Quick & Easy Energy Saving Tips

As energy costs continue to rise the monetary payback for time, effort, & money spent on energy conservation goes up as well.  This was brought to my attention as I looked over our latest heating bill and realized that the only place energy costs have to go is up.  I started doing some research and decided to run a series on energy conservation for the home while I’m away at a conference for a few days.  Below are the topics that I’ll cover:

• Home Energy Usage
• Home Insulation
• Heating & Cooling Your Home
• Energy Efficient Windows
• Conserving with Your Water Heater

Here are a few quick energy saving tips to get you started! Stay tuned for the rest of the series and help reduce your energy costs.

• Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating system.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.

• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.

• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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