Energy costs make up a significant portion of the average household budget. Whether you’re looking to shrink your energy usage to reduce your utility bills or limit greenhouse gas emissions, small changes in habits, simple DIY home improvements, and intelligent purchasing tips can all have a significant impact.
Upgrade Your Appliances
Water heaters consume more energy than any other appliance in the home and are typically responsible for one of the highest residential energy bills. Homeowners can reduce their water usage and lower their energy bills by implementing a few simple energy-saving upgrades. Installing low-flow shower heads and toilets, limiting the thermostat temperature on water heaters (typically pre-set to temperatures that are too hot for human skin), using colder settings on washing machines, taking shorter showers, and installing heat traps can all decrease energy usage and save money. Also, consider purchasing an energy-efficient model if it’s time for new residential water heaters San Francisco, CA. The ENERGY STAR website offers buying guides to help you select a model based on type, energy source, tank or tankless, and other features. And many municipal utilities offer rebates on ENERGY STAR-certified appliances and water heaters. There’s never been a better time to make your home energy efficient. Start tracking your energy usage today to see the difference your efforts can make.
Turn Down the Thermostat
One of the most important things people can do when saving energy is to lower their thermostats. This may seem simple, but it can dramatically affect the money spent on home energy costs. To save the most energy, it is recommended that you set your thermostats back 8-15 degrees during the times of the day when you are not in the house (known as “setbacks”). Initially, this may sound cold and uncomfortable, but this practice will help you reduce your energy consumption by up to 10% a year. If you find lowering your thermostat too tricky, consider getting a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts your temperature. This will give you the best results and ensure that the temperature is lowered during those unoccupied periods of the day when your utility offers off-peak rates.
Insulate the Tank and Pipes
Insulating your home’s hot and cold water pipes can prevent them from freezing during cold snaps, leading to a colossal mess and expensive repairs. It can also save you money on your energy costs and reduce condensation around the pipes. This easy and inexpensive DIY project is worth the investment. You can find foam insulation at most hardware stores, such as neoprene or polyethylene foam sleeves that come pre-molded and have self-sealing seams. You can also find coil insulation that you wrap around the pipes. Once you’ve chosen your insulation materials, measure the length of your pipes and ensure the sleeves or insulation are the correct size to fit comfortably. Insulating your piping can help hot water reach the faucet about 2-4 degrees warmer and decrease household energy consumption. It can also help you avoid costly repairs caused by frozen pipes and reduce noise from dripping or banging pipes.
Install a Heat Trap
Installing a heat trap is another easy-to-install DIY project that can save homeowners significant money on electricity bills. Heat traps reduce energy waste by minimizing the times’ water heaters have to turn on and off to reheat hot water. You can purchase nipple kits for most water heaters at hardware or plumbing supply stores. Before you start any work, make sure that you turn off the power or gas to your water heater at the breaker box and use a non-contact circuit tester to ensure that all the power has been cut. While most heat traps are dielectric, they can sometimes experience blockage due to sediment buildup or algae growth in the pipes. This can cause reduced water flow and may require cleaning or repair. Leaks can also occur if the heat traps are not appropriately installed or suffer wear and tear over time. In some cases, these leaks may require the replacement of a heat trap.