Home Current Sweepstakes Six Energy Saving Tips For The Home

Six Energy Saving Tips For The Home

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January is a time for new beginnings and we see many people vowing to stick to the resolutions they have made. For my family, we want to find new ways to improve our lives financially. Currently, we are working on saving money in the home, and I found some great ideas to help save money on your energy bill.

Cost Effective Energy Saving Tips For The Home

  1. Check Your Weather Striping: Weather stripping around the outer doors of your home can save a lot! My back door had a 1/4 inch gap I kept neglecting, and it was letting out so much heat. Once we put proper stripping on the frame, it sealed the opening. We noticed a big reduction on our utility bill.
  2. Maintain Your Fireplaces: Your money can literally go through the chimney if it is not maintained properly. When the damper is open, the fireplace is not in use, you can keep up to 20% of the warm air inside where it belongs.
  3. Keep Your Thermostat At A Reasonable Temperature: If you keep your thermostat at 70 degrees or below, it will have a huge impact on your utility bill. For every degree you put your thermostat over 70 degrees, you raise your electric bill by 7-10 percent. This translates to a total average savings of over $200 per year, depending on your current monthly bill. Set your water thermostat to 120 degrees, but no more than 140 to save even more on your bill.
  4. Oven Tips: If you turn the heat off on your oven 15 minutes before your meal will be done cooking, the temperature will stay hot long enough to finish cooking. Just do not open the door! Also, using the microwave cuts your energy bill by 25% when compared to using your conventional oven. For the stove top, if you cut the temperature down to simmer once something boils, the heat inside the pot maintains to complete the cooking as well.
  5. Use Your Dishwashers And Washing Machines Properly:  Make sure you are washing a full load. It takes the same amount of energy and water no matter how little or full the load is. Using the dishwasher versus washing by hand saves an average of 5 gallons of water per load. When you wash clothing on cold water, it costs about 1.5 cents per load. When you use hot water, it costs an average of 38 cents per load. This can add up on your bill very quickly.
  6. Turn out the Lights: We all know turning a light off every time you leave the room saves money. Although it is actually a fraction of one penny, when you do it several times a day, it adds up to bigger savings than you may realize. When you are away, you can use a timer for your lights to be on at night and go off in the morning. In my house, I use the AUTOCHRON Programmable Wall Switch Timer from ShopWithEase.com.

I liked the AUTOCHRON Programmable Wall Switch Timer, which sells for $30 because it took about a minute to install and program and is super easy to use. My husband works nights, so I like to have the lights on until he gets home, but sometimes he is too tired to turn them off. I have my timer scheduled to go off an hour after he gets home and I do not worry about wasting electricity. For the car, I also have the extremely handy Porta-Jump Emergency Jump Starter for the car, which sells for $30 as well. This is a super handy tool for the car, especially during these frigid winter months!

I love it when saving money can be so easy! Which of these tips, or do you have another tip, do you find helpful in cutting energy costs in your home? One USA reader will win one Porta-Jump Emergency Jump Starter $30

178 COMMENTS

  23. Considering my family really is bad with remembering to turn off the lights. And, we tend to live on the gulf coast and have our air running a good bit of the time, i’d really love to try the AUTOCHRON PROGRAMMABLE WALL SWITCH TIMER. I think it would be perfect for our family.

  44. Definitely the Porta-Jump. We’ve had to jump start my van 6 times just this month, and I had to miss work one day because no one was around to give me a jump start.

  46. Oh the Port-Jump is my favorite as this would be such a blessing to our family! I also really love the Love2Pet 2 in 1 Grooming Tool! That would be great for the dogs!

  47. The Porta-Jump Emergency Jump Starter would put my mind at ease. My daughter works at a fast food restaurant and get some late shifts. I always worry she is going to get in the car and it won’t start. This has happened at some point in time to most everyone, and yes weather is a big factor in PA.

  51. I like the Porta-Jump, especially since my car battery just died recently and I had to borrow my neighbor’s jumper cables for a couple of days, until I located mine.

  76. It’s making me comment again before I can proceed. So, here goes…
    I would like to have a porta jumper. It would be a good piece of mind when I’m out on the road, esp. when it’s so cold out.

  81. I would like to have a porta jumper. It would be a good piece of mind when I’m out on the road, esp. when it’s so cold out.

  98. I really like the Superlight Portable Rechargeable Fluorescent Lamp – Emergency Light. This would be helpful not only if you car breaks down – but, also for home use, if your lights go out due to storm.

  125. I could really use ths portable jumper. I’ve been places several times with a dead battery and have needed to call my hubby to come get me or get a stranger to help. Recently while hubby was in the hospital, battery died while I was in the hospital parking lot….I couldn’t get hubby to help cause he was in the hospital….literally sat in the vehicle and cried cause I was so upset and didn’t know what to do. It was miserable cold and no one was outside….I finally went to the parking valet people who radioed a maintenance man with the hospital who gave me a jump…. I could have used this then and I know there will be other times I would be able to use it. Thanks for the chance to win a much needed product.

    • Oops, totally forgot to finish answering the question…..since I’m pet mom to eight lovely dogs, including three rescues, I’m also interested in their pet product, particularly the no pull leash for one of my rescues. Thanks for the chance to win

  127. I sure could use one of these.. WonderPlanter Self-Watering Indoor Plant Container.. I seam to always forget to water my plants..

  141. I really like the Superlight Portable Rechargeable Fluorescent Lamp – Emergency Light. Thank you for the super giveaway opportunity. Keep up the terrific blogging.

  144. Which product would I like? I would like the Porta-Jump Emergency Jump Starter for the car. I would mostly like it for the security when I am away from home. You never know when it will come in handy.

  149. Seeing as we’re about to get a dog…I’d have to go with the Love2Pet grooming tool. I’m a trained vet assistant so I can clip at home, but the tool looks really nice to handle!

  157. I would love that self watering wonder planter. I never know how much or how little I should water house plants and often wind up killing them

  163. I would like the Comfy Puppy 2-Way Wooden Shoe Stretchers–never had any before. For energy saving yes, turning out all unused lights is a big one. I don’t use my dishwasher (except for storing plastic bags, lol) I limit hot water use and use the special energy saving light bulbs. Yep I’m very frugal or try to be. Always room for improvement.

  166. I would like the Porta-Jump Emergency Jump Starter as shown above. I live alone and have always worried about my car not starting. Owning one of these would give me peace of mend.

  170. Great tips, we do not yet pay for energy, but we hope to buy a place in 2 years. I have started to warn my spouse that leaving every single light on in the house is not acceptable!
    Mitch

  175. The AUTOCHRON Programmable Wall Switch Timer is great! I think that not only is it good for our home, but office too! I love this and will be checking into it further! Thanks!

  176. These are such great tips!! My hubby and I are always observant about the energy we use and have slowly replaced all our lightbulbs with energy efficient ones. It makes a huge difference 🙂 I love the idea of the Programmable Wall Switch Timer!

  177. I always make sure to turn off the lights and unnpluging whatever is not being used to help save money. Now, if only I could get my boys (husband included) to take shorter showers….

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