| Whether you are planning to live "off the grid" and | | | | you incur a water cost, plus the cost to heat the |
| free yourself from energy bills or just "kick back" and | | | | water...and keep it heated.) And promptly removing |
| enjoy lower energy bills, the first step is always to | | | | clothes from the dryer avoids running the dryer again |
| understand your home's energy usage and employ | | | | to remove the wrinkles from clothes that have sat |
| good old fashioned energy conservation techniques. | | | | too long. (Dryers can be another double |
| The reason for this is simple - you can not be | | | | whammy...the electricity to run the motor, plus the |
| charged for what you don't use (in terms of | | | | cost of energy to heat the unit.) |
| energy...well this is strictly untrue if you are on a utility | | | | By intelligently regulating the heating and cooling of |
| company's budget payment system...but we'll pretend | | | | your house, you can also conserve energy and keep |
| for a moment that is not the case.) So, if you use | | | | your bills low throughout the year. For example, |
| less energy, your energy bill will go down. | | | | lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees F when |
| Makes sense. So...how do you conserve energy? | | | | you're home can save you as much as 5-10% during |
| It all starts with understanding your home, and more | | | | the cold season. And letting your thermostat go as |
| to the point, understand how you and your family | | | | high as in the mid 70's during the warm summer |
| use energy. Simple everyday activities, like turning off | | | | months will save you on air conditioning costs. |
| the lights when you leave a room really can add up | | | | You can realize even more savings by avoiding |
| to make a difference. Now that the holidays are | | | | overuse of the heat as well. For example, at night, it |
| here, not going overboard with the lighted | | | | isn't necessary to keep the thermostat at 68. Try |
| decorations (and those inflatable, light up decorations) | | | | lowering it even more, and just doubling up on the |
| can help. Of course, if you do go overboard (like | | | | blankets or cuddling up to your loved one to keep |
| many of us tend to) just mind the usage. There is no | | | | warm. |
| need to run them every night. If you must, run them | | | | Keep in mind that all these tips might help you save |
| a couple of hours at the most. Every hour those | | | | money on energy...but when it comes to saving on |
| machines are being run, energy is being used - | | | | your energy bills there aren't any guarantees. Why? |
| sometimes in mass quantity. And since you pay per | | | | Because every single home is different. Every single |
| kw/hour, this could really add up. | | | | situation is different, just as every family uses |
| Energy conservation doesn't stop there, though. Only | | | | energy differently. A family of 5 will use energy much |
| running the appliances such as the dishwasher and | | | | differently than a family of 2. This isn't a bad thing at |
| washing machine when full saves on both electricity | | | | all - it is just a fact of life. |
| and hot water. (Hot water is a double whammy - | | | | |