Would you like to get the United States government to fund your home improvement? The 48 tips below will save you money and you can get uncle Sam to pick up the tab!
ENERGY Star appliances are certified by the government to reduce energy consumption when compared to non-ENERGY Star products. Replacing older appliances will reduce your electric bill by hundreds of dollars per year. 1. Replace your refrigerator. 2. Replace your Dishwasher (Older Dishwashers use 10 times the water and more electricity than newer ones). 3. Unplug your water cooler or upgrade to a refrigerator with a water filtration system. 4. Trade in your old freezer. Stand alone freezers built before 1980's will use more than $80 per year in extra energy. 5. Upgrade your air purifier. Inefficient air purifiers use 40% more energy than efficient ones. 6. Replace your old clothes washer. Newer washing machines use less water, less detergent and less power. 7. Recycle your old dehumidifier. Older dehumidifiers can use 15% more energy than efficient ones. 8. Kill Your Television. Energy inefficient TV's use 40% more power than those approved.
Computers and other media TV, stereos, etc can use an enormous amount of power. Newer media equipment is designed to use less power or to use the power it does consume more efficiently. 9. Replace your computer. Older PC's can use twice as much power as newer models. 10. When possible switch to rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries last longer and cost less per hour than disposable (one use) batteries. 11. Upgrade your DVD or Blu-Ray disc player to an ENERGY Star approved model. 12. Upgrade your cordless phone to an eco friendly one. 13. Get rid of your old converter box. 14. Use power management on your computers monitor setting. 15. When not using your computer, switch your monitor off. 16. Replace your old computer monitor. This will save up to $365 dollars in electricity costs. 17. Ask your cable or satellite provider for an ENERGY Star set top box. ENERGY Star set top boxes/DVR's will use 30% less power.
Reduce your convection footprint. The biggest energy expense in most homes is air conditioning and heating. Also, most homes will waste a majority of the heated and cooled air. Here's how to cut that down: 18. Replace your Old Whole house AC unit. A newer AC unit will save you $300 per year on average. 19. Replace your room AC unit. Newer AC units designed to cool one room will use 10% less power than older models. 20. Have an older boiler? Replace it. Newer boilers use 6% less energy than older ones. 21. Seal Windows. Air leaks will waste some of the heated and cooled air. A bad air leak can waste almost $1,000 per year. 22. Replace your roof. An inefficient roof is one of the largest energy leaks in the home. 23. Replace old windows. Old windows can cause air temperature loss in the winter and increase home heat in the summer. 24. Replace Your Skylights. Skylights can cause air leaks. These leaks will cause a loss of heated or cooled air. Upgrading to ENERGY Star skyligh ts. 25. Seal Outlets. Outlets can leak air. Air leaks cause an un-necessary increase in the overall heating and air-conditioning bills. 26. Wrap air duct connections with duct mastic. Most heating and AC systems will lose more than 20% of air between the HVAC unit and the vent. 27. Add insulation to your attic. Most attics offer inadequate insulation. Hot air rises, losing heat and increasing the cost to heat or cool your home. 28. Add insulation to your walls. The average home in the US lacks the right amount of insulation. By adding insulation to your walls, you can substantially reduce your electric bill. 29. Add insulation to your basement. 13. Install a programmable thermostat. A thermostat with a timer can cut your electric bill by half. 30. Use spray sealant to seal up gaps around electrical fixtures. 15. Spray foam seal around plumbing access points (like under your sink). 31. Replace your furnace. Older furnaces can cost you more than $150 a year to operate than a n ewer one. 32. Replace your older heat pump. If you upgrade your heat pump, you can receive a 30% tax credit. 33. Upgrade to a geothermal heat pump. Geothermal heat pumps are 45% more efficient and can even heat your water saving you hundreds per year.
Your home office is another major consumer of power. In your home office: 34. Upgrade your external power adapter. If you are using a laptop, you have an external power adapter. ENERGY Star power adapters are 30% more efficient than those not approved. 35. Unplug that printer, or all-in-one fax machine when not in use. Older all-in-ones use (copiers, scanner, printer) use 60% more energy than newer ones.
We live in a time of stretched resources. Water is among these, by doing the following, you will save a substantial amount of water (and reduce your water bill): 36. Replace your faucet aerators. Older faucet aerators will use more than 10% more water than newer ones. 37. Replace your showerhead. Newer showerheads can use less than half the water of older ones. 38. Upgrade your toilets. Low flush toilets can save you a huge percentage of your water bill. 39. Go Tank-less! Tank-less water heaters save 30% more power than tank water heaters. In addition to this, tank-less water heaters reduce the amount of water you use.
Lighting is a necessity. However, it can be a major drain of electricity. These tips save on lighting: 40. Replace old light strings (Christmas lights). Energy efficient LED Christmas lights use 70% less energy than older ones. 41. Replace your older ceiling fan. ENERGY Star light fan combination units are 50% more efficient than their counterpart. 42. Swap old incandescent light bulbs for CFL's. CFL's use 75% less energy than standards bulbs. 43. Replace your bathroom fan. Older bathroom fans use more power and are less productive than newer ones. 44. Use LED lighting. LED lights use less energy and last 25,000 hours. 45. Switch your most used light fixtures to low energy. This one tip can save you $70. per year!
Feed power into the grid! When you supply your own power, you will reduce your electricity bill to zero. When you create your own power, any unused power can be purchased by the power company. You can feed power into the grid by: 46. Go Solar. Solar systems are not what they used to be. Today's solar is not bulky and more efficient. 47. Wind energy. You can purchase small rooftop wind energy units that will produce enough power to power your home.
48. Finally, the last energy saving tip is to recycle. Be sure to recycle instead of throwing away. Many of the products above have toxic components (batteries, Freon, plasma) that require special dismantling.
Did you know that there are government funds available for these projects? You can receive special energy saving home refinancing, tax credits, and government grants to pay for all of the projects listed above. Click the link below for more information.
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