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Reducing Energy Use at Home:
Simple tricks to cut back on wasted energy use
Unplug the Unused
Many different appliances around the average household are plugged in at all times, but are seldom used. This not only wastes substantial amounts of energy, but adds significant amounts of unnecessarily spent money onto monthly electricity and utility bills. For example, any chargers for cell phones, mp3 players and cameras that are left plugged in around the house can spend a lot of unnecessary energy which, although may seem small, accumulates to a great deal of wasted energy. Along with this, any additional refrigerators around the house which are empty or are not being used to store a great amount of food should be unplugged The use of each refrigerator in the house not only requires sizeable amounts of energy but, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, it can add up to $10 to energy bills per month. Additionally, rather than using multiple plugs, power strips conserve great amounts of energy. Although household electronic items may appear to be off while on standby, they still require as much energy as is consumed by a continually running high wattage light bulb. Of course, all lights should also remain off when it is unnecessary to keep them turned on.Dull Down Monitors
Leaving computers running during the day utilizes great amounts of energy. To avoid excess energy use, change computer settings so that the monitor runs on sleep mode when it is not being used. Using the hibernate mode is another tool which turns off a computer after 30 minutes of no activity. Rather than leaving the computer running or shutting it down entirely, the hibernate mode allows the computer to shut down without turning off any running programs. When the computer returns to normal functional mode, everything left on the screen previously still remains but extensive amounts of energy have been saved during hibernation.Cool Down Your House and Energy Use
Heating your home requires lots of energy. However, there are alternative ways to heat your home by allowing for the absorption of natural heat into your home. Rather than turning up the thermostat, open all blinds and shades where sun can be let in to create natural warmth in a home. It is important to remember to shut these blinds at night in order to contain this harnessed heat. Both heating systems and water temperature controls should be set within specific limits. During the non-summer months, the thermostat should be left at 680 during the day and 550 at night. Water heaters should remain between 1200 and 1300. Refrigerator temperatures can safely be kept at an average of 400to maintain low energy use, says the Natural Resources Defense Council.