A huge burden gets lifted off your shoulders once your mortgage is paid off. Once the celebration is over, you may decide to take another look at your house to see how you can reduce your rolling, monthly expenses. You may be wondering, "How can I become more energy efficient and cut back on my energy costs?" At energy.gov and energysavers.gov, there are many energy saving tips for consumers to help them seal up their homes, minimize their expenses and contribute to a healthier environment.
Heating and cooling systems are the most important consideration if your goal is to become more efficient in your use of energy. Americans emit 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year just heating and cooling their homes. Although there are several different types of fuels to heat our houses, more than 50% of us use natural gas.
By focusing on improving insulation, air sealing and thermostat settings, the U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy agency says we can reduce our environmental emissions by 20-50%. Ideally, homeowners will set their thermostat as low as possible in the winter and as high as possible in the summer. They will replace air filters on furnaces once a month, clean air registers or radiators, bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once a season, turn fans off within 20 minutes after using them, keep drapes open during the winter, keep windows covered during the summer and purchase Energy Star furnaces and cooling units.
Appliances are another area to be energy efficient about. Homeowners need to consider more than just the purchase price when buying a new appliance, but also the monthly energy bills they will incur. Appliances count for up to 17% of our household energy consumption, with refrigerators and washers and dryers topping the list. Your appliances might be too old if your refrigerator is over 14 years, your washer/dryer is over 11 years, your dishwasher is more than 10 years or your air conditioner is more than 9 years. Consider Energy Star appliances, which must meet rigid standards to have this special label.
Solar energy savings is also possible when becoming more energy efficient. Today's homeowners are using solar energy to generate their own electricity, heat swimming pools, heat hot water tanks, light the home and dry clothing. Interested consumers may harness energy from the sun with a Photo-Voltaic System Kit that powers the home. Before investing in this technology, one must ask: "Is there access to sunlight here? Do we have the space to accommodate this? Is it worth the investment? Are there any legal issues with installing solar power in my area?" Americans living in the southwest may also be eligible to buy clean electricity from a local solar power plant as well.
Heating and cooling systems are the most important consideration if your goal is to become more efficient in your use of energy. Americans emit 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year just heating and cooling their homes. Although there are several different types of fuels to heat our houses, more than 50% of us use natural gas.
By focusing on improving insulation, air sealing and thermostat settings, the U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy agency says we can reduce our environmental emissions by 20-50%. Ideally, homeowners will set their thermostat as low as possible in the winter and as high as possible in the summer. They will replace air filters on furnaces once a month, clean air registers or radiators, bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once a season, turn fans off within 20 minutes after using them, keep drapes open during the winter, keep windows covered during the summer and purchase Energy Star furnaces and cooling units.
Appliances are another area to be energy efficient about. Homeowners need to consider more than just the purchase price when buying a new appliance, but also the monthly energy bills they will incur. Appliances count for up to 17% of our household energy consumption, with refrigerators and washers and dryers topping the list. Your appliances might be too old if your refrigerator is over 14 years, your washer/dryer is over 11 years, your dishwasher is more than 10 years or your air conditioner is more than 9 years. Consider Energy Star appliances, which must meet rigid standards to have this special label.
Solar energy savings is also possible when becoming more energy efficient. Today's homeowners are using solar energy to generate their own electricity, heat swimming pools, heat hot water tanks, light the home and dry clothing. Interested consumers may harness energy from the sun with a Photo-Voltaic System Kit that powers the home. Before investing in this technology, one must ask: "Is there access to sunlight here? Do we have the space to accommodate this? Is it worth the investment? Are there any legal issues with installing solar power in my area?" Americans living in the southwest may also be eligible to buy clean electricity from a local solar power plant as well.
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