If you have an insulated garage door, that’s a great start for energy conservation. But why stop there? There are plenty of other ways to save energy and money in the long run by taking these steps:
- Upgrade your appliances: Energy Star appliances use between 10 and 50 percent less energy and water than their conventional counterparts.
- Change your lightbulbs: Switch out your incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which cost just a few dollars more. But you’ll save about $30 over the bulbs’ lifetime and they’ll pay for themselves in about 6 months.
- Install a programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat is an easy way to control your internal climate. It works by automatically adjusting your home’s temperature to your schedule. That means you won’t waste energy when you’re not home.
- Conserve water: It’s a simple equation–using less water will lower your water bill. And when you use less hot water, you’ll also see savings in your gas bill or your electric bill if you have an electric water heater. You might consider lowering your hot water temperature to shave some money off your water bill. It’s not good for your skin to take really hot showers anyway.
Saving energy and money takes a little work upfront, but you’ll discover it’s worth it after you get in the habit. What steps are you willing to take today?