Happy Halloween! Or should we say Energyween! October is National Energy Awareness Month which means it’s a great time to share how you can optimize your savings with some scary good energy efficiency tips.
Energy efficiency is an important step towards lowering your electric bill. When adding solar to that equation, the two go hand-in-hand. At SunFarm Energy, we pride ourselves on helping our customers find the best solar solution to fit their lifestyle, and that means we consistently recommend energy efficiency upgrades. Check out some tips below and see how you can tame your haunted house.
1 Unplug Energy Vampires
Energy vampires can lurk around every corner of your home and suck electrical power from various appliances when they aren’t in use. Did you know that leaving your phone charger plugged in after you disconnect your phone can consume 0.26 watts of energy? There are plenty of items that might be sucking extra electricity including fans, computer chargers, or kitchen appliances. When you take stock of all the possibilities, it’s easy to see how these energy vampires could be adding an extra 10 percent to your utility bill every month!
If you have extra appliances or electronics that you don’t use as often, unplug them until they’re needed. You can also connect appliances to power strips that allow you to toggle power on and off. Using a power strip can help you control clusters of devices at once. Plus, you can even connect a strip to a light switch that controls an outlet to make this step even easier.
2 Light the Night with Indoor LED’s or Outdoor Solar Lighting
Banish creatures lurking in dark corners by upgrading to LED lights for your home. LED bulbs can help you save money on your electric bill – almost $1,000 alone over a 10-year period! Plus, LED lights have a longer lifespan which means you can keep those creatures at bay even after Halloween.
Adding solar lighting to your outdoor area can also help bring down your utility bill. In addition, solar lighting systems require little maintenance and are available in a variety of styles. Keep your patio area or front porch lit for those trick-or-treaters with the power of renewable energy.
3 Seal Windows and Doors to Prevent Drafty Ghosts
Keep those invisible drafts at bay by sealing windows and doors to prevent cold or warm air from seeping in. While we may be less concerned about colder air here in Northwest Florida, sealing off leaky air-flow areas can also help keep A/C costs down.
You may even consider a larger upgrade by adding spray-foam insulation to your attic. Spray foam changes the building envelope and insulates the home from higher temperatures from the top down. Your attic is usually 10-20 degrees hotter than the rest of your home because of direct sunlight on the roof. Managing temperatures in the attic with spray foam means you can reduce cooling loads elsewhere.
4 Upgrade Your Haunted House to a Smart House
Haunted by old appliances or out-of-date heating or A/C systems? Consider replacing them with Energy Star devices. Look for the Energy Star seal to ensure lower standby consumption, and less energy use in general. You can also switch to a smart thermostat that learns your schedule and programs itself to save energy in the home.
Looking for more scary good tips? Check out our post on Energy Efficiency in the Sunshine State. Plus, check out our feature on Porch.com!
Happy Energyween!