7 Ways To Be Energy Efficient At Home

On the advent of rising fuel cost and high increase of demand in energy production, a lot of power-generating plants are looking for more raw materials to convert to energy. As a result, the environment suffers from these industrial plants and at the same time, these power plants can dictate the price of generating and transmitting this energy to consumers' houses. And looking at our economy today, more and more companies are finding ways to eliminate high usage of electricity simply because it can cut down their cost to more than 40% of their total annual budget. 

Looking at an ordinary consumer with an average monthly salary, it is only imperative to cut cost in order to survive in this community. One way to do it is by cutting down the usage of our electricity.  When one decide to do this, there are a lot of benefits that will follow through. 

But the questions is, how do we do this? How can one be energy efficient at home? So here are 7 simple ways that you can contribute in greening the earth.

1.  Replace your OLD Refrigerator - The older the fridge, the higher in consumes energy to maintain the desired temperature. There has been a lot of significant changes in this industry in improving energy efficiency so that it can both benefit the consumers as well as the environment. Direct Energy spokesperson Lisa Dornan said "If you look at the top-rated refrigerator in 2001 that was Energy Star, and one that you would buy today with an Energy Star rating, there would be a 20% to 40% difference in energy efficiency" during a press conference about minimizing energy consumption. Her firm performs home energy audit and energy retailer. As a rule of thumb, when buying refrigerators, always look at the energy efficiency ratio (EER). The higher it is, the better. Also, anything that has a motor in you appliance set, try to have it replaced with newer models and make sure to check the EER.
   
2. Install programmable timers and thermostats - When buying appliances, make sure it comes with a timer or thermostat sensor in order to make it more efficient. This is helpful because it can minimize the usage of appliances when not in use. Best example is your air conditioning unit that can be programmed to switch on and off the time you leave your house and the time you come home so that it will not keep on removing the heat of the house all the time. 
3. Don't let the heat escape - Caulk your windows and door frames to make sure they are airtight. Also, try to install honeycombed-type shades in order to trap the heat before it goes inside your house.
4. Use compact fluorescent bulbs - this is a no brainer kind of suggestion. This kind of bulbs are very efficient and easy to produce. It can dramatically decrease your power consumption as much as $400 per 10 incandescent bulbs.
5. Change the filter of your air conditioner unit- this will help you AC units to function properly and detect thermostat changes in order to require it's machine to operate. This will also help minimize wear and tear on your unit. 
6. Invest in an attic fan - for regular homes, try installing an attic fan, it is more energy efficient and it can remove unwanted heat to make your house feel cooler. For people who live at apartments or condo units, try buying an energy efficient fan in replacement of your AC unit during the cooler season. 
7. UNPLUG all appliances not in use - even though your TV set is not switched on, by merely plugging it to the power outlet inducts energy thus increasing your bill at a certain level. Try unplugging unused appliances and switching off lights when not in use in order to cut down on the cost and minimize energy loss.

So these are some ways that can help you be energy efficient at home that can benefit you, your family and the environment. But before I end this article, I would also suggest to look for those power savers being sold at hardware stores. These are devices that cuts down the energy loss being transmitted in your home by reusing it in the system. These are somewhat expensive devices but when you look at it in the long run, it will help you cut down on your cost.