There’s a lot of emphasis being placed these days on “energy-efficiency”.  In fact, we talk about it all the time in our blogs.   Being energy efficient means lower energy bills and, usually, greater comfort.  But what can the average homeowner do to be more energy efficient?  Reducing electricity use is a key factor.  There are many ways you can reduce electricity use in your home and help minimize your energy bills.

You can reduce electricity use by focusing on where and how you use electricity in these 4 areas:

• Appliances and electronics- If you live in a typical U.S. home, your appliances and home electronics are responsible for about 20% of your energy bills.  Shopping for energy efficient appliances and electronics is a smart idea.  Be sure to compare EnergyGuide labels and look for ENERGY STAR products.

One note:  Purchasing these appliances may even qualify you for a mail-in rebate.  Until April 19, 2010, the state of Florida offered residents a 20% rebate off the price of a new ENERGY STAR qualified appliance.  Although the program’s funds have been used up, you can still get on a wait list in the event that more funds become available.  Consumers may also receive an additional rebate with proof of having recycled the old appliance.

• Lighting- Artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household’s electricity use.  Use of new technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50–75%.  You can reduce lighting energy use by selecting lighting that uses energy more efficiently, and by installing lighting controls.  Examples of these are dimmers, timers and motion sensors.
• Heating and cooling systems- Heating and cooling accounts for about 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homeowners.  When looking for ways to save energy in your home, be sure to think about not only improving your existing heating and cooling system, but also consider the energy efficiency of the supporting equipment, such as thermostats and dehumidifiers,  and the possibility of either adding supplementary sources of heating or cooling or simply replacing your system altogether.
• Electric water heaters- Water heating can account for 14–25% of the energy consumed in your home.  You can reduce your monthly water heating bills by selecting the appropriate water heater for your home or pool and by using some energy-efficient water heating strategies.

For those who have swimming pools, you know that heating your pool can consume a lot of energy and add up to high heating bills.  Installing an energy efficient pool heater can reduce your energy costs significantly.

We’ll talk more about these ways to reduce electricity use in future blog posts.  If you want more information about products and services that can help you be more energy-efficient, contact us.  We can help you get the best performance from your current HVAC system while reducing your energy bills.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about electricity use reduction and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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