Top Energy Conservation Tips In Texas

By Author: Mel Joelle
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We all want to conserve energy, but sometimes it's hard to know how. In our hectic, always-on-the-go world, the best ways to streamline your power usage are also the most realistic ones. Here are some tips to help you reduce your energy consumption. Best of all, implementing these tips will also reduce your utility bills, allowing you to save money while you protect the environment.

1. Switch to CFLs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs represent the biggest advance in electric lighting since Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb. Replace each of the light bulbs in your home with CFLs, and you'll save money on your electricity bill. While CFLs cost more than old-fashioned light bulbs, they last much longer, justifying the added cost outlay. If you simply can't afford the CFLs, switch to lower-watt bulbs.

2. Weatherproof your home. Whether you're heating or cooling your home, efficient climate control depends on how tightly your home is sealed from the elements. There are countless places in your home where heated or cooled air may be escaping. Apply weather stripping to all doors; these thin strips of ...
... foam are inexpensive and easy to install. Cover your windows with clear plastic during the winter to prevent heat loss or during particularly hot stretches to stop that air-conditioned air from escaping. Contact a heating and cooling specialist to help you isolate the drafts in your home.

3. Consider trading in your current vehicle for a hybrid car. As more Americans use hybrid and electric cars, our national demand for petroleum products will decrease. Today, there are hybrids available in all kinds of sizes, all the way up to a hybrid SUV.

4. Purchase appliances with favorable ENERGY STAR ratings. Washers, dryers, microwaves, refrigerators�most consumer appliances feature ENERGY STAR ratings that let you know the efficiency of your new appliance. These yellow stickers also provide estimated operating costs and make it easy to compare different models so you will know how much energy you're saving.

5. It may seem odd, but your cell phone charger, your flat screen TV, your laser printer: they all draw energy, even though you haven't activated them. Set computers, monitors and printers to their energy-saving feature during work hours; turn off completely at the end of the workday. Remember to shut off printers, radios, coffee pots, etc. when not in use. Unplug recharging adapters for laptops and cell phones once they're fully charged; this saves energy and is likely to extend the life of your battery.

6. Give up just a little comfort. Set your thermostat lower in the winter and wear a sweater around your home. Set the dial higher in the summer and wear a sleeveless t-shirt to keep cool. While you don't have to give up your nice, hot showers, you should consider turning your water heater down a few degrees.

7. Close off rooms you don't need to heat all day and make sure that all of your vents aren't blocked by furniture or other items. You don't want your heating and cooling system to work any harder than it has to. Another way to increase the efficiency of your climate control system is to keep the intake filter clean, replacing it every month.

8. Light your driveway and landscaping with solar-powered lights instead of a set that is powered through your home. This isn't a huge sacrifice; after all, those lights are outside, basking in the sun all day long. Why not put the sunlight to good use? Here's another way: if you have a pool, cover it with a solar pool cover each night, as this will keep the water warm until the sun comes out the next day.

9. Give your home an efficiency makeover. Replace all those old appliances with more efficient ones. Go through the basement and touch all the visible pipes and vents. If they're hot, that means you're wasting energy and should wrap them with insulation. Paint your walls with lighter-colored paint. This allows you to use less electricity, as the light from one lamp will reflect more brightly throughout the whole room.

10. Be creative in coming up with new ways to conserve energy. Use slow cookers or toaster ovens (rather than full ovens) to cook meals. Cover pans or kettles to boil water and heat soup, it heats faster and uses less energy.
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