Five Simple Ways to Lower Energy Costs in the Home

In as tough of an economy as the one we currently find ourselves in, saving every penny possible has never been more important. When it comes to the high costs of home energy, saving money must be taken seriously. Otherwise you’ll be burning a hole into your budget every month when you could be using that money for other things instead.

So How to save money on energy bills?

The following are five easy ways to significantly reduce the costs of keeping your electronics powered and your home comfortable:

1- Switch to CFLs

CFL Energy light
Compact fluorescent lights are soon going to be the only type of bulb available. But why wait to buy them when the savings start now? Purchasing one CFL can save you $40 on the costs of regular bulbs over the course of its life. They’re a pricier investment than regular incandescent lamps, but they cost far less in the long run by consuming much less electricity to produce much more light.
2- Unplug Phone Chargers

Phone chargers continue to suck energy from outlets even if a phone is not plugged in. Anytime a phone’s charger is not in use, unplug it from the wall. Encourage every member of the household to do so as well. The result save you money on your energy bill without reduced energy use.
3-Pack Your FridgeWhen you open the refrigerator, all the cold air comes rushing out. The more items you have in your fridge, however, the easier it will be for the air inside to get cold again once the door is closed (the cold items release their coldness into the warmer air). If you lack the budget or the stomachs to fill it completely, simply use jugs of water for the same result.

4-Perform a Computer Monitor Audit

Go to every computer display in the house and set the brightness to the lowest usable setting. In addition, make sure the screen saver is activated and sleep occurs at reasonable times after use comes to a stop. Bright monitors that sit there unchanged for hours will be pulling enormous amounts of power out of your wires. Reduce this to reduce energy costs.

5- Paint Your Roof White

While the hardest and most costly of energy reducing measures, turning existing roofs into cool roofs is still relatively easy and relatively cheap. For $500 worth of paint and supplies you can paint your flat roof white to reflect the sun’s rays which otherwise beat down mercilessly onto the ceiling of your top floor, driving the temperature up by as much as 20 degrees. By doing so you help keep the sun’s heat out of your building, demanding less from your A/C in the process.

There are costly ways to save money on your energy use over time. But don’t pass up the cheap and easy solutions first. After all, isn’t it savings you’re after in the first place?