Simple Ways to Reduce Electricity Consumption
- Use a clothes line instead of a clothes dryer, and wash only full loads of laundry.
- Close doors, insulate and caulk your home and, if possible, replace windows with double paned windows.
- Replace any incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting. CFLs cost approximately 75% less to operate and can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LEDs use a third less than CFLs and can last up to 30,000 hours. Though LEDs are more expensive than CFLs they can quickly pay for themselves in energy savings and the quality of light is superior to CFLs. Because they are available in many shapes, sizes and light outputs, CFLs and LEDs can be used virtually anywhere.
- Replace current appliances with Energy Star appliances. Products that have earned the Energy Star have met energy efficiency guidelines that have been set by the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Department of Energy. Not only are Energy Star appliances available, but also home electronics and office equipment such as TVs , computers, and printers. When replacing old equipment or buying new appliances, always look for the Energy Star label for optimum energy efficiency.
- Reduce phantom loads. A phantom load is any appliance that continues to use energy in stand by mode. Common phantom loads may include TVs, VCRs, stereo equipment or any other appliances that may utilize a remote control. Clock radios, or any items with a clock or timer built in, such as a microwave, can be considered a phantom load as well. Connecting these types of appliances to a power strip and turning the power strip off when items are not in use can reduce the amount of energy spent on phantom loads.
- Replace current hot water heater with an on demand hot water heater or a Solar Hot Water (SHW) system. Standard tank type water heaters store heated water throughout the day. When the water in the tank cools down, more electricity is needed to reheat the water again. As an on demand hot water heater heats water only when you require it, it can save up to 20% on power consumption. Although solar water heaters can supply 100% of a household’s needs, in most cases, the quickest payback is realized from sizing the system to provide 50 to 90% of the load. People in the U.S. may use an average of ten to twenty gallons of hot water per day per person. An SHW rule of thumb is one square foot of solar collector will heat two gallons of water on a sunny day.
For every $1 you spend on efficiency you will save $3 - $5 on renewable energy system costs!
