3 Ways to Save Energy While Working from Home

While COVID’s winding down, we still don’t have any guarantees it’s coming to a complete end. And many companies who have clung to working from the office only have been forced to change.

Some companies are itching to get employees back to the office. Others are questioning that and are becoming flexible with their work-from-home policies, even though it’s more than likely pretty safe to work from the office again.

So in other words, you may be working from your home, at least to some extent, for years to come.

The same could be true for your spouse too. That could mean higher electricity bills going forward.

Unless, of course, you follow these tips:

1. Set Your Air Conditioning to 75 – 78°

Wait a minute! What? How could you ever get that to happen?

Well, the truth is that most offices have their air conditioning set to around 72°. So you’re used to working at that temperature.

To make the adjustment, simply raise your air conditioning by one degree each day.

Each degree you raise the temperature gives you another 3-6% in energy savings.

Maybe you never hit 75 – 78°. That’s okay too. Just remember that every degree you raise your AC makes a big difference.

2. Use the Help of Good-Ol’-Fashioned Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans do absolutely nothing to cool down the air temperature in your home. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

Why use them?

Because the downdraft they create makes you feel cooler, even though the air temperature remains the same. So, you feel less of a need to turn the air conditioner to a lower setting.

Your ceiling fan should be set to turn counter-clockwise. This is the default setting. If it’s not, it has a small black switch on the side that you can flip to make it turn counter-clockwise.

In the cooler months, flip that switch and make your ceiling fan turn clockwise.

3. Tune Up Your HVAC System

Don’t want to hire a pro?

No problem. You can do the simple maintenance necessary for your air conditioner to run as efficiently as possible.

First, change the air filter. Clear the condensate drain and use a solution of 50% bleach/50% water to clean the access point so mold and mildew don’t grow.

Remove any grass, weeds, or shrubbery from near your home’s outdoor AC unit. Check your ductwork for leaks and seal it with mastic tape (not duct tape).

Finally, clean your outside evaporator coil.

These are all simple tasks…even if you don’t fancy yourself a handyman. YouTube has plenty of videos that can help you out if you get stuck.

There’s a reason all these tips revolve around your HVAC system: it’s far and away the number one consumer of energy in your home.

So that’s where you’ll get the biggest savings for the least effort.

Anyway, if you end up working from home on a longer-term basis, this is a sound plan for saving energy.