Why Save Energy?
As everything continues to become more expensive and global temperatures continue to rise, it is more important than ever to strategize a plan to conserve energy and save on your electricity bill. For that reason, we've created the ultimate energy saving guide, full of tips to save you money without giving comfort up.
Table of content
1. Don't Forget Your Fans
An often forgotten addition to a home cooling system, a fan can be a great way to help you cool off your space and save you money. Making a small investment in a few box, ceiling, or stand fans can help circulate air around your space and will allow you to raise the thermostat temperature by up to 4°F, without affecting your comfort.
It's important to note that fans help cool you through the wind chill effect and not by cooling the air, so don't waste extra energy and remember to turn them off when you leave the room.
2. Configure Your Thermostat
Possibly the best way to save money on your energy bill is by adjusting the temperature setting on your thermostat. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), making a simple change like adjusting your thermostat setting by about 7°F to 10°F, hotter in the summer and colder in the winter, can result in energy cost savings of up to 10% each year.
The closer you can make the indoor temperature to the outdoor temperature, the lower your cooling and heating will be and the bigger your savings. As a good rule of thumb, you should set your thermometer to around 78°F during the summer and 65°F - 70°F during the winter. If you'll be away from your home during the day, you can set the temperature even higher during the summer, or lower during the winter, to get some extra cost savings.
Another change you can make during the winter is setting your thermostat setting even lower than the previously suggested temperature, somewhere around 60°F - 65°F. This will not only save you some extra money, but may even improve the quality of your sleep.
To make this whole process simpler, we'd recommend using a smart thermostat so you can program these temperature changes in advance. Once you set it, you can forget it. If you have a mini split, you can use the MRCOOL SmartHVAC app.
3. Get Your Insulation Right
If you want an easy and cost efficient way to save energy and reduce your electricity bill, then you should consider adding weather stripping to your doors and windows. Additionally, you can use caulk to plug any holes and fill in any gaps. Doing these two things will help reduce the amount of heat entering your home in the summer and leaving your home in the winter.
If you'd like to add another affordable layer of insulation, you can consider adding curtains or blinds to your windows. If you already have curtains or blinds installed, then take a quick stroll around your home and make sure you close or semi-close them. This is especially helpful during the summer, to minimize the amount of light and heat coming into your house.
If you have a larger budget to work with, you can upgrade the insulation in your walls, basement, attic, and crawl space. The Department of Energy (DOE) has a great guide on the various types of insulation and which ones to use for different scenarios.
4. Optimize Your Appliances
If you're serious about cutting down your energy bill, then upgrading your A/C and appliances is definitely the way to go. Heating and cooling makes up almost 50% of your energy bill so investing in an efficient system will likely have that largest impact on your mission to save energy.
When filtering through A/C systems and appliances, pay special attention to Energy Star Certified Systems. These E-Star certified products, like some of the MRCOOL 4th Generation DIY Mini Splits, have been specifically backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for meeting and exceeding their standards for energy efficiency.
More specific to air conditioning systems, units with high SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and EER2 (Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings are also good options to consider when looking for energy efficient replacements for your current A/C system. These systems might be a little pricier upfront, but they can be up to 15% - 20% more efficient than normal models.
If going on an appliance shopping spree is out of your budget, however, then you can definitely try some of our tips on how to optimize the appliances you already have at home.
Air Conditioner
To keep your air conditioner running as efficiently as possible, make sure you regularly clean or replace your air filter. A dirty air filter will limit the amount of air your A/C can cool and will make it work harder than it needs to, wasting more energy.
If you own a MRCOOL mini split, opting in for the MRCOOL Care Program, or purchasing a MRCOOL Care Kit, is a great option to make sure that your mini split system is always running as efficiently as possible.
Washer
When washing clothes, there are three changes you can make to ensure that your laundry is being done in the most energy efficient way possible:
- Ensure you are washing full loads of laundry to reduce the number of wash cycles you perform.
- Reduce the amount of energy used to heat the water to your home by turning your water heater setting down to 120°F.
- Run your washing machine during off-peak electrical hours. It is important to note that off-peak hours fluctuate from region to region, so it is important to do some research on your specific area to get the most accurate information.
Dryer
To save energy with your dryer, you want to make sure you don't over dry your clothing. Most modern dryers include a moisture sensor to help prevent this mistake.
Additionally, you need to make sure to clear your lint filter after every drying cycle you complete. Failing to do this can lead to overheating and inefficient drying of your clothing.
A lesser known trick to save energy with your dryer is to separate heavier garments and towels from your light-weight clothing. Heavier garments and towels tend to take longer to dry, so separating them will allow both the heavy-weight and light-weight loads to dry more efficiently, despite running the dryer twice.
Refrigerator
Your refrigerator and freezer are key to keeping your food cold and fresh. If you apply a few tips, you can help it do just that while saving you energy and money on your electricity bill.
- Make sure your refrigerator and freezer doors have tight seals.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as you can.
- Position your fridge away from direct sunlight and as far as way from the oven as possible.
- Try to always keep your fridge and freezer 2/3 of the way full to reduce the amount of air it needs to cool.
- Set the refrigerator thermostat between 35°F and 38°F and the freezer thermostat between 0°F and 5°F.
Dishwasher
Other than buying water efficient dishwashers, we recommend only running your machine when it is completely full. This will reduce the amount of times you run the machine and give you the most bang for your energy buck.
If you own a modern dishwasher, you can also run it on ECO mode, which will greatly reduce the amount of water and energy it uses.
If your machine doesn't have an ECO mode, try adjusting the temperature setting of the machine. Turning the temperature setting down will reduce the amount of energy your machine needs to heat the water.
5. Keep Your A/C Clean
Keeping you A/C clean through regular servicing and maintenance is a great way to keep it heating and cooling optimally. Make sure to change your filter when needed and refer to the owner's manual of your system to learn more about it's specific maintenance requirements.
As mentioned before, MRCOOL mini split owners can opt in to the MRCOOL Care Program or purchase a MRCOOL Care Kit, which were designed to help you keep your mini split system clean and working optimally.
6. Change Your Lights
When thinking about how to save energy, you might make the mistake of overlooking your lightbulbs. These little guys can not only be optimized to consume less energy, but they can also make it so they produce less heat.
When considering new lightbulbs, we recommend you shop LED instead of fluorescent and incandescent. LED lights consume far less energy than its counterparts, about 90% less energy than fluorescent lights and 80% less than incandescent lights. When shopping for LED bulbs, make sure to look out for the Energy Star logo to ensure you're getting the most efficient bulbs possible.
Aside from their reduced energy consumption, LED bulbs also produce less heat, especially when compared to traditional incandescent and fluorescent options. In terms of energy savings, this means that your A/C won't need to work as hard when cooling your home.
If you want to take things a step further, you can install a dimmer switch to go with your new lightbulbs. This will not only help you set the mood, but will also reduce the amount of energy they consume.
7. Unplug
If you keep unused appliances constantly plugged in, it might be time to unplug them. Also known as energy vampires, these unused appliances will sometimes continue to extract energy out of your outlets, even when turned off or on "standby mode". By unplugging these appliances, like your coffee machine and stand mixer, the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates you can save up to $200 in electricity per year.
If the idea of plugging and unplugging your appliances bothers you, consider using smart power strips, which will allow you to achieve the same result with the flip of a simple switch.
8. Take the Cooking Outside
If you're trying to save energy during the summer, you might want to start cooking outside. Using your stove or oven can raise the temperature of your house by up to 10°F, which isn't great if you want your A/C running as little as possible. Instead, opt for cooking on the grill or use this as an excuse to go out on some extra dinner dates.
During the colder months, however, it might be smart to do the majority of your cooking inside. Take advantage of the extra heat coming out of your kitchen and allow it to heat your home. This will take some of the strain off of your furnace and allow you to keep your home warm for a fraction of the cost.
9. Pick a Billing Plan That is Right for You
Our last recommendation to save energy and money is to talk with you electricity provider about a better payment plan for you. Most electrical providers offer three plans: a Budget Payment Plan, an Average Payment Plan, and an Equal Payment Plan.
These plans allow you to choose how you want to be charged for your electricity; while some people may prefer to pay less in the winter and more in the summer, others like to pay equal amounts throughout the year.
Regardless of what you prefer, your provider can help you find a plan that suits your needs.
Make Those Changes and Save Some Money
With the tips we've listed out for you above, you now have the knowledge to achieve the comfort you desire for less. Whether you apply some of our tips or all of them, you are sure to see savings in your energy bill. If you found this guide helpful, make sure to share it with a friend who you think would benefit from our tips.
Want more tips and information? Be sure to read our other articles for free in our HVAC Academy.
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