Energy Conservation — Key Methods

March 30th, 2013 by Guest Contributor

Image Credit: Nest

Whether we are speaking domestically or abroad, or even the east and west coast of the United States, energy conservation methods vary depending on the region because the climate ranges a great deal. Of course, home owners get to see the saved money in their bank account everywhere, which is the ultimate personal benefit from saving energy. (That and the great feeling you get from cutting your global warming emissions.)

Adjust Your Thermostat Accordingly

Where you set your thermostat may be the most direct way to cut down on your cost and energy consumption. The temperature you set keeps your environment comfortable, but every notch matters, so a small sacrifice can go a long way. Dialing down the thermostat just 1 degree can result in 5% reduction in energy consumption, which is a great deal in the grand scheme of things. The physical difference goes unnoticed and doesn’t even become a factor.

If there are individual thermostats throughout the house, then it is important to only use those that are needed. There isn’t a purpose in heating an empty room. Try to keep a checklist to make sure that nothing goes to waste, including turning off the air conditioning before you leave your home for an extended period of time.

Be Laundry Cautious

Be smart when it is time to do laundry because a major contributor of energy consumption is washing clothes. Use the washer machine only when you have a full load to wash, anything less would be an inefficient use of water. If that is not an option, set your washer dials to half-load or the eco-saver setting. In some places, Texas for instance, temperate seasonal climates may allow you to air dry your clothes.

Continue to be conscious when using hot water in your household. This doesn’t mean do not use any hot water, but don’t leave the hot water running before a shower or while washing dishes. If you’re in the market for a new washer or a new dryer, you can shop energy efficient dryers and energy efficient washers here, just FYI.

Unused Appliances

Turn off household appliances that aren’t in use, including your television, microwave, or any lights that may have been left on. Turning these appliances off are definitely a must when you leave your house or even a room. The plugged-in appliances continue to feed energy even while they are off, so you may be paying for energy that you didn’t directly use. The solution to this is unplugging appliances that are not in use.

Home Insulation

Heat tends to escape through little cracks and openings throughout your home. It isn’t too costly to insulate your home and keep the heat from leaving through exterior doors, windows or any other cracks that air can slip past. Home owners lose a third of their heat without insulation, so this energy saving method is an easy decision to make. It also requires less use of air conditioning, whether that is heat or cold air, because the desired temperature is retained with little effort from the home owner.

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Tags: eco friendly laundry, home insulation, laundry, saving energy, thermostats, vampire energy

About the Author

Guest Contributor is many, many people. We publish a number of guest posts from experts in a large variety of fields. This is our contributor account for those special people. :D

tbert

Or you can do what the majority of Scandinavians do and air dry your clothes year-round on a drying rack(and I know of where I speak, having lived here for four years now). One of the biggest drivers in American energy use is the relatively cheap price of electricity. Put a few more cents per kWh and people start to use less energy on their own.
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  really very simple. same thing here in Poland. hard to find a person with a dryer.
James Wimberley

“Unplugging appliances that are not in use” is impractical in a modern house or flat. Just count the appliances you have. Modern TVs and the like have very low standby consumption (say 1w). A more practical suggestion is to identify your appliances with high standby consumption and either turn them off when you go out, or replace them.