With the chill of fall settling in, people everywhere are taking the necessary steps to begin addressing the changes brought about by the season. And most frequently, the bulk of adjustments that are made are right in our own homes as the importance of maintaining the comfort of our spaces becomes crucial. While our efforts can enable us to achieve our goals, often they come at a cost. This expense stems largely from the energy we use in trying to keep things to our liking, but this does not have to be the case as there are methods for reducing energy consumption during autumn. In aiding in those efforts, the following tips will provide insights and options for finding ways to reduce energy use in your home.
Beware Vampire Energy
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Though it is known by several names including the phantom load and standby power, vampire energy is the term given to the electricity that devices consume when they are powered down but left plugged in. Each year it is said to cost Americans $19 billion, with that expense coming out to several hundred annually as it is spread across individual households. The reason for this energy use varies, as some electronics perform updates progressively while others continue to communicate with servers or simply await startup. One tool that can be used to end this expense is a power strip, which can hold several electronics and power them off simultaneously when you are done using them or before leaving home for an extended period of time. Also, be sure to unplug devices when you are no longer using them, as this will also prevent needless energy use.
Layer Up
One of the easiest ways to conserve energy in the fall while keeping yourself warm in the process is to layer up. Even in your home, being bundled has its advantages as you can keep your hands off the thermostat. There may come a time when you need to make the temperature adjustment but by keeping a few extra layers on, you’ll be able to reduce the degree to which you need to increase the warmth. Though the act may seem insignificant, minimizing the extent that the temperature of your home needs to increase to by just a few degrees can save you a considerable amount.
Switch Out Your Bulbs
In the event your home still largely utilizes incandescent light bulbs, you are contributing to an excessive amount of energy use each and every time you turn on the lights. This is due to the fact that available for purchase today are light-emitting diodes(LED) and compact fluorescent bulbs, which are much more energy efficient. In terms of the energy supplied to incandescent bulbs, only 10-20% is converted to actual light, while the other 80-90% is released as heat. In comparison, CFLs and LEDs inversely convert 80-90% of what they receive to light. They are also able to last much longer than incandescent bulbs. While they do have a higher upfront cost, the benefits these bulbs provide has a greater payoff in the long run.
Use A Humidifier
Heating and cooling represent the greatest source of energy consumption within homes annually. During the periods in which temperatures drop, most people are quick to combat the cold through the use of their thermostats, but this only contributes to overall energy use. Instead, one thing to consider is utilizing a humidifier within your home as these devices are able to keep warm air within rooms. Not only does this cut into the need for heating, in the event that your thermostat is working to warm up your home, this will help to reduce the effort required of it, which will consequently save energy. With a humidifier you’ll be able to keep your home warm while doing so for a reduced cost.
Ceiling Fans In Reverse
While many only consider the use of fans in their homes for the spring and summer months, they actually have the capability to be used year-round. This is because of the winter mode that many ceiling fans come equipped with. Normally, fans rotate in a counterclockwise direction which pushes cool air down as it pulls warmer air up. When fans are instead set to rotate clockwise, they do the reverse as the cold air is sent upwards while the warm air that naturally rises is sent downward. In this way, the hotter air is circulated around the room making it more conducive for warding off the cold. Something important to remember about fans however is that they do not have the ability to affect temperature but instead can only circulate air so if you are to drop the temperature with the thermostat, consider using the fan simultaneously so that you don’t have to make that decrease quite so significant.
Bio: Douglas Keller has been a financial expert for 20 years, helping people reach financial stability. He now provides personal finance tips for Peak Personal Finance, where he helps people save money on their bills every month.
Raj Kumar is a qualified business/finance writer expert in investment, debt, credit cards, Passive income, financial updates. He advises in his blog finance clap.
