How can Denver Homeowners Conserve Energy?
Taking measures to conserve energy in your house will not only help you spend less money, it will also help you leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment. It is often an accumulation of many small measures that leads to sizable savings. Keep reading to see how you can conserve energy in your home and get more affordable bills in the future.
Air-Dry Clothes
With good weather in Denver, you are able to reap the benefits of air-drying your clothes as opposed to popping them in the dryer. Electric dryers will leave you with higher bills as well as be felt by the environment, and so finding ways to dry them outside when the weather permits will be a good place to start your energy savings. Use a retractable clothesline, which will ensure good exposure for your clothes to dry, or even put them on hangers and place these on your shower rod. An extra effect of this is that your clothes will also last longer.
Turn Off Unused Lights
Making sure to turn off the lights when you leave the room will give you extra savings over time. Talk to your family so that everyone gets in the habit, and you will soon realize considerable savings. You may also start using energy-efficient light bulbs which use less energy than regular bulbs. They can last up to 25 times longer as well which will save you money you would use replacing bulbs. It is an accumulation of many efficient habits that adds up to big savings in the long term, so while one action may seem insignificant, it will be considerable when combined with other measures you can take.
Keep Your House Warm
To help keep the use of air conditioning low, avoid opening windows during winter months to keep your house warm. Also make sure that there are no rugs, clothing, or furniture blocking your heat vents and air ducts. With the average family spending up to $2,000 each year on energy and half of this going toward warming or cooling homes, it is clear that air conditioning consumes a lot of power.
Adjust Your Thermostat
It is advisable for Denver homeowners to adjust their thermostats by lowering them when they are not in the house. They can also lower the temperature by five to ten degrees overnight, and realize good savings. Getting a programmable thermostat is another solution because you can simply program it to set certain temperatures accordingly. Air conditioning is a good place to apply energy savings, with 84% of homes in the US using air conditioning, which is more than all the other countries combined.
Unplug Electronics
You can get more energy savings by unplugging electrical fixtures that are not in use. This is because even while turned off, electrical equipment that is plugged in continues using electricity. Make your Denver home energy efficient by getting power strips that will enable you to unplug multiple devices that are not in use. You could also use batteries in equipment that has the option to do so. To get the most, go for Lithium-Ion batteries which have more than twice as much density in energy in comparison to VRLA batteries.
Developing energy-conscious habits will help you save a lot of energy in the long run, a little at a time. When you get your family to start practicing the same habits, you will find that you have lower energy bills every year after that. The fact that the environment also stands to benefit should encourage you to conserve energy, leading to a greener environment for generations to come.
