This week we went over the different ways to conserve energy using sunlight and rainwater, but if growing your own food and catching rain isn’t fitting for your lifestyle there are plenty of other things you can do to cut down on energy bills!
A quick fix that will save you money for years to come is swapping our your light bulbs! Switching from regular bulbs to LED bulbs can save you up to $1,000.00 in a 10 year span. By using a semiconductor to convert electricity into light LED light bulbs work 90% more efficiently than regular incandescent bulbs!
Unplug your appliances! Did you know that your appliances still use electricity even when not in use? That means the iphone charger plugged in next to your nightstand is still using electricity even when your phone isn’t plugged in. In retrospect it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when you have several appliances (toaster, coffee maker, etc.) plugged in and not in use this can add up to an extra $100-$200 a year in unused energy.
Washing your clothing in cold water can be a huge game changer for not only your clothes but your energy bills. While washing your clothes in cold water can help preserve the color and size of fabric, 90% of the energy your washing machine uses is just for heating up the water! Cold Water Saves does an excellent job of breaking down laundry loads and energy pricing here, washing in hot water costs around $0.68/load whereas washing in cold water costs $0.04/load.
Change your air conditioning filter monthly. As your AC gets dirtier over time it can make it more difficult for it to pump out air, which can even cause it to break down quicker. As a result you could save up to 15% on your utility bills.
Much like the sun, water also offers many opportunities that can save money and the environment. If you are similar to the vast majority of the population you don’t have a river or waterfall in your backyard to utilize a hydroelectric power generator (which can be extremely costly even if you do). These easy water hacks will hopefully give you a refreshing outlook on the power of water and what natural resources can do for you.
Rainwater has plenty of natural nutrients and is relatively very pure, a quick and easy way to cut down on your water bills is to use rainwater to hydrate your plants. In the solar portion of the series, we discussed the importance of growing your own food, now you can harvest healthier water for that food without worrying about a water bill. According to Good Earth Plant Company, rainwater will even clear out the pores on plant leaves, improving their ability to breathe in carbon dioxide.
Rainwater can even be used to water pets and livestock. Mass amounts of water go towards the upkeep and care of farm animals and wildlife, a dent can be made in this exceedingly large bill by collecting rainwater in cisterns!
Aside from collecting rainwater, there are several things that can be done in the home to conserve water and minimize your water bill. One of the biggest things you can do is make your showers shorter. According to Friends of the Earth, we use 4.5 gallons of water for every minute we shower, so consider setting a timer on your phone the next time you shower!
Save up your laundry! Hold off on doing loads of laundry and dishes until you have a full load. Running one large load of dishes or laundry conserves more water than running several smaller ones. Plus you get the benefit of not doing as much housework every week. Plus washing your clothes and dishes together is fun – just kidding, wanted to make sure you were still reading.
As the desire to utilize green energy grows, the tools to harness it expand as well. As the options continue to expand the price for green energy continues to drop. Anyone who has had the tiniest interest in solar panels knows just how good of an investment they can be for your home or business, but there is a high economic bar to get started. This series strives to shine some light (pun intended) on different ways solar energy can be used to save you money and save our planet.
A simple life-change you can do to utilize the energy from the sun is using a clothesline. This not only saves you the energy from using your dryer but is also gentler on your clothes and even removes stubborn odors embedded in the fabric. According to Efficiency, the sun even whitens your whites, acting as a natural bleach by sanitizinbg your clothes.
Another way to utilize the suns energy is through growing your own food! This is definitely a solution for those with patience and maybe a green thumb. Purchasing fruits and vegatables from a grocery store has a hidden environmental cost that we don’t always consider. Long distance transportation of produce contributes heavily to fossil fuel emissions, you also receive the benefit of knowing what you are spraying on your plants. You don’t even need a yard to accomplish this, just a few pots of soil, some seeds, and of course sunlight!
In extreme situations the suns light can also be used to purify water. When water is in a clear container and exposed to sunlight the UV radiation will eliminate any parasites, or bacteria! According to the Koshland Science Museum the water will need to sit for up to six hours in direct sunlight, and two days if particularly cloudy. While we might not use this hack everyday, it can save lives when clean water is not accesible.
An energy-audit is a great “tune-up” for your existing home. I have been offeringenergy-auditsfor free for people in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County now for about four years. My goal is to help people reduce their monthly bills by identifying easy to correct issues in their homes. I usually don’t hear back from them on the progress they have made, but I did on a recent audit which made my day.
From the home owner via email: After the first night with increased insulation in our attic, we want to say “THANK YOU” again for your insight and time during our home energy audit. Elite Insulation was over yesterday and the improvement to the warmth is noticeable. It’s the first time we didn’t have to use a space heater during the winter!
In this particular audit I did not find any BIG issues that should be fixed right away. I did notice that the attic insulation needed some attention and gave the home owner some other easy to fix items that would improve comfort. I like to also leave a list of companies that I trust to get the work done right if they are called. Elite Insulation is always the name I give for improving the thermal envelope of a home or business. They do good work for a fair price – what more could you ask for from your insulator?
I emailed Ken at Elite Insulation to find out what they did at the house to solve the comfort issue. He tells me that they added R-30 insulation over the existing 10″that was already there. Old insulation has layers of dirt and does not perform as well as new insulation so my guess is the atticnow has around an R35 – R40 blanket on top holding in the conditioned temperatures. While they were there they also added baffles to keep the soffits functioning as designed. This will allow air to flow above the insulation without moving the insulation around. This is not Ken’s work pictured below, but shows the soffit vent in action.
I am thrilled to hear from the home owner that she felt immediate results from the work that was done. Offering free energy-audits is rewarding in that I know I am empowering people with information they can use to cut costs and improve comfort. Hearing back from someone who has done improvements really makes it worthwhile.
I went out to do an energy audit at Massanutten yesterday. The home was clearly well maintained. It was 30+ years old, and was not showing signs of neglect. We took a moment to talk about their concerns and I learned they just wanted to make sure the home was in good shape as it pertains to energy efficiency. They told me about adding insulation in various places around the home. They talked about keeping the thermostat higher than normal because they like it warm. The talked about appliances that were a little old and had concerns they might have to replace them.
So it was a normal energy audit. They could probably cut their energy usage by 30% with a few minor changes and I gave them names of people who could help with fixing it. So was it worth my trip out? YES. I found two major issues for them that neither of us expected.
The two major issues we found doing an energy audit:
Their dryer vent was long, had multiple dips in it, and from a brief test, appeared to be mostly clogged in one place and had considerable lint build up in several other places. This can easily lead to a fire. So I asked them to have that looked at immediately.
The second major issue was multiple, more than 6, places in the attic that appeared to either be roof leaks or nests. A more fit energy auditor – like Building Knowledge – would have gotten up in the attic to verify the issue. Fixing this issue and adding a layer of insulation (while plugging the holes causing the problem) will certainly make their home more comfortable and eliminate any uninvited guests from living in their attic.
An energy audit is an inspection that looks at energy flow in a building. The objective of an audit is to identify things that can be modified to reduce energy usage and increase comfort and safety for the occupants of the building.
These audits usually involve a blower door that depressurizes a house or office and thermal imaging technology to see the thermal bridges and air leaks. The audit will also identify equipment, lights, and appliances that can be replaced or upgraded to reduce energy consumption.
There are common places that you can address without an audit to cut your energy loss.
In Harrisonburg for homes that use electric heat, HEC provides free energy audits. This free audit is performed by me and is a very basic level audit that will identify a litany of items to improve. If you do not live in the city, or do not have electric heat ,or own a commercial project, or want a comprehensive audit, you should call Building Knowledge.
