5 Ways You May Be Wasting Energy
We’ve all been there. You come home from a hot and sticky day at work, or maybe you just got back from a summertime picnic with your family. Nothing sounds better than cooling off indoors with some ice-cold air conditioning. After a few minutes of blissful relaxation, you look around and realize you have been up all night with the air conditioner.
While it might feel great at the moment, blasting your AC for hours on end can actually put a serious strain on your power to choose bill. Instead of wasting a whole day stuck inside with the AC blasting, try going outside for some fresh air or simply opening a few windows to let in a breeze. If you’re desperate to use the AC, just try to use it conservatively and turn it off when you’re done chilling down.
You Call Them ‘Blinds’ For A Reason
Whether they be vertical or horizontal, large or small, blinds can do a little bit of everything for your home. Blocking out the sun, keeping people from looking in, or simply creating an aesthetically pleasing look; there are tons of reasons why you would hang blinds or curtains. Unfortunately, these blinds can also create a little bit of trouble for your energy bill.
Blinds aren’t like other window treatments like drapes or curtains. Although it might seem like they don’t do much, blinds can actually reduce natural light coming into your home. This reduction in sunlight makes the room darker which means you’re going to need more artificial lighting. If you’re looking for affordable window treatments, try out some Dallas electricity rates curtains or drapes.
You Keep The Lights On When You’re Not In The Room
Picture this. You just got home from a long day at work and you finally have the chance to sit down and watch some TV for a little while. Unfortunately, your favorite show isn’t on right now so you flick on the light in the other room to see if there’s anything good on while you wait. You go back to the couch and get comfortable, but you notice something. Your favorite show is on in the other room! You quickly get up, run into the next room, flick off the light switch and plop back down on your end of the sofa.
You’re not alone. This happens all the time at home and for good reason. It’s just much easier to have all the lights in your house turned on when you’re not using them, rather than always being worried about the next time you’ll need that light switch. However, this can actually waste a lot of energy for your home! Keep your lights off when possible and only turn them on when you need them. This can not only save you a ton on your Houston energy plans bill, but it can also help prevent light pollution for the world.
You Leave Your Electronics Plugged In All The Time
Laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, and countless other electronic devices are becoming more and more common in our lives each day. However, we don’t realize just how much energy these devices are using while they’re plugged in. As a result, we leave them plugged in long after they’ve been fully charged. This is disastrous for your energy bill and bad news for the environment.
To save yourself some money, try to remember to unplug your devices at night or when you aren’t using them for extended periods of time. This can also help prevent electrical fires from wiring malfunctions.
Your Thermostat Is Out Of Date
Did you know that the average household loses about $180 per year on their energy bill due to old or poorly maintained heating equipment? This is because your heating system should only be producing around 98% efficiency. If there are any inefficiencies, then this means that money is just getting blown out of your vents.
To avoid this, make sure that you get your equipment’s yearly check-up to ensure it’s running smoothly and efficiently. If you find that your system is old or inefficient, consider replacing it with a newer system before the heating season begins. This will maximize both energy efficiency and comfort levels in your home.
Finally, if you want to make sure you’re getting the best deals and 4Change Energy reviews, make sure to shop around for different home warranty plans.