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Do you want to make $150 extra dollars every year for the rest of your life? By doing these three incredibly simple tasks you can decrease your impact on the environment, decrease your energy consumption, and increase the money in your wallet!
Check out these three easy to do home energy saving tips:
Energy Saving Tip #1: Standby Power Reduction
Did you know that some electronics can use more energy when they are turned off than when they are turned on? To save energy and save money on your electric bills, install surge strips on your largest electronics. A pack of two power strips will cost about $20 and can save you $20-$25/year. When not in use, simply switch off the strip!
Energy Saving Tip #2: Switch to CFLs
One of the most popular energy saving tips is to switch your light bulbs to compact fluorescents, which use 75% less electricity for the same amount of light and last up to 10 times longer. A pack of 8 bulbs costs about $20 and will save between $30-$50/year, depending on how much you use them. Over the course of their lifetime, just by spending $20 now, you will have saved up to $500.
Energy Saving Tip #3: Wrap up your Hot Water Heater
The more layers you put on yourself, the warmer you stay. This same principle applies to your hot water heater. In general our water heaters are insufficiently insulated and will require less energy if we wrap them in a hot-water heater blanket. To see if your water heater has this energy saving opportunity, place your hand on the outside of the tank. If it feels warm, a hot water heater blanket will save you about $30/year, depending on the age of the tank and your water use. The blanket only costs $20 so why not go for it?
These home energy saving tips represent some of the best investment opportunities you can make. For example, the stock market historically has had an 8-10% return, where these investments have over a 100% return! Now that’s a decision that is smart both environmentally and economically.
