Plenty of people begin a new year thinking about making changes. Just as many people also tend to break a resolution they made before the last bit of confetti was vacuumed off the living room floor. Data from the University of Scranton notes that 45% of us make resolutions, but only 8% of those resolution makers actually achieve their goals. Not very promising is it?
One reason for such a high failure rate is that we tend to be overly ambitious in our choices. I won’t ever eat chocolate again! I’ll lose 30 pounds in two months! No wonder we fail. At least one of the keys to success, then, seems to be taking baby steps that can add up to one lofty success story.
That’s why we created the 31 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home. We decided to launch it early in the year because you’re more likely to think about making changes in the new year. But you can pick any day or month to start your savings! Under the little-changes-can-add-up theory, incorporate one tip a day, or maybe one a week if that works better for you. The more energy saving tips you tackle, the greater your chances of saving energy at home — and potentially saving more on your monthly energy bill as a result. Now that’s a resolution we can get behind all year long!
Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle. Just open the door after the rinse cycle and let Mother Nature do the rest. If you run your dishes in the evening, you can wake up to dry dishes without a single kilowatt being used. Doing this can cut dishwasher energy use 15-50%, depending on the machine.
Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F. Potential annual savings for every 10ºF you reduce the temperature? $12-$30.
Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
Plug home electronics into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.
Insulate heating ducts. In a typical house 20-30% of the air moving through the duct system is lost due to leaks.
Install low-flow showerheads. For maximum water efficiency, select a showerhead with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm.
Use Energy Star-qualified CFL and LED bulbs. These LEDs and CFLs use 20-25% of the energy of traditional incandescent bulbs.
Want to change an energy habit? Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg says you need to identify the cue that prompts the behavior and then create a reward to make a permanent change.
Turn off incandescent lights when you are not in the room. 90% of the energy they use is given off as heat, and only about 10% results in light.
Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage your heating and cooling systems efficiently. Turning your thermostat back 10°-15° for 8 hours can save 5%-15% a year on your heating bill.
Seal air leaks. Sealing air leaks can result in up to 30% energy savings, according to energy.gov.
Don’t block radiators.
Raise the temperature slowly to keep your bill lower. Quickly raising your heat pump’s temperature activates the heat strip, which uses more energy.
Add an insulating blanket to older water heaters. This could reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45% and save about 4%–9% in water heating costs.
Older appliances are often less energy efficient. Replace them with ENERGY STAR products.
Use microwaves and toaster ovens to cook or warm leftovers. You’ll use less energy than cooking with a conventional oven.
Clean/replace filters in furnace. Energy.gov recommends changing the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter slows down air flow and makes the system work harder.
Avoid using the rinse hold setting on your dishwasher. This feature uses 3-7 more gallons of hot water per use.
Open curtains facing the sun; close curtains/blinds at night.
Take shorter showers. A typical shower head spits out an average of 2.5 gallons per minute. Reducing your shower time by 4 minutes per day may save 3650 gallons annually if you shower once a day.
Install a timer for your water heater that will turn it off when you are not at home or at night.
Clean the dryer lint filter regularly to keep your dryer running efficiently. Don’t forget the tubing. Use the long nozzle on your vacuum periodically to clean out particles that get beyond the filter.
Add aerators to your faucets. Choose aerators with a flow rate of no more than 1.0 gpm for maximum savings.
Insulate hot water pipes. This reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2°F–4°F hotter than uninsulated pipes, allowing you to also lower your water temperature setting, for additional savings.
Set your computer to sleep or hibernate mode instead of using a screen saver so it uses less electricity during periods of inactivity. ENERGY STAR ® estimates that using these features can reduce your electric bill by up to $30 annually.
Keep the oven door closed while cooking — the temperature can drop by as many as 25 degrees each time you open the oven door. Click here for more energy saving tips in the kitchen.
Replace your five most-used light fixtures and/or bulbs with ENERGY STAR® products. If every American did this, we would save about $8 billion per year in energy costs.
Air dry clothes. But if you prefer a dryer, click on the blog to find out which is more efficient—the gas or electric dryer.
Wash clothes with cold water; today’s laundry detergents work just as well in cold water, and you’ll potentially save $63 annually.
Turn off your water heater if you plan on leaving home for a few days. Most models will reheat the water to the set temperature in about an hour.
Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Many chargers draw power continuously, even when the device is not plugged into the charger.
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Brilliant tips! During winters, we use a lot of electricity to heat up our indoors. Make sure you have a plan to seal the gaps of your doors and windows, through which freeze air can come. Set timer on your appliances. Say good bye to incandescent bulbs and welcome LEDs.
The biggest way to save money on energy is to become educated and break bad habits. What good is an LED bulb if the light is left on all day? What good is a low flow shower head if you still take an hour shower? Energy efficient products + good habits = a lot of saved money.
Solar panels can significantly reduce or eliminate your energy bill and you can feel good about it. Much cleaner and renewable energy
Hi Trevor – We agree that solar energy is a cleaner energy source. You can feel good about how you’re using your energy and your efficiency. Thank you!
Washing full loads of clothes and dishes does help in saving energy and monthly power bills. CFLs are better than halogen bulbs and LEDs are better than both, when comes to choosing an option that is environment-friendly.
We couldn’t agree more! We appreciate you checking out our blog. Come back for more tips and tricks on how to conserve energy in your home. Thank you!
You’re welcome! We’re glad you found the tips useful. Keep checking back for more posts that can help you save energy in and around the home!
Thumbs up for your tips. With my experience of saving energy, I can say putting on the timer while planning to use the air-conditioning unit at night can make a huge difference. Iron clothes in bulk by scheduling a specific day every week Keep in mind that iron takes way more electricity when you just open it.
We’re glad you found our tips useful! And we appreciate your tips as well. It’s great you’ve found other ways to save energy!
I like very fact and detail it gives. Your blog was filled with interesting ideas! But I would like to add one, try to invest in renewable power sources if it is available in your place. Install some solar panels that will surely help you with power bill problems.
We agree that investing in renewable energy resources — that’s why Constellation offers renewable energy plans in select states!
epic tips on saving energy and electricity bills! if i may add – installing shades or blinds on windows that have direct sun exposure could also minimize warmth getting into the house, hence it saves energy.
Michael, we agree! Installing blinds, curtains, or blinds can help keep the cool air in.
Good post with helpful suggestions! People don’t save energy for environment. They do it for to reduce their next electricity bill. Please do your bit to help environment to sustain for long.
Hi Meghan, we agree – saving energy for the environment, in addition for your electricity bill, is a wise way to go through life!
Thanks for your incredible tips to save energy, additionally I use a device that I have acquired and it has given me good results I recommend them.
Hi Peter, that’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful new way to save money and power 😁
Hi Kaylee, we’re happy to help!
The information you provided in your blog was very good. It provided me with great knowledge about energy efficiency tools. I am really satisfied after reading the post.
Hi Olivia, that’s fantastic to hear. Thanks for visiting!
In the UK we have on/off switches for each plug socket… Make sure you switch them off!
Hi Deborah, we love the way the UK uses switched socket outlets. They’re excellent for energy conservation. This is a great energy-saving suggestion for any UK readers, thanks for contributing!
Last year, I spent some considerable time resolving my girlfriend’s utility bills due to a whole host of complicated issues such as billing for incorrect meter, non-reconciliation of payment, final payment notices plus interest. Eventually all resolved with nothing to pay, but took 5 months of calls, emails and documentation. Thankfully, my girlfriend had all the documentation from the specialist who had visited 6 months prior to confirm meter for the premises and the correct meter number.
We also had an issue with outstanding gas debt (caused by her ex). Resolved the debt through a re-payment plan per month, agreeing fixed amount per month and last payment date – especially as she moved to a new (modern) premises, so we needed agreement to tie up loose ends.
Hi Emma, it seems like you’ve been diligently working to reduce your energy costs and cutting down debt! You’ve been making great energy decisions. Another way you might be able to bring stability to your energy budget could be through a Constellation fixed-rate natural gas plan.
These are really great tips on saving energy at home. Unplugging the unused electricals at home is one of the best tips on saving energy, and not just it can save energy and electricity, it also prevents bad happenings like fire or electrical shortage and other stuffs due to unplugged electricals.
Hi Hilton Electric, thank you! Yes, we agree — unplugging your electrical devices while not in use has a wide array of positive effects.
Very good ideas how to save energy. I also want to share mine which is using natural source of light and in the same time I’m saving money.Thank you for all the tips and hopefully even mine will help.
Judith, thanks so much for the kind words, and your helpful tips!
Thank you
This is a great article.I am really fond of energy saving and renewal energy. Also please check this out. Solar and turbine setup totally for complete beginners, very very helpful.
Phil, that’s great to hear, and we are too!
I do 90 percent of these things. In fact I unplug almost everything when I am not using it …tv toaster coffee pot microwave lights. I have GO thermal heating and air. There are only 3 adults living in my 2200 sq ft house and we are not here most days. Our electric bill runs between 300.00-500.00 per month. What are we doing wrong ?? Any suggestions???
Thank you
Maria
Hi, Maria: Thank you so much for expressing your concerns. There are lots of small changes you can make in your home, and it sounds like you’re really doing your part to be energy efficient. Perhaps there’s something that you’re not aware of that’s affecting your energy consumption. It might be a good idea for you to consider a home energy audit in order to see if your home has air leaks, cracks or some other inefficiencies that could be affecting your costs. I have more information on energy audits here: https://blog.constellation.com/2015/12/11/what-is-a-energy-audit-how-to-find-a-home-energy-auditor/
Very informative. Dispelled some myths. And the quiz and 31 tips were fun to read. Thanks!
Glad you took the time to do the quiz… and that it was helpful to you! Sounds like you’re on your way to being even more energy-efficient. Want to read more? Check out how to be energy-efficient even while doing laundry! https://blog.constellation.com/2016/07/26/laundry-energy-saving-tips-flowchart/
Are the timers for water heaters available in hardware stores as seen in Tip # 21?
Hi Nancy, great question! Yes, you should be able to purchase a water heater timer at your local hardware store, a big-box home improvement store or any other general department or discount store that sells appliances.