Six Easy Ways to Save on Electricity Bills

By Graham H Smith

Did you know that there are some simple ways in which you can save on your electricity bills substantially? Well, it is those that we are now going to explore. But before embarking on that journey, it is worth taking note of two things. The first of those is the fact that the sums of money you stand to save in this way may not look large in the short run, but cumulatively, they can turn out to be rather huge amounts of money. And the issue of money aside, you also need to keep it in mind that by saving on your electricity usage, you are playing you small part toward the conservation of the environment. And this is important, taking into consideration the kind of environmental crisis the world finds itself in.
Here then, are the six ways through which you can get to save on your electricity bills:

1. Go for power efficient appliances: you should make power efficiency one of your major considerations when looking to purchase appliances. Don't just go for electric appliances that look most beautiful (but which are merciless power guzzlers). There is nothing wrong with appliance beauty per se, but it should not be the only consideration when making up your mind whether or not to buy an appliance. There are other considerations that need to be made, and one of those is the energy efficiency of the appliances. You may also have to make some courageous choices here - like the choice of ceiling fans over air conditioning systems.

2. Switch off appliances you are not using: it is irrational to keep on electric appliances you are not using (and this includes lighting bulbs). Yet, surprisingly, many of us have this habit of keeping the appliances always buzzing, even when they are not in use, thence costing us dearly - and needlessly - in terms of power usage.

3. Keep your electric appliances well serviced: when electric appliances go for long without being serviced, they become energy inefficient and prone to break downs. Avoid both situations by ensuring that the appliances are properly and regularly serviced as per the instructions on their packaging

4. Make your electric bill payments in good time: otherwise you stand to suffer the penalties that most power companies impose on those who make a habit of delaying in their bill repayment. These are unnecessary penalties, which you need not suffer, if only you can organize yourself just a little bit better. Nowadays, most power companies have systems where power users can make their bill payments online or through their phones, and there is absolutely no reason as to why anyone should suffer such penalties late payment penalties in this day and age.

5. Use energy saving features on your appliances: here we talking about things like the 'sleep' features on computers. The amounts of money you stand to save, in the long run, through consistent use of such features is simply amazing.

6. Go fluorescent: fluorescent bulbs are arguably the most energy efficient of all bulbs. Yet they don't cost substantially more than the other types of bulbs. Through their consistent use, you can find yourself having saved considerable sums of money you could have otherwise given out to the electricity generation company.

The use of innovative prepaid electricity service packages can bring down the consumption of electricity in households keen on conserving power.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Graham_H_Smith

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4505712

How to Save 30% to 50% on Your Utilities Bills!

By Denise L Jackson

As unemployment soars and the economy weakens, everyone is trying to save money. The last thing any of us wants to do is pay for outrageous utilities bills. If you pay electric, gas or water whether for business or your home, making these inexpensive changes in your home or business should save you big bucks! A home or business energy audit is one of the first steps in making your space more efficient. An energy audit also pinpoints weaknesses in your home and business and how to minimize or eliminate them. Our utilities bills have been increasing steadily for years now and with the economy and folks unemployed, helping to reduce cost is imperative. You can do simple things to reduce cost for water, gas and light bills.

#1 Flow Restrictors or Aerators on Faucets The top favorite tip will save you on water and heating bill and the cost is less than $5.00. Please run not walk to your nearest hardware store and start to add aerators to all of your faucets and see a mark difference in your utilities bills. Aerators reduce the water coming through the faucets by mixing it with air. The aerator acts as a sieve, sending a separating single flow of water into many tiny streams. This introduces the air into the water flow. Also because there is less space for the water to flow through, the water flow is reduced. The water pressure is maintained that is why you will not notice a difference in the amount of water coming out. You can also get an aerator with a flow restrictor. They are so cool because you can just flip the switch to stop the flow of water and flip the switch again to start it.

#2 Thermal Curtains Who could ever think curtains can save you money in the winter and save you money in the summer? Thermal curtains have insulations properties that lower heating cost and prevent drafts around windows. This saves money and is energy-efficient. People living in older buildings with older windows can continue to benefit from adding insulated linings to the curtains. If you happen to have single pane windows thermal curtains are a must have until you are able to purchase energy efficient windows. Thermal curtains are lined with a fabric that traps a pocket of air between the window and the curtain prevents heat from entering or leaving the house. Thermal fabric blocks light and muffles sound, ideal for a sound sleep. Thermal curtains are very stylish now and can be found in any department store.

#3 Seal Air Ducts You can seal all joints with joint tape and insulate ducts exposed to the weather. This could be a pretty big job since you may need to go into the attic but until you can get an energy auditor this will help. Did you know that a quarter of the energy used for heating and cooling is wasted through duct system energy losses? In many places in the country the ducts (and the furnace and air conditioning coils) are located in attics, crawlspaces, garages, basements and other locations outside the heated or cooled parts of the house. Ducts in these locations not only leak air to and from outside, but any heat lost through the walls of the duct (by heat conduction) is also lost to outside instead of heating and cooling the house. This combination of air leaks and heat conduction losses means that a great deal of the energy (and money!) used to heat or cool the house actually ends up outside.

#4 Efficient Lights Replacing Efficient lighting replacing has become the number one thing most households will do first in an effort to going green and saving energy. The old bulbs are the incandescent bulb which makes heat and very inefficient. In order to see a major difference in your light bill begin to use fluorescent which uses less power, longer life, and now the cost is relatively the same. The down side is the bulb contains a small amount of mercury so you have to follow manufacturing standards of disposing. We also have the LED lights which are brighter than fluorescent, energy reduction, and a longer bulb life. The downside they can be costly and you may have to retrofit your existing fixture. But in a manner of months the savings on your bill could equal the price of retrofitting insulation. As the days go by we are finding so many companies stepping up to the plate and training young people to retrofit in older homes and businesses.

This has jumpstart the economy in some areas like Detroit and California. Induction lights can be retrofitted as well and is best suited for high ceilings and hard to access places. #5 Programmable Thermostats A programmable thermostat is a thermostat which is designed to save you money and adjust the temperature according to a series of settings that you program at different times of the day. They can be called setback thermostats or clock thermostats. Heating and cooling losses from a building become greater as the difference in temperature increases. A programmable thermostat allows reduction of these losses by allowing the temperature difference to be reduced at times when the reduced amount of heating or cooling would not be objectionable.

Denise L. Jackson is a Certified Life/Career Coach and a Certified Green Consultant. She has worked in the banking and finance industry for more than 15 years training interns and new graduates. She decided to embark on a new career coaching teens and young adults and soon started Enhance My Skills, an e-mentoring/e-coaching online company preparing teens and young adults for the marketplace. Quickly afterwards she created Mo-Active Learning Series which is a series of workbooks that combines motivation, activation and skill building for the marketplace. She is also the author of Bringing Sexy to Green. For more helpful tips on how to save on your utilities bill please visit http://www.deniseljackson.com and sign up for a free e-book. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denise_L_Jackson Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6535054

Increasing Energy Costs Means Energy Savings in the Home is Critical

By Jack Bailey
Now is the best time for everyone to focus on lowering our energy consumption - and essentially energy costs - in our home. Energy savings in the home is essential to our environment and good for our family. Keep in mind that any energy saving that you can do will easily translate into savings for other day to day expenses. With the current state of our economy we are all looking for ways to save for now and for the future of our family. Cutting down on energy consumption is good for us and the environment.

You might be thinking that you practice energy conservation in your home. After all, nobody wastes energy on purpose, right? While that can be true, there are several small things that may have become part of your daily routine. You may not be aware that such things affect how much energy you consume each month.

For example, do you usually leave your appliances in standby mode? If yes, then you may want to change this routine to something a little more energy efficeint. Placing the appliances on standby mode still uses power. Try plugging your appliances into a power strip or a plug board and plug your appliances to this device instead. Whenever the appliances are not in use or whenever you're leaving the house, you can simply turn off or disconnect the plug board. This helps in reducing your energy costs, and at the same time, helps avoid the risk of fire.

Do you usually take long baths instead of short showers? Of course, taking a long, warm bath is a way to relax and soothe your tired muscles at the end of a stressful day. However, filling a bathtub increases your energy and water costs. Try taking short showers instead. This way you cut down on both your water and energy usage.

Do you usually wash a few dishes or a few pieces of clothing at a time? Full loads of both your dishwasher and clothes washer is a much more efficient use of energy and water. By washing full loads at a time, you not only save time but more efficiently use both energy and water. If you normally use the dishwasher to dry your dishes, try air-drying them instead. Most dishwashers have an energy saving mode that will allow dishes to air dry and thereby save energy. You can also apply the same energy saving mode to your laundry routine during the summer months. Instead of using the dryer, hang them outside to dry. Another real energy saver is the use of cold water for laundering your clothes. Most laundry detergents today are designed to be effective in cold water and they really do the job well.

These are only a few of the tips that you can use to cut down on your energy consumption at home. Remember that energy saving is a good practice for you and your family because it's good for the environment. Energy saving has the added bonus of saving your family money every day with little or no effort. Let's do it for our world and our future.

Jack Bailey is a freelance writer and green home energy enthusiast. It's Jack's goal to help home owners learn how to save money on their energy bills while they help make the planet a better place to live.

Please visit http://www.HomeEnergyAdvisory.com for tips on how to save big money on your monthly electricity bill; and learn more about how Green Home Energy can help solve the world energy problem.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Bailey

Easy Ways to Go Green Around the House

By Julie Collins

You don't have to be a complete tree hugger to want to go green. But now that it's becoming increasingly clear that global warming is a very real problem, why wouldn't you want to reduce your impact on the environment?


If the threat of global warming doesn't spur you into action, perhaps this fact will: Most of the actions you can take to green your home are easy. And while they save energy and other valuable resources, they also save you a little or even a lot of green (read: money). I'm not expecting you to go off the grid, start raising all your own food, or anything that extreme. These are just easy changes that can be made around your house now to make a big difference.


So, without further ado, I present to you The Home Know-It-All's Top 15 Ways to Go Green Around Your Home (in order from easiest to accomplish to hardest-although I'd say they're all pretty darn easy).

1. Unplug household appliances and electronics (like the coffee maker, toaster, and cell phone charger) when they're not in use. Even if they're not on, appliances that are plugged in use energy. In fact, as much as 40 percent of all electricity is used to power home appliances that are turned off!

2. Get the most out of your appliances by only washing full loads of laundry and dishes. Minimize how often you open the refrigerator too. And keep the fridge full-an empty fridge has to work harder to stay cool than a full one.

3. Turn down the thermostat in cold weather and kick it up higher in warm weather. For each degree below 68 degrees Fahrenheit you set your thermostat during cold weather (or above 78 degrees Fahrenheit in warm weather), you'll save 3 to 5 percent more heating energy. A programmable thermostat makes this step easy. And using ceiling fans can keep you comfortable even when the thermostat is set higher or lower than you're used to.

4. Bring your own (reusable) grocery bags to the store. Paper and plastic grocery bags are no good for the environment-in fact, according to Ideal Bite, about 12 millions barrels of oil and 14 million trees go into producing plastic and paper bags each year. Plus, reusable bags hold more than flimsy plastic sacks and are easier to carry around.

5. Replace burned out lightbulbs with CFLs. These fluorescent bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescents and last up to 10 times longer. You can save $30 or more in electricity costs for each bulb over its lifetime!

6. Remember the three Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle!). Note that recycling comes at the end of the list. The most important step toward going green is to reduce your consumption-buy less, and you'll have less to recycle. In the home, that means buying materials, furnishings, and other items that are well-made, durable, and long-lasting (in other words, go for quality, not quantity). Then, of course, there's recycling. Recycle everything you possibly can-plastic, paper, bottles, cans, you name it. It's important to recycle electronics, batteries, toxic household items, and more as well. Learn where to recycle at Earth911.org. Oh, and buy recycled too-all sorts of household items from carpeting to dog beds to paper products are available with recycled content.

7. Use green cleaning supplies or homemade cleaning concoctions rather than chemical ones.

8. Paint with no- or low-VOC paints the next time you want to repaint rooms in your home.

9. Insulate your hot water heater to save energy. Placing an insulative jacket around your hot water heater costs as little as $10 to $20, and pipe insulation is less than $1 per six feet. While you're at it, turn the water heater down to 120 degrees for more money savings-and to ensure no one gets burned by water that's too hot.

10. Plug air leaks around your house. Air leaks waste tons of energy, but they're easy and inexpensive to take care of. Simply install weatherstripping and caulk around windows, doors, electrical outlets, and plumbing penetrations to stop drafts. Check the attic for leaks too.

11. Stop using chemicals on your lawn and in your garden. One way to reduce the need for chemicals (and lots of watering) is to try xeriscaping. And while you're in the garden, check out natural ways to get rid of garden pests too.

12. Save water by installing low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets.

13. Select Energy Star appliances when it's time to purchase new ones. Clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, dehumidifiers, and more with the Energy Star label incorporate advanced technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models-and they work well too!

14. Replace single-pane windows with double-pane ones to reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in the summer. An added bonus: they'll reduce noise pollution too.

15. Purchase sustainable materials for flooring, furnishings, and other home items. Flooring materials such as cork and bamboo are growing in popularity because they're attractive, durable, and better for the environment than other options. Wood that bears the Forest Stewardship Council has been harvested using environmentally friendly methods-look for sustainably harvested wood furnishings, decking, and more. And check out TreeHugger's guide to green furniture for more environmentally friendly furniture options.

So there you have it. Ways big and small to go green. This barely scratches the surface, of course. So if you want to learn more about these and other ways to lessen the impact you, your family, and your home have on the environment, check out some of my favorite online resources: Green Home Guide, Lime, The Green Guide, and TreeHugger.

Lexicon Consulting, Inc
The Home Know-It-All

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Collins

Reduce Energy Usage - 5 Tips to Save Energy Around the House

By Rhonda Percell
In today's economy, many people are looking to reduce their energy usage and save money. You can reduce your electricity bill by following these five simple tips:

1. Use CFL Bulbs - Replace all incandescent bulbs in your house to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFL bulbs require less electricity and will reduce your energy usage in your home.

2. Wash Only Full Loads of Clothes - Reduce the number of loads of laundry you do in your home a week by only washing clothes when you have a full load. Even though many newer washers require less water they still require the same amount of electricity per load whether it is a small or large load of cloths.

3. Turn off Household Items - You will be amazed at how you can reduce your energy usage each month by remembering to turn off the lights when you leave a room, turn off the TV when no one is watching it, and especially turning off your computer monitor when it is not in use. These small changes will make a big difference in your energy bill each month.

4. Set Your Thermostat Right - In the summer set your air conditioner a few degrees warmer and in the winter set your furnace a few degrees cooler to reduce energy usage.

5. Unplug What You Don't Use - If you have gadgets in your home that you do not use but they have lights or a clock, unplug these items to reduce the amount of electricity you use. These small gadgets can add up to using a lot of energy over the course of a year.

So, as you can see, using these five simple tips can really help reduce your energy usage month in and month out.

And if you would like more information about reducing your energy bill or even eliminating your power bill visit our website at http://www.jrkfamilyoutdoors.com/greenenergy Sign up for our free newsletter and receive helpful tips and special reports about saving money on your energy costs.
By: Rhonda Percell - Wife, Mother of 3, and Owner of JRK Family Outdoors

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Percell