Energy Saving Tips, Save Money on Utilities

According to Century 21 M&M Realtors, one of the biggest concerns for home buyers is the cost of utility bills. In fact, here in Central California, the cost of cooling our homes is a concern to all of us. So we thought we would share some Energy Saving Tips.

Energy Saving Tips are practical suggestions that will save you money. Detailed here are cost cutting suggestions are divided into three categories, no-cost tips, low-cost tips, and cost-effective investment tips that will pay you back over a period of time.

No-cost Tips are passive solutions that are practical, sometimes old fashioned ideas that cost no money:

• Turn off a light when you are no longer using it
• Take advantage natural light, just position your work station near a window and use ‘free’ light.
• Drink an ice cold beverage on a hot summer day, or, a hot comforting coco when you come in from the cold.
• Dress appropriately; add warm layers in the winter and in the summer, cool cotton garments that hang loose on the body are a great choice.
• Adjust your thermostat – Setting your air conditioner 5° higher will save up to 20% on cooling costs.
• Reduce air conditioning costs by using fans, keeping windows and doors shut and closing shades during the day. Most ceiling fans use less energy than a light bulb.
• Run your dishwasher and clothes washer only when fully loaded. Fewer loads reduce energy and water use.

Low-cost energy saving tips are solutions that require a minimal investment, however, they pay off big!

• Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs.
• Check for light cracks at your exterior doors. If you can see light cracks, you are loosing your climate-controlled air out of those cracks. There is a simple, inexpensive fix for this called weather stripping which you can install for about $10.00 per door.
• Check for air leaks around your windows. If you feel the outside temperature creeping into your home there are several inexpensive solutions to deal with this problem including weather stripping, caulking and window coverings.
• Check for attic-to-home air leaks. Seal around chimney and framing with a high-temperature caulk or furnace cement and at the tops of interior walls, use long-life caulk to seal the smaller gaps and holes. Use expanding foam or strips of rigid foam board insulation for the larger gaps.

Cost-effective investment tips sometimes cost a substantial amount of cash up front, however, they will save you money over time.

• Buy ENERGY STAR products when purchasing appliances or other systems for your home. These types of equipment have been tested and ‘seal’ approved, and are currently saving owners money on utility bills.
• Install Energy Efficient dual pane windows. Replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR qualified windows lowers household energy bills by 7-15 percent.
• Make sure that your attic has adequate insulation. For maximum energy efficiency, we recommend an insulation value of R-60 for attic floors – about 18 inches of insulation

Start today, practice one of these cost cutting measures, then add one tomorrow, and so on…and so on…before you know it these energy saving tips will take a bite out of utility bill expenses.

Call a Century 21 M&M Realtor today at (800) 350-1548.