Homes are energy hogs. Sadly most are energy intensive and not set up for efficient heating and cooling methods. Although you can upgrade your current home to include more energy efficient features and appliances, that requires a lot of time and money. But there is a better way! You can use multiple energy saving tips to lower your bill that won’t burn a whole in your pocket. So where can you begin?

Service and repair broken appliances

Old, broken, or inadequately maintained appliances will consume more energy to function properly. As such, this puts more pressure on the appliance itself. Not only that, but this energy usage drives up your bills and increases the risk of more damage, or even failure. Carrying out regular service maintenance can minimize damage, lower repair bills, and keep your energy bills down. And it’s a hell of a lot cheaper to schedule regular maintenance than it is to replace an entire appliance because it failed. Things to consider getting checked are:

• schedule HVAC repairs annually
• have your dryer vents cleaned periodically
• get regular roof inspections

These are just a few of the most common things to look out for!

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Use Energy Star products – an energy saving tip

Now not every appliance is capable of being salvaged from a repair or regular maintenance. When that happens, you’ll need to invest in something a little more up to date. When you are looking to upgrade your appliances, look for those with the Energy Star Rating. To earn an energy star rating, the appliance must meet a strict set of criteria set out by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy. This means you can guarantee they are more energy efficient to use, saving you both money and energy!

Insulate your home

You can insulate many parts of your home to help you regulate energy and lower your energy bill. The most common type of insulation is cavity insulation in roofing spaces. While this is a highly effective manner of insulating your home and one of the biggest energy saving tips, it isn’t your only option. You can insulate walls, floors, pipes, tanks, and even ducts. You can also draft-proof windows and doors to eliminate energy, escaping to lower your usage and bills too. A third of your energy is lost through inefficient wall options, so investing in wall insulation can be an excellent investment, along with draft proofing and loft insulation to help you cover as many bases as possible.

Switching to LED Lighting is an easy energy saving tip

Homeowners and renters alike can save over $200 per year by switching from incandescent lighting to energy-saving LED bulbs. LED bulbs are not only better for the environment and consume less energy, but they also last longer. This means you don’t have to worry about replacing them so frequently, making them more economical. For example, the ones that we just switched to in our home are good for 20 years! For someone with tall ceilings like we do, I don’t want to climb up there to constantly change them out. This recommendation is one of the easiest and most common energy saving tip.

Have a “Turn It Off” mindset

If you think that keeping appliances plugged in doesn’t use energy, I’m sorry but you are wrong. Keeping unused appliances plugged in and switched on costs around $165 per year per household. If you find your energy bills are rising and you need to save money and reduce your usage, then ensure all unused outlets are turned off and unused appliances and devices are unplugged. The most common culprit is cell phone chargers. They can commonly be left plugged in and switched on for convenience. Not only does this damage your bank account, but the charger itself.

Use OhmConnect to get rewarded

This tips goes hand in hand with the tip above. There are reward programs for quite literally anything nowadays. Saving energy is no exception to this rule! OhmConnect connects directly to your energy provider, tracks your energy usage, and gives you opportunities through Ohm Hours to get rewarded. Be aware though, not every person has an eligible energy provider to connect.

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Ohm Hours happen frequently – especially during the summer. You will be alerted via email and/or text message for these Ohm Hours. In the message, they will tell you the date, time, and how much you could earn by reducing your energy during that time period. You are encouraged to turn off the AC, unplug unused appliances, and use this time to be as off the grid as possible. After a few days, your progress will be recorded and your reward will be given. You can use your rewards to cash out for your favorite brand giftcards or to cash out directly to PayPal. OhmConnect is a great way to save money both by lowering your energy bill and getting rewarded for doing it.

Use these energy saving tips regularly!

To conserve energy and reduce your usage, you can do many different things – from free actions such as turning off appliances to massive home renovations, to updating insulation and buying new appliances. But whatever you do, make sure you are making beneficial changes to see the savings add up!

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