Home Energy Saving Tips-When Every Penny Counts

Nowadays, we are saving every penny. Something that takes quite a few pennies is home energy use. Instead of fearing that the mailman has your electrical or gas bill, let's explore some ways to reduce our home energy consumption and save ourselves a few of those pennies.

Heating and Cooling-Winter and Summertime Blues

It doesn't matter if it is snowing outside or if heat waves are shimmering from the roads, both summer and winter have their energy issues. One of the best ways to save a little money on our heating/cooling bills is to use a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can save you 5-30% on your bill if it is programmed correctly (Department of Energy Home Energy Saver). Design a winter program that keeps the temps around 68 degrees when you are home and 60 degrees when you are gone and at night. For the summer, keep the temps around 75 degrees when you are home, and 80 degrees when you are gone.

There are simple, non-technical ways to keep your home warm/cool also. You can always bundle up in a blanket or build a fire in the winter, and turn on a fan in the summer. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) said setting the air conditioner 2 degrees higher and using ceiling fans can save you 14% (Department of Energy Home Energy Saver). You can reduce the amount of energy it takes to cool your home by planting trees and shrubs near your air conditioner unit. By shading the unit, it will take less time to cool down and less energy to cool your home. Just make sure to leave some space for maintenance.

How Fancy Those Swirly Light Bulbs Are!

By now we have all seen CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)-the swirly looking light bulbs that can save you money and energy. Many have been hesitant to use CFLs because when they first arrived on the market there were some strange issues, such as color and slow start up. But now many of these issues have been worked out. According to the Department of Energy Home Energy Saver, you can get CFLs which have better color by looking for a Color Rendering Index of 80 or higher, and ask your lighting store for quick start bulbs. Of course, an easy way to save money on your energy bill is turning off the lights when you leave a room.

On and Off-Appliances and Electronics

The typical American home spends about 20% of its energy bill on appliances and electronics. This includes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters, T.V.s, DVD players, VCRs, computers, audio equipment and heaters/air conditioners (Department of Energy). One way to reduce the amount of energy your appliances and electronics consume is switching to Energy Star products. Products with this government stamp of approval use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. When it comes to your computers and laptops, it is recommended that you enable the "sleep mode" on both the computer and the monitor, if you don't turn them completely off when not in use. This way you are saving both power and money.

Protect Your Investment with Homeowners Insurance

So you have upgraded your home to save money on energy bills. Have you contacted your homeowners insurance provider to let them know? Home modifications and upgrades will add to the cost of rebuilding and should be reported to make sure you have the proper amount of coverage. That new super-efficient heater/air conditioner unit or solar panels might not be covered if an accident or disaster happens. Contact your provider to update your homeowners insurance policy. If you want to make sure you are getting the best rate on your homeowners insurance, check out InsWeb.com for a free quote.