Oh, those darn energy bills! We hate to see them come in the mail, almost as much as we hate paying them. But there they are, month, after month, after month. You may have tried your own conservation methods to keep them in line – turning off lights when not in use, adding insulation where needed; setting the thermostat lower in winter, and a bit higher in summer. You’ve done all this, and yet, the energy bills just seem to creep ever higher. What can you do? Here are a few easy tips that can help you keep your energy bills under control.
As the name suggests, Double Roller Blinds are a combination of two different types of blinds, on a single bracket. One of the is known as a “blackout,” while the other is called a “transparent sunscreen”. Use the blackout blind for privacy and darkness and the transparent sunscreen for letting the light in. But how does this help you lower your energy bill? It’s simple really. Using the transparent sunscreen allows the light to stream into your room, warming it in the cold months, while the blackout blind does just the opposite. It keeps out the sunlight in warm months, thus keeping your home cooler. Put the two together, and you have a year round system that will help lower your energy bills.
Appliance Tips
Microwave leftovers instead of using the stove, always wash full loads of clothes when possible, turn off your dishwasher after the rinse cycle, and let the dishes air dry. Also, use the correct pot/pan size to your stove. Using a small pot/pan on a large burner unnecessarily wastes energy! Is this simple, or what?
Roofing Tips
The largest area of your home is the roof that protects it. But did you know that it’s also the area that loses the most heat/energy? So, what can you do? One way is to apply reflecting coating to your roof. The reflective coating reflects the heat off your roof, keeping it cooler inside, and saving energy with your air conditioning system. This also has a beneficial side effect in that it prevents both expansion and roof contraction, which can lead to a degraded roof, and expensive repair bills.
Turn Off and Regulate Tips
This is the most sensible and easiest to perform task that can save lots on your energy bill. And yet, for some reason, many of us just don’t do it. Leaving lights on when you’re not in a room is the best example. It simply doesn’t register that the burning light is making your energy meter roll along merrily. Computers are another example. It’s a simple job to turn them off when you’re not using them. Yet, most of us don’t do it. But do you know that even in “sleep” mode that the computer is using energy? You bet it is! How about your air conditioner. Is it turned up too high? Or does your refrigerator really need to be that cold? Probably not. These are just every day things that we never bother to think of, and yet, combined together, add a lot to our energy bills.
General Tips
Those old appliances are costing you big bucks. They’re inefficient, waste energy, and hence, your money. New appliances use far less electricity, and will pay for themselves in no time. Then you should go through you house and get rid of your old light bulbs. Replace them with new, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). It’s estimated that the CFLs can save the average homeowner up to $30 over the life of the bulb. Now, walk around your home and see how many bulbs you have, multiply that by $30, and plan your next vacation to that tropical island you’ve always wanted to visit!
And finally, look at it this way: The cost of energy doesn’t look like it’s going to go down anytime in the near future. Industry is working for us by coming up with ever more efficient energy saving appliances, longer lasting, more efficient light bulbs, and a variety of other products all designed to keep our energy costs down. But here’s the thing – if we don’t do our part, it’s going to be a wasted effort. Now, go and turn off that light in the other room!
