How Your Landscaping Affects Your Power Bill

Beyond boosting your home’s curb appeal, your landscaping can play a role in how much you pay for electricity each month. From lighting and irrigation to the plants in your yard, small landscaping choices can either add up to significant charges or significant savings. Read on to learn more about how your landscaping impacts your power bill.

Outdoor Lighting

Most landscaping lighting systems nowadays use LED bulbs, but outdated systems use incandescent or halogen bulbs. If that’s the case, it may be worth upgrading to LED because they use less energy and last longer. Solar-powered lighting is the most efficient choice of all because it uses no energy at all. 

Whether you choose LED or solar-powered landscaping lighting, it’s worth extending that option to pathway lights, porch lights and other outdoor fixtures. It also helps to put outdoor lighting on a timer to prevent it from running around the clock and driving up your consumption.

Irrigation Systems

When it comes to irrigation systems, the main energy drain is the electricity it takes to power automatic controllers and open and close water valves. If your water source is a private well or retention pond instead of city water, that pulls even more power to run the pump. 

You can conserve energy by installing timers and running sprinklers during off-peak hours. Early mornings are usually ideal since it’s before the sun’s peak and water lost to evaporation is reduced. Upgrading to a smart water controller can also help, cutting down water and energy use by up to 20%. And keep an eye on the weather, as watering during or right after it rains overwaters your lawn and wastes energy.

Shade Trees

Certain trees, like large deciduous trees, live oak trees and cedar elm trees, thrive in Texas and provide natural shade, which can help you lower your cooling costs. When planted strategically, shade trees prevent heat from the sunlight from entering your windows and being absorbed through exterior walls, reducing solar heat gain and decreasing the load on your AC. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, shade trees can increase your HVAC system’s efficiency by as much as 10%, significantly cutting down cooling costs.

Windbreaks

Just as large trees and even shrubs can provide shade in the summer, they can also serve as windbreaks during the colder months. They do this by blocking cold air and reducing building heat loss, which makes it easier for your heater to keep your home warm. This can lower the electricity you use to heat your home by 10%-25%, which also lowers your power bill.

From simple everyday habits to your landscape design, there are so many ways to reduce your energy consumption and save on your electricity bill. Prepaid electricity makes it easier to manage your home’s energy and identify areas to save in real-time. Learn about prepaid electricity plans from Pronto Power today by calling (844) 621-2852 or contacting us online.