In the spirit of Earth Day this Friday, Siemens – a leading provider of energy efficiency solutions for homes – has shared the following energy conservation tips and facts families can adopt to reduce their carbon footprint and have a greener, earth-friendly home. They are small changes that make a LARGE impact on utility bills. For example, we all know about turning off your light and shutting off the tap, but did you know….
Thermostat
· Setting the thermostat to the highest setting will not make the house warm up faster; rather, it will just keep the furnace running longer.
· During the summer, a 5°F higher setting on the air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs; in the winter, lowering the temperature 3 to 5°F can save up to 20% on heating costs (about $180/year!)
Appliances and Electronics
· Appliances account for about 20% of household energy consumption (taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator).
· Power strips let you easily turn off multiple products with just one button to push.
Refrigerator
· After buying a new refrigerator or freezer, don’t put the old one in the garage or on the porch and keep using it. You only think you’re saving money.
· A 10° increase in temperature around your fridge can trigger 20% higher energy consumption; the refrigerator should be kept at 37 and 40° and the freezer between 0 and 5° degrees.
Landscaping
· Plant trees that lose leaves in the fall as they will protect your home from the summer sun and then allow winter sunlight and warmth to get inside.
· For shade from the hot summer sun, plant trees on the south, east and west sides of the home and to stop cold winter winds, create a windbreak with evergreen trees and shrubs.
Cooking
· If your food needs to cook for more than an hour, there’s no need to preheat your oven.
· Use an electric burner that is the right size a 6” pot on 8” burner wastes 40% of the energy.
(Disclosure: This is a guest post with all information coming from the company. I was not compensated for this post.)