficient than non-certified models.
Office
Limit the use of portable heaters as they can be good for spot heating but running a 1500 watt spot heater can run up costs. Plug electronics into a power strip and turn off when not in use. Setting your computer to sleep or hibernate mode will help to lessen energy use during periods of inactivity. Unplug battery or phone chargers when not in use as they can continually draw energy even when not in use.
Kitchen
Use microwaves and toaster ovens to cook or warm leftovers, helping to use less energy than a conventional oven. Repair refrigerator door seals if cold air is leaking or moisture is collecting. Keep the freezer full as it uses less energy than an empty one. For maximum savings, fill your freezer with gallon containers of water. Grill outside more often to save the summer forces from making the AC work harder on your bill.
Laundry
Wash and dry several loads at once so that the dryer does not completely cool down before heating up for the next. Avoid over drying your close which helps to waste energy and cause static and wrinkling. Wash full loads of clothes when possible and use less water. Wash with cold water to save .40 a load.
Utility
Get an energy efficient heat pump to cut costs in half for heating. Set the thermostat to 60 degrees if you go on vacation during the winter months but do not turn off as it will cause the pipes to freeze. Get an insulation wrap to reduce your water heater temperature. Set from 140 to 120 degrees to save money while keeping water hot enough for showers and dishes.
Garage
Seal and insulate the garage to save 20% on heating and cooling costs.
Outdoors
Plant trees to provide summer shade for your home and use motion detector lights for convenient and efficient outdoor lighting. Reduce the strain of your AC by applying a reflective coating to your roof that will decrease the amount of heat buildup in your home and prevent expansion and contraction that degrades roods. Install solid shutters to decrease heat loss and summer heat gain.
Article Content Originally Posted by: Landlord Station. (Aug.2013). “Home Energy Saving Tips” Landlord Station. Retrieved 17, Oct. 2016 from: http://www.landlordstation.com/blog/41-home-energy-audit-tips-for-efficency/
