How to Save Energy in a Challenging 2020

How do you save energy in 2020 and beyond?

Some tips are pretty darn simple. Others, not so much.

Here’s what to do:

1. Change Your Behavior

This one has the greatest impact on your energy savings. By far. And though easy to understand, it may be the hardest to do.

Remember the saying,”Old habits die hard?” Well, it was said for a reason: it’s true.

Truthfully, nearly every energy savings tip requires at least some action from you. And by your own consistent action, you generate a result over time.

Technology helps. But it can only do so much.

So basically, your energy savings boil down to your own motivation to save energy.

If you don’t want to take energy-saving action, you have to find a way to motivate yourself.

Perhaps you feel motivated to take that money saved and place it toward a vacation. Maybe you’d feel better erasing some debt or investing it.

Find your motivation. And watch your energy savings soar.

2. Do a Home Energy Audit

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ve heard us hit on this one before. To improve how you use energy, you need to understand how you use it right now.

You can hire a professional. Sometimes, utilities will offer home energy audits for free. And, you can do your own…even if you don’t fancy yourself an energy savings expert.

You could follow this one from Digital Trends or use the US Department of Energy’s guide.

3. Invest in Home Automation

Have family members not as interested in energy savings as you are? Recognize that technology can help you do what you already do a little better?

Then you may want to automate your home. Think a smart thermostat, light switches, or automatic blinds.

The greatest cost with this lies in the labor to install the equipment. So if you’re even somewhat handy, you could just do that part to cut your costs and decrease the time it takes for your home automation equipment to pay for itself.

4. Cut Your Water Heating Costs

Hot water sure feels nice. But, it sure is a huge energy consumer. You have four ways that you can use to reduce your water heating costs:

1. Simply change your behavior and use less hot water
2. Turn down your hot water heater’s thermostat
3. Insulate your hot water heater and the first six feet of hot and cold water pipes
4. Buy a newer, more energy-efficient water heater

For 2020 energy savings, those are the top things you can do.