10 Tips for Reducing Your Energy Bills

Some of us are tightening our proverbial belts while others are looking for ways to use less energy and “go green.” If you fit into one of these two categories today is your lucky day.

We’ve got some great tips that are easy to do, and can help you consume less energy, which we all know saves money.

Tip 1: Control the temperature inside whether you’re home or away. Programmable setback thermostats are a great solution because you can set different temperatures for different times, depending on your comfort needs and schedule. You can see energy savings of sometimes 25% or more with this simple step. Additionally, for every degree you lower your temperature in the winter and raise it in the summer, you’re saving 2-3 % in energy costs.

Tip 2: Close your blinds. Rooms without blinds, curtains or shades to block the sunlight will be warmer. Simply closing all of your blinds while you are away can make maintaining a comfortable temperature easier for your air conditioner or furnace.

Tip 3: Turn down the temperature setting on your hot water heater. For every 10 degrees you reduce the water temperature, you can see savings of 3-5%.

Tip 4: Install timers where you use vent fans. Most bathroom fans can remove moisture within 20 minutes. Timers help you avoid forgetting to turn them off.

Tip 5: Switch to energy efficient light bulbs, also known as CFLs. They use a fraction of the electricity of traditional incandescent light bulbs and instead of lasting about 1,000 hours, they continue working for 10,000 hours or more. With CFLs, you consume less energy and need to replace bulbs less often.

Tip 6: Let your dishes air-dry. Instead of using the heat cycle on your dishwasher, crack the door enough to allow the dishes to air-dry on the rack before putting them away. Eliminating the heat cycle will reduce your energy consumption and also keep from raising the temperature in your kitchen.

Tip 7: Clean the coils underneath or on the back of your refrigerator every so often with a vacuum. Dusty or dirty coils can cause the compressor to work harder than it needs to – which wastes energy.

Tip 8: Have your furnace or air conditioner serviced to assure they are running at peak efficiency. Tune-ups that are scheduled before there is a problem help avoid costly repairs in the future. Professional maintenance makes sure the unit and all the components are running smoothly and efficiently.

Tip 9: Make sure curtains, bedding, furniture or other items are not blocking baseboards or registers in each room. When the airflow is obstructed, your HVAC system has to work that much harder to regulate the temperature to a comfortable level. The harder it works, the more energy is consumed and the more it costs you.

Tip 10: Make sure cool, conditioned air isn’t escaping through cracks or gaps in your windows or doors. Re-calk and check to see that your weatherstripping is doing it’s job. Weatherstripping can be purchased for next to nothing at your local hardware store. Tight weatherstripping also prevents your home from penetration by moisture and pests.

Follow these 10 simple tips and you quickly see lower energy bills. At Service Champions, we care about your comfort. If you are looking for more ways to lower your energy costs, contact us. We have a team of qualified experts who specialize in helping you identify ways to conserve energy while staying comfortable.