Homes in the United States are a major source of wasted energy. It is easy to ignore your impact as an individual homeowner, but remember that an inefficient home is a more expensive one. There are plenty of ways to be more environmentally conscious, such as installing low-flow shower heads and only running your dishwasher when you’ve got a full load. But you should also look at your energy consumption to make sure that you’re being environmentally responsible and financially frugal.
If your home is currently using incandescent bulbs, you have the perfect opportunity to upgrade, reduce your energy consumption, and enjoy some long-term savings on your energy bill. Switch to residential LEDs, which use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. If LEDs are widely adopted in homes, they will save about 348 TWh of electricity by 2027. This is the same energy output as 44 large electric power plants.
You should also look at smart technology upgrades to improve your home’s efficiency. For example, a smart thermostat optimizes your energy usage to help lower your operating costs, among other benefits. If you set your thermostat back by seven to 10 degrees at least eight hours a day, you’ll save up to 10 percent on your heating and cooling costs. With a smart thermostat, raising and lowering the temperature can be automated around your time at work or school. Read about these and other energy-mindful upgrades that will save you some cash in the infographic below.
