You probably didn’t even realize you were doing these things that increase your monthly energy usage, but it’s true! Check out our list below for three quick and easy fixes that will save you money on your utility costs.
You’re keeping your house too cold in the summer (and too warm in the winter).
78°F is the recommended temperature setting for your thermostat in the summer. 68°F is the recommended setting in the winter. Every degree off from those amounts adds 3 to 5% to your heating and cooling costs! To put it simply, every degree below 78°F in the summer or above 68°F in the winter is costing you extra money. But fans of sweater weather, rejoice — the reverse is also true! Every degree below 68°F in the winter will save you roughly 3 to 5% on heating costs, but don’t go crazy. You don’t want your pipes to freeze.
You’re still using incandescent bulbs.
Switch to LED’s. They last longer (try 15,000 plus hours!) and save you $25 to $45 dollars in energy costs over the life of the bulb. LED’s emit 80% less heat than incandescent bulbs. And if you plug them in to a smart switch, you can program your lights to turn on and off automatically, streamlining your energy routine.
You’re washing your clothes in hot water.
Cold water cleans your clothes just as well as hot water, and it costs you less because you’re not paying for the energy to heat the water in addition to the energy to run the washer. According to Energy Star, 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes goes towards heating up the water. Only 10% is used to actually run the motor in the washing machine.
Bonus Tip:
Turn that water heater down to 120°F, which is a safer temperature setting to avoid accidental burns. Plus, it saves you money! Every 10° lowered from factory settings saves you 3 to 5% on your water heating costs.
