Keys to Saving Energy During The Fall

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Photo: Techno Shaman from Pexels

Fall energy savings can enable you to save money on your energy bill and lessen the amount of tear and wear on your system. This all starts with a thorough inspection of your heating system and regular maintenance, among many other important home power energy-saving tips. Several businesses include maintenance in their A/C service plans, which become packages that merge home service security and utilities.

Tips for Fall Heating that Saves Energy

Below are some power-saving tips for heating your house and keeping it running smoothly this fall.

1. Reduce the temperature in your house to conserve electricity

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Running your heating system less frequently is a simple way to save energy in the fall. Maintaining your room temperature between 68 and 70 degrees during the daylight hours and lower at night will help you save money on heating your home. If you’re capable of putting on a sweater, the few degrees of difference in temperature could arise in seasonal savings.

Numerous people fail to remember to turn down one‘s heating systems at night. One advantage of a smart thermostat is that you do not need to rely on the dram. The thermostat will change the temperature based on the schedule you specify.

2. Use less energy to heat the water

Without mentioning your hot-water heater, no list of fall energy tips would be complete. Double-check the temperature to ensure it is not excessively high. A temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit is sufficient for most people to wash dishes and bathe.

If you purchase a blanket for your water heater, you can actually accomplish even more energy-efficient heating for the fall. Stores are selling insulation that you can wrap around your unit to keep heat in.

3. Open and close drapes or any window treatment

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Users can save even more money on fall energy by harnessing the energy from the sun. Once the light comes through your windows, open the curtains and drapes. Solar heat from a well-insulated window can raise the temperature of a room by many degrees without requiring your heater to work harder. Pull your curtains tightly closed as the sunshine fades to add another layer of insulating material between the rooms and cold outdoors in your home.

4. Switch the direction of your ceiling fans

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Continuing to improve heat circulation allows you to accomplish more with less, helping to make it one of the best fall heating tips to implement. Because warm air rises, the warmest air in the room is near the ceiling, which has no effect on your convenience. In the winter, turn ceiling fans clockwise at a low rpm to draw cooler air up from the floor. The warm air is pushed out toward your wall surfaces and down into your living space as it flows upward.

5. Avoid blocking your vents

It may seem obvious, however, one of the best (and simplest) fall heating tips is to ensure that air can move naturally from your vents. If you have home furniture or drapes that block your vents, you may be wasting time and energy by blocking heat from entering and circulating in the room. If you are unable to move the furniture or drapes, a cost-efficient solution is to purchase vent extenders, which lead air from vents under couches or from behind drapes out into the room.

6. Assess your home’s insulation

In case you have not checked your insulation in a few years, now is the time. Insulation, believe it or not, does wear out. Makers are constantly striving to enhance their merchandise. Some of the new attic insulation types may be so much better that it’s worth the effort and money investment to add to or replace current insulation.

7. Search and fix any drafts

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Consider using weather-stripping to close gaps that allow cold drafts in for long-term energy savings. Check and replace worn weather-stripping around doors and windows. But keep in mind that not all weather-stripping is the same. Sealing a garage door, for example, requires different weather-stripping than sealing your front door.

Check for gaps and cracks around the foundation of your home, as well as doors, windows, and areas where essential services enter your home. Caulking these can help keep heat in your home.

Source: Santee Cooper

How to Save Money on Energy with These 8 Tips

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We scoured the Internet for the best money-saving energy hacks. Check out these easy ways to save energy in your home.

1. Planting trees to keep your home cool

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Planting more trees in your yard has environmental and aesthetic benefits, but did you know it can also save you money? Planting trees on the south or southwest side of one’s home can help reduce your energy bill by up to 25%, according to Organic Gardening. Because the tree branches shield your home from direct sunlight, you will have much less heat in your home and your air conditioner will have to work less. Plus, a nice view of greenery from your window.

2. Towels can be used for weather-stripping

Towels are the best DIY weather stripping. Especially in apartments if you are not allowed to make any adjustments to your apartment, a rolled-up towel can be used as temperature stripping. Roll up towels and place them around drifty doors and windows in the winter to keep warm air inside.

3. Washing your clothing in cold water

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Mother Earth News reports. According to the website, you should wash all of your garments in cold water. It can be just as effective as washing your clothing items in hot water with a cold-water detergent, and it will cost you a lot of money on water heating costs. According to the website, cold water washing will only cost $0.03 per load.

4. Sort out wrinkled garments in the shower

When you use Style Caster’s cool hack, there is no need to waste time and energy on an iron. Because once you take a shower, hang up a saggy shirt or dress in your bathroom. In about 10 minutes, the steam will help sort out an unkempt garment. You will want to get it as close to the steam as you can without getting it wet. Furthermore, maintain the bathroom door closed to keep the steam in the room.

5. Place a bottle of soda on your toilet tank

When it comes to water conservation, you may not really think of your toilet, yet you can easily modify it to consume less water. We simply love this tip: Put a 2-liter bottle of soda in your toilet tank to save water with each flush. Wash the bottle of soda and eliminate any labels before filling it with water and placing it in the tank with a few rocks or marbles. According to this site, using this simple trick could save a family of four 3,000 gallons of water per year.

6. Run your ceiling fan clockwise in the winter

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Ceiling fans are not just for use in the summer. In the winter, use the device to keep your house warm. Mom 4 Real suggests changing the guideline of your ceiling fan in the cold season to push excess heat down. You will need to utilize your heater less frequently and save a lot of money on electricity bills. Nevertheless, in the summer, ensure the fan is rotating counter-clockwise. This creates a draft, which can help you stay cool.

7. Using a power strip will stop standby power

Photo: Everyday Cheapskate

When electronics, such as game consoles, are in standby mode, they continue to consume power. These hidden energy squanderers may be responsible for up to 10% of total power consumption in the United States. Together We Save provides this simple—but brilliant—trick for preventing phantom energy. Simply attach your devices to a power strip. When you are not using your devices, you can turn everything off. You won’t have to unplug each one individually, allowing you to optimize your energy savings. If you are ready and able to spend a little money, consider investing in a smart power strip, which can automatically turn off power to an unused device.

8. Fan blades should be 12-degree pitched

If you want to save money on cooling, try this CeilingFan.com tip to make sure you’re getting the most benefit from your ceiling fan. To improve airflow and keep your home cool, ensure your ceiling fan blades are pitched 12 degrees. Anything further forces the fan motor to work harder. Anything less will result in less air circulation.

4 Cheap Ways to Increase Home Energy Efficiency

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We have all heard the expression “work smarter, not harder,” but probably not in relation to your home’s energy usage.

What exactly is power efficient? It’s your home’s equivalent of “working smarter” by performing the very same tasks with much less power.

Making your home more energy-efficient necessitates a renewed focus on your power consumption routines. Where, when, and how you use your energy defines whether or not you’re making the most efficient use of it. Why don’t more people prioritize energy efficiency because it’s beneficial to the environment and your wallet?

For some, the words “energy efficiency” conjure up images of dollar signs. Although some fixes are more expensive than others (such as displacing your roof), there are numerous inexpensive ways to enhance energy efficiency at home—some for as little as $50!

Below are some energy-saving tips for your home that will lead to improved energy efficiency and, as an outcome, lower electric bill costs.

1. Locate the air gap entrance

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Windows and doors may indeed be affecting your thermostat to run continuously. Air transfer pushes your heating and cooling systems to work more regularly due to heat loss (in the winter) or cold air loss (in the summer).

2. Increase insulation

Photo: Forbes

If you believe you can help shield your entire building for less than $50, you are mistaken! Fortunately, we have a sneaky way to reduce your insulating material costs while still completing the project.

Purchase around $40 to $60 of insulation from your local hardware store. Next, go to your cellar and look for an exposed surface with insufficient insulating material. Take special care of the joists and the perimeter of your attic. If there is any leftover insulation, wrap it around the attic door. When it tends to come to hot or cold gas escaping into your attic, these two areas are customarily the most common culprits. Insulation is essential for increasing the energy efficiency of your home. Your thermostat works to maintain a specific temperature. Reduce this issue by caulking door frames and window panes to prevent air transfer. This caulk will seal all of the small gaps, preventing air from escaping or entering the house. This reduces the strain on your HVAC system to compensate for temperature loss or gain. The best part is that this fix will charge you far less than $50. You only need a tube of caulk, a caulking gun, and some time. Make sure to complete this task when it is bright outside.

3. Dim drapes

Photo: This Old House

Have you ever started to notice that some rooms in your house seem to be consistently hotter than others? Or have you noticed that you need to run the air conditioner longer in one room than another? Take note of how the sun affects space. Consider acquiring blackout curtains if you want to lower the temperature of a room without wanting to run the air conditioner all day.

The colors live up to their name; once installed, your room will be extremely dark. However, many people prefer to put these in their bedrooms to block out light and try to cool the room before going to bed. What is one of our favorite aspects of blackout shades? How reasonably priced they are! A set of six colors costs less than $30. They are available in a variety of materials and sizes, making them ideal for use with any size window.

4. Acquire LED Bulbs

Photo: Eartheasy

LED lights, in case you haven’t heard, are the way to go. For a cheap amount, you can get several LED bulbs to replace your standard bulbs, allowing you to build a more electricity-efficient home.

LED lights function by light emission in only one area. Because reflectors and diffusers are no longer required, the bulbs are more efficient than traditional alternatives. LED lighting consumes 75% less power than electric bulbs and can last up to 25 times as long.

These bulbs save a lot of energy and offer a variety of shapes, wattages, temperatures, and colors. You can convey yourself while saving both money and the environment—we call that a win-win situation!

5. Spend less through shrubs

Photo: This Old House

In maintaining the shade theme, we’d like to share an energy-saving idea for protecting your home from the elements. External shade can sometimes benefit first-story (and sometimes second-story) windows. You can get a bush, plant, or tree that provides significant shade against the sun for $50.

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