The 3 Top Energy Savings Opportunities in Your Home

You need to save energy. Like, yesterday.

So where do you look?

Do you spend hours adding gaskets to your electric outlets? No! That only saves you pennies per year.

Instead, start with these biggest consumers of energy:

1. Cooling

If you can, simply run your AC less often. Installing a Nest smart thermostat takes a little work and pays off big. The company claims 20% energy savings, so the Nest pays for itself in just a few months. And then you reap the savings for years on end.

If you’re willing, raise your AC temperature. You can feel cooler without lowering your temperature by running your ceiling fans counterclockwise. They’ll help you feel 3-8 degrees cooler, without you having to adjust your AC at all.

To avoid running your AC at night, get bed fans that blow under your sheets and help your body feel cool.

If you’re feeling ambitious and have the money, install an entirely new HVAC system!

2. Heating

Cooling’s gonna suck more of your energy down here in Texas, but eventually, we have to use heating too.

Don’t use space heaters. At all. Ever. They’re grossly inefficient. If you absolutely need an emergency solution, run your space heater. But short of that, avoid ‘em.

If you must use a space heater, use one that radiates infrared heat. It won’t heat an entire room. But it will heat a region of your room, like a chair, desk, or bed.

To keep your heating bills in check, the best solution lies in insulation. Your walls and attic need the right amount of insulation. To check your attic, simply go up there and make sure your insulation rises to the top of your floor joists. You may need a contractor’s help to check the insulation in your wall.

Adding weatherstripping to your doors and covering your windows in plastic are the small, low time-cost things you can do to keep your heating bills low.

3. Water Heating

If you can’t afford the $5000 price tag for a solar water heater (which pays for itself in 7 years), make sure you have a gas water heater, wrap it in a blanket, and use as little hot water as possible.

That solar water heater, by the way, runs basically for free after it pays for itself in 7 years.

These three big energy drains don’t need to burn a hole in your pocket. And now you know how to handle each one of them.

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