Seven Ideas for Extra Home Energy Savings

There are so many ideas for energy savings that there are solutions for almost any home out there. Even if you’re already doing the basics; turning off lights, using energy efficient appliances, you can always try to save more energy and money. Here are ten ideas recommended by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy that we haven’t looked at here before.

1. Replace any older windows with energy efficient windows OR at the very least caulk leaky windows.
2. If you’ve got a waterbed, make sure you make the bed daily. Simply covering a waterbed up can save you one-third of the energy it typically uses.
3. Insulate any hot water pipes and ducts that run through unheated areas.
4. When buying a new dishwasher look for a no-heat drying feature which uses fans powered by room air vs. electricity.
5. You should routinely look at your energy and utility bills to see which areas you could be doing better in. Some homes are energy guzzlers, but do ok with water conservation. You won’t know how your home is doing if you always pay the bill without stopping to think.
6. Your heating and cooling systems need to be tuned up twice a year to keep them running at maximum performance.
7. All those little cracks in your house can add up to the energy lost through, say a door kept open 24/7. Go through the house and check for all those tiny cracks. Seal up the largest air leaks in your home first (i.e. you can hear them leaking on windy days). The largest cracks are usually found near utility cut-throughs for pipes (”plumbing penetrations”), gaps around chimneys, recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and in unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.