We all want to save money right?
The good news?
There are a ton of simple and easy ways to save Energy, reduce your utility bills and do your part to reduce your carbon footprint.
The info-graphic below does a great job of breaking down just how much money you can save by upgrading seriously outdated equipment, the average lifespan of major home purchases and some quick tips you can start doing today to save money in your home.
More Helpful Energy Saving Utility Tips!
While the above info-graphic does a great job of highlighting a ton of great information, There is only so much information you can jam into an image like that before it starts becoming too cluttered. Here are some other great money saving tips that didn’t quite make the cut.
Use cold water with your washing machine
Did you know that 80-90% of the energy cost of your Washing machine comes from heating the water?
The simple act of using cold water VS warm when washing your clothes can save you a nice chunk of change every year on your utility bill.
Embrace the power of the sun
Have you ever wondered why your car is 20 degrees warmer than the outside ambient air temperature during sunny days?
Think about that for a second…
We all know that the sun is capable of heating our entire planet and sustaining life as we know it here on Earth, but we often overlook just how much of an impact it can have in helping us to heat our homes in the winter or the simple fact that we can reduce our cooling bill in the summer by drawing our homes curtains & blinds.
Upgrade to LED bulbs
It’s no secret that you can save money by upgrading to more energy efficient light bulbs. If you haven’t already, we strongly encourage you to upgrade the 5 most used light bulbs in your home. The Department of energy estimates that the average household will save approximately $75.00 annually by making this quick change. Easily enough to pay for the bulbs in less than year!
Install water saving shower-heads and faucets.
We-Energies.com, recommends looking for options that are rated to use less than 1.5 gallons of water per minute.
The EPA estimates that you can reduce your annual water consumption by 3,600 gallons by upgrading to a water sense certified faucet and showerhead. Extrapolated out for the entire country, these combined changes would save Americans $3.8 billion dollars in electricity costs required to heat that water, and 324 billion gallons less water used each year. Truly staggering numbers.
Enable sleep mode on your computers.
Factory default power settings may be hurting your wallet to the tune of a few bucks every month. While it may not sound like much, It’s a quick and easy change to make and all it costs is a few minutes of your time! If you have more than one computer in your home, these savings can start to really add up.
For more information, check-out this awesome article by Mr. Electricity.
Is It Time For An Upgrade?
Did you know that simply upgrading your old and outdated appliances you can reduce your monthly electric bill, reduce your carbon footprint & save some serious cash along the way? Often times you save enough money over the lifespan of the upgrade, for many people it will cost them absolutely nothing.
I know, I know… It sounds almost too good to be true.
But the simple truth is, we as human beings have a difficult time calculating the long term consequences of our actions. We have been programmed to prioritize immediate savings/rewards over long term benefits.
Just to prove my point here, Let’s look at a typical american family purchasing their ‘forever home’ with a 30 year fixed rate loan at 200k, locked in at a reasonable 4.0% interest rate. By the end of those 30 years, the home will actually cost you approximately – $343,739. Source
That is an additional $143,000 dollars in interest alone!
The cumulative effects of that small 4.0% interest rate over a long enough time line have an amazing impact. Just like the cumulative effects of deciding to replace old and inefficient appliances in your home can save you hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars over the lifespan of your appliances.
Often times, saving you enough money to pay for the appliance upgrade entirely
Let’s say that as an example you picked up an old 1992 refrigerator at a garage sale for a steal at just $25 bucks. Now the 1992 year and prior fridges were not very efficient and cost $283 per year to run.
After 10 years your total cost would be: $2,855
Now let’s say instead you went out and purchased a brand new energy star certified refrigerator on sale for $800.00, which cost you just $90.00 to run a year.
After 10 years your total cost would be: $1,700
Holy shit is right folks! Just like buying a gas guzzling truck, investing in older, less efficient appliances is rarely the better play.
Bottom Line: Bite the bullet and spend the money to buy new. Used appliances are rarely ever worth the price. (even free!)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Over To You!
Is there something we missed?
Do you Have any helpful tips or tricks to save money on your electric bill?
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