5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Home Energy Consumption

Did you know that a single day of energy consumption in only one first world household is equivalent to about a year of energy consumption of some entire third world countries? Specifically, the pollution emitted over the course of a year from the electricity used to power our homes equals that of driving 5 gasoline-powered cars. These staggering statistics and comparisons are only getting worse as the years go by and as our insatiable thirst for energy gets more and more insatiable. A majority of the energy consumption comes from powering our electronics, heating and air conditioning our homes, and making sure we have plenty of light. Here are 5 easy ways to cut your energy consumption at home.

1. Unplug all your electronics when you aren’t using them. These electronics – even when plugged in and powered off – amount to about 5% to 10% of your home’s energy consumption. Things like televisions, DVD players, cell phones and electronic devices should all be unplugged when not being operated. This is because they use something called stand by energy. Anytime you see that one of your electronics has a red light stating that it is charging, it is still using and wasting energy.
2. Another huge energy waster in the home is our dishwasher. Running our dishwashers without regard to the consequences it can have on the environment can be hugely detrimental. You can save up to 20% on electricity just by turning off the drying cycle and letting your dishes air dry on a rack. Moreover, it is also recommended to only use your dishwasher when it is full. If you only have a few pieces of silverware, it might be wise to just hand wash and dry them, because you can waste an enormous amount of water too.
3. Also, you can save hundreds of dollars a year in energy efficiency and new lightbulbs by switching to LED lightbulbs. They look the same and provide the same amount of light as traditional incandescent lightbulbs, but they only use about 5% of the energy. In addition, they last up to fifteen times longer than traditional lightbulbs, so you don’t have to continually run out to replace them. Any lightbulb that states that it uses LED, CFL or fluorescence is considered energy efficient.
4. Replace the air filters in your heating and air conditioning system. Here, there and everywhere, homes are running their heating and A/C systems at less than maximum efficiency because they haven’t taken the time to replace the air filter, which wastes about 10% of energy each time the system is running to cool or heat the home. If you really want to save money, you can hire someone for less than $100 clean the air ducts too.
5. Turn the temperature down on your water heating. You can save hundreds of metric tons a year in carbon dioxide emissions just by turning the thermostat down by at least ten percent on your water heater. You won’t really feel it when you take a shower, but you will notice the energy and financial savings on your next utility bill.