With some small adjustments around your home, you can cash in on big savings. Find out how to save money and energy with these five sneaky home savings tips.
Get a free programmable thermostat
Most energy providers are offering free programmable thermostats for your home these days. A programmable thermostat can reduce your energy usage and save big on your energy bill. Just program the thermostat to shut off during the day when you aren’t at home, and to click back on about 30 minutes before you arrive to cool down/heat up your house again. You should also program it to turn off an hour after you go to sleep. For maximum savings, keep the temperature at 68F or lower in the winter and 78F or higher in the summertime.
Buy Energy Star appliances
We all know you can save energy costs by installing energy-efficient appliances, but you can also get rebates and tax credits on them, too. Go to energystar.com and enter your zip code to find out what kind of special offers and rebates you can get on Energy Star water heaters, air conditioners, freezers, dishwashers, refrigerators and more.
Install a tankless water heater
About 15 to 20 percent of your home’s energy use likely goes to heating water. Traditional water heaters heat up and store hot water in the tank at a specific temperature. The water is there in the tank, being maintained at that temperature whether you are using it or not.
With a tankless water heater, the water flows through a heating coil and is hot in just a few seconds of your turning on the hot water tap. Because the hot water doesn’t have to be heated and maintained in a tank, tankless water heaters are more energy- and water-efficicent than conventional hot water heaters. Plus, they last twice as long (usually about 20 years) and are eligible for tax credits.
Switch to CFLs
CFL bulbs don’t just reduce your carbon dioxide emissions, but they also are cheaper and last longer than standard light bulbs. You don’t need to run out and replace every bulb in your house today, but as your old bulbs burn out, replace them with CFLs.
Put a bottle in your toilet tank
Install a low-flush toilet and put a 32-ounce bottle filled with water in the toilet tank. This will reduce your water usage with every flush, saving you money. Visit toiletrebate.com to find out how you can get rebates in your area on low-flush toilets, water-efficient showers, rainwater systems and other water-saving devices and fixtures.
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