Install (and use) Ceiling fans
Here in Las Vegas, you’re not going to enjoy the summer at all without using your air conditioner. But you can still utilize ceiling fans alongside your AC to help reduce your energy bill.
Ceiling fans don’t actually cool the air, but they do make the air feel cooler because of the motion of the air. Moving air speeds up the evaporation of moisture on your skin, which removes heat. Using a ceiling fan during milder months or alongside your air conditioner in the summer is a simple way to stay comfortable and enjoy energy savings.
In the winter, reversing your ceiling fans can save you energy in heating costs as well. Set your fans to force air up towards the ceiling, and run them on a low setting. It’s a little counterintuitive — here’s why it works: Heat rises towards the ceiling naturally. Your fan will draw cool air from the room up towards the ceiling, which will in turn force the warm air down, helping warm the room.
In short, ceiling fans are a low-cost way to help your air conditioner and heater do their jobs more effectively. If you’d like to install ceiling fans in your home, call Fowler Electric today or make an appointment here.
Keep Your Refrigerator and Freezer Full
You can reduce your energy bill by simply keeping your fridge full. When you open the door to your refrigerator, cool air escapes and the refrigerator has to cool the space down again. The less space there is in the fridge for air, the less the cooling element has to work to get back down to the correct temperature.
The same is true of your freezer, with an added benefit. Not only will your freezer work more efficiently when it’s full, but it will also stay colder longer if you should lose power for some reason. If you have extra space in your freezer, freeze bags or bottles of water to take up some space and help keep the freezer cold in case the power goes out.
Don’t Use the Heated Dryer Setting on Your Dishwasher
Many new dishwashers have a low-energy mode, but even if yours doesn’t simply turn off the dishwasher at the end of the wash cycle and open the door a crack. Open the door while the dishes are still hot-the heat will speed up the evaporation process. Dishwashers vary, but you can reduce your dishwasher’s total energy use anywhere from 15-25 % by air drying your dishes.
You don’t want to over-fill your dishwasher or the dishes won’t get clean. But you should still wait until you have a full load to run your dishwasher. Dishwashers, by themselves, don’t use a lot of energy, but they do rely on hot water to do their job, which leads us to our next tip:
Turn Down Your Water Heater to Reduce Your Energy Bill
Most water heaters come from the manufacturer set to 140 degrees, however, the US Department of Energy suggests we set our water heaters to 120 degrees. Turning down your water heater even 10 degrees can save you 3-5% on your water heater expense over the course of a year, so adjusting to the recommended 120 degrees could save you 6-10%.
Depending on where you live, and the location of the water heater in your home, you might also consider insulating your water heater.
Upgrade to Dimmer switches
Dimming the lights doesn’t just change the look and feel of a room, it also saves electricity.
Every home is different, but depending on how many lights you have on dimmer switches and how often you dim the lights, it’s not out of the question to take up to 20% off your lighting expense.
You can read more about the benefits of upgrading to dimmer switches here or make an appointment to have Fowler Electric upgrade your switches here.
Use Power Strips to Avoid Vampire Power Leakage
We all have a lot of devices these days: computers, cell phones, tablets, TVs, cable boxes and gaming systems are in most homes and we often leave these devices plugged in all the time. Sometimes called “vampire power” our devices and electronics are slowly using energy almost all the time, and in the process raising our energy bills
Even when your devices aren’t being used, they still draw a small amount of power because they are always on standby, all day every day in many cases. Any time a plug is plugged into an outlet it is drawing a small amount of energy, even when the appliance or device is turned off.
If you’re not already using a power strip at your desks, consider adding one. Your printer, fax, computer, phone charger and even your desk lamp can then be turned off with one switch on the power strip. Simply switch the strip off at night and when you’re out of the house.
The same is true of your entertainment center. Keep your TV, sound bars, gaming consoles, DVRs and DVD players plugged into a single power strip and simply turn the strip off when you’re not using them.
On a related note, you’ll save a small amount of energy by unplugging you phones and tablets once they are 100% charged. Be sure to unplug the charger from the wall, not just the phone from the charger.
While individually these devices are drawing small amounts of energy when not in use, we all have homes full of electronics and appliances, and a lot of little improvements can add up to significant energy savings over time.
Spend a Little on LEDs to Reduce Your Energy Bill
LED light bulbs will save you money on your energy bill nearly immediately. The reason LEDs use less energy is because LED technology converts more energy into light, as opposed to heat. Anything that creates heat will always draw more power to operate, and an LED bulb converts 95% of the energy it uses to light, not heat. Basically, LEDs burn cooler, so therefore they burn more economically.
LEDs cost more than regular incandescent bulbs, but most households will save up to double the cost of the bulbs in energy savings within the first year alone. Add that to the fact that LEDs last up to 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and making the switch to LEDs for your home or business is a no-brainer.
Utilize as many of these power savings tips as you can to save on your energy bill. Every little bit helps!
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