Many Sarasota, Florida, residents cringe at the mention of the need to save energy when having to confront the thought of miserable days spent in hot, stuffy houses. Thankfully, current advances in technology allow us to conserve energy while improving the
Many Sarasota, Florida, residents cringe at the mention of the need to save energy when having to confront the thought of miserable days spent in hot, stuffy houses. Thankfully, current advances in technology allow us to conserve energy while improving the comfort of our own homes and creating a healthier living environment. For youngsters with health concerns, the quality of the air indoors and the absence of drafts are important factors to take into consideration. Modern energy-efficient appliances and upgrades give you more control over your environment and also often come with fun perks such as user-friendly technology.
Outline an Energy-Conservation Plan
To have your energy-saving efforts work for your family in the long-run, you need to first develop and incorporate a good plan consisting of daily actions combined with practical upgrades around the house. Identify energy-conservation habits that you can start implementing into your daily routines as a family and choose ones that work for your family’s lifestyle to make it more enjoyable. If certain practices – such as keeping the temperature in your house a little higher during hot summers – make you miserable, then focus on energy efficient upgrades that will result in less energy usage.
Upgrade Your Lighting
The easiest and fastest way to start saving energy is to upgrade your outdated home lighting with compact fluorescent lights (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED) lights. Although CFL and LED lights do indeed cost more than standard light bulbs, they use 25 percent to 75 percent less energy. They also last up to 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs, which means that you’ll be saving more in the long-term. To improve efficiency, convenience, and safety of your home, consider dimmer switches or motion detection lighting. Even though these upgrades may be small, you’ll see a drastic change.
Improve Your Window Treatments
Be sure to inspect your windows and consider their size and orientation to the sun. Typically, windows do not insulate very well and, in turn, can cause your house to lose heat when it’s cold outside or to accumulate heat when it’s warmer. Various window treatment options can help you save energy and can also help make your home’s interior more appealing with items such as layered draperies, awnings, and shutters. During hotter periods, it’s a good idea to close drapes or blinds on sun-facing windows and to open windows during cooler nights to enable air ventilation.
Fine-Tune Your Water Heater
Your water heater could take up to 25 percent of your household’s energy total without you even realizing it. To bring your energy bill down, try switching to low-flow shower heads and aerators, take shorter showers, or reduce the temperature of your water. If your water heater is over 10 years old, it’s good to consider replacing it. Those who cannot fathom how to conserve water with little people in the house can save their time and energy by using a dishwasher. Washing your clothes in cold water on the shortest cycle can also help you save energy.
Utilize Your Appliances and Electronics Properly
With the number of electronics in our lives, the energy usage for powering them is enormous. What makes things worse is the energy they consume in standby mode. The best efficiency u