5 Ways to Save Money on Your Energy Bill Today!

It is nearing Halloween in Colorado and for those of us who have lived in Colorado for a long while think not of kids dressed for trick-o-treating but often how to modify a costume to keep the kids warm.  According to the National Weather Service in Colorado we have snow on the ground or flying in the air about 42% of the time between 10/30 and 11/1. So it is no wonder we have a perception that with carving pumpkins and candy filled kids, comes the thought of colder weather.

For most of us in Colorado, when the snow begins to fly it means that our electric meters start to see increased activity.  Increased meter activity means increased energy bills.  The rising cost of energy is what often sparks an interest in renewable energy alternatives to renewable energy action.  Renewable energy can help to offset your consumption costs and can be a great option for a family, a company, a school, etc.  Wind and solar options are often the best resources to consider when evaluating options. As part of your renewable solution, energy efficiency should be as much a part of your plan as a wind turbine or solar panels. In fact, many utilities across Colorado offer incentives to make your home more energy efficient.  Xcel Energy in Denver, currently offers an incentive for furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, etc. Mountain View Electric offers a similar program and includes appliance rebates. 

Making your home energy efficient will not only help you reduce your energy bill  it will also propel the effectiveness of renewable resources such as a wind turbine or solar panel system by allowing their production to offset true energy use and not energy  waste. So how do you optimize an energy efficient home, school, or business? 

Here are 5 ways to save money on your energy bill now:

1.  Insulation:  Adding insulation to your home can be one of the quickest and least expensive ways to make your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  Insulation must be installed correctly and the people at Home Depot can help!  They even offer this great insulation cost calculator online:  Click Here for Home Depot Insulation Calculator

2.  Seal Your Windows and Doors: Installing weatherstripping can dramatically improve the amount of energy waste that your home offsets, and is an inexpensive, do-it-yourself activity. You can buy weatherstripping at Home Depot or any other home improvement store.  Check out this video on how eas it is to install: Do It Yourself Weatherstripping

3. Buy Energy Efficient Light Bulbs: According to Energy Star if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an energy efficient light bulb we would save enough energy to power more than 3 million homes (yes that is 3 million) and save more than $600 million (yes, again $600 million) in annual energy costs!  The Energy Star qualified light is expected to last up to 8,000 hours or about 7 years.  So while they may be a bit more expensive than incandesent bulbs the smaller investment will have long term saving effects.  Incandesent bulbs use 95% of their energy heating the bulb not providing light! Try changing one bulb with an LED or Energy Star rated bulb when each of yours burn out and watch your energy bills shrink with a cost you are already consuming.

4.  Evaluate Appliances:  That fridge from the late 1960's may be costing you more to run each month than the beer and soda it keeps cold.  Approximately 8% of your monthly energy bill comes from your refrigerator and that number increments with each unit you have.  Appliances like your washer and dryer add up to about 9% of your energy bill.  Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot offer energy saving appliances that meet Energy Star guidelines.  Some stores and utilities will offer rebates for these types of appliances.  Just be sure to recycle your old ones most counties offer a program.  Cannot afford new appliances try washing clothing on cold water cycles instead of hot and save up to $150 a year!  Dry your clothing outside on warm days can save you up to $140 a year....This is easy math!

5. Go with the Flow:  Install low flow shower heads to reduce the energy used to heat your water. About 15% of the average energy cost comes from heating the water.  Try taking 5 minute showers and reduce the maximum water temperature setting on your hot water heater. A water tank insulation wrap can dramatically improve the efficiency of your hot water heater and usually costs under $20 at your home improvement store.

So don't be afraid of your energy costs this Halloween, take control and reduce your energy waste!  Happy Halloween!

How do you save money on your energy bills?  Write to Amanda.Thompson5280@gmail.com to share your ideas, thoughts, and even be featured in upcoming articles.