Ohio experiences four distinct seasons, allowing residents to immerse in the cycles of nature. However, two of these seasons – summer and winter – can bring a toll on home energy savings.

The Buckeye state generally has a humid climate. While the short winter is freezing and windy, the long summer is both hot and humid. Living comfortably at home during these seasons would require a considerable amount of energy, which could spike monthly expenses on electricity and utilities.

While an energy-efficient house design is a perfect solution to save energy, it’s not easy to implement unless you’re building a home. Even if you are not moving to a new home anytime soon, you can still achieve power efficiency with these energy-saving tips.

Home Energy Savings Tips for a More Comfortable Living

When it comes to maintaining a cozy and comfortable home, your HVAC system takes center stage. Due to this, when you combine your heating, cooling, and water heating bill, it also takes the most significant chunk of your monthly energy bill.

However, saving energy does not revolve around HVAC systems only. When you follow these energy efficiency tips in other areas of your home, you can save more than enough to compensate for your HVAC usage.

1. Wash with a Full Load

You’ll get to cut down on energy use if you wash your clothes with full loads. Since you’ll be running your washer when the load is full, you’ll be using it less often. If you plan your laundry schedule well, you can even have multiple loads share a single drying session. This approach will prevent you from having to bring up your dryer’s temperature several times.

2. Set Your Thermostat Correctly

Around 48% of your home’s energy consumption comes from its heating and cooling system. Any changes you make to your power usage can significantly affect your monthly bills. During summer, set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and 68 degrees Fahrenheit in winter. Avoid the common misconception that the lower the thermostat, the faster the home cools down.

3. Install a Programmable Thermostat

You can save on energy expenses when you invest in a programmable thermostat. At the same time, you can have your home’s temperature at a comfortable level when you get home from work. It allows your HVAC system to operate efficiently even when everyone is away from home or asleep.

4. Unplug Unused Appliances

Most people think that laptop and phone chargers left plugged into an outlet don’t consume electricity. Unplug chargers even if you are not using them are still drawing electricity. If you’re using an AVR power supply or an extension cord with a power switch, consider turning them off when not in use.

5. Use your Windows the Right Way

When you’re looking for a home, it’s best to choose one with large windows. They let in natural light, reducing your energy consumption. At the same time, these large windows bring the warmth of the sun to your home during winter. When it is hot outside, you can easily keep your home temperature cooler by closing drapes and blinds.

6. Turn Off the Oven Before the Set Time is Over

One great way of reducing energy costs in the kitchen is by turning off the oven a few minutes before the timer alarm goes off. Your food will continue cooking because of the residual heat, allowing you to save on electricity.

7. Keep the Fridge Door Closed

Do not keep the refrigerator door open for an extended period. Your refrigerator will use more energy to maintain its cold temperature since the cold air escapes. The same applies if you keep opening and closing the door lots of times.

8. Choose Air Drying

If the weather permits, consider drying your clothes outside by hanging them on a clothesline. You can also use an energy-efficient dryer as an alternative.

You can also choose to air dry your dishes in a dishwasher. After the rinse cycle, leave the door open to let them dry. At the same time, this can also help to keep your kitchen cooler.

9. Cut Down on Shower Time

Cutting down on shower time can help reduce the energy used by your water heater. A typical shower uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute. When you lessen your daily shower time by five minutes, you’ll be saving 4,562.5 gallons every year.

10. Have an Energy Saving Mindset

Maintain a mindset focused on saving energy. Instead of a high-wattage vacuum cleaner, use a broom to clean the floor. But if you still prefer using an electric appliance, you can always choose to go with a hand-held mini-vac instead of a full-size upright.

11. Wrap Old Water Heaters with a Blanket

Does your home use an old water heater? Old models have a standby heat loss that can increase your monthly electric bills. When insulating your water heater tank with an insulation blanket, you can reduce the standby heat loss by 25% to 45%. As a result, you can save around 4% to 9% in water heating costs.

12. Change Light Bulbs to LED

Instead of using traditional incandescent bulbs, replace your home lighting with LED bulbs. With the correct wattage, they can achieve the same level of luminosity as your old light bulbs without consuming too much energy. LEDs allow you to save as much as 75% on energy consumption. For example, a bright LED flood lamp only requires 11 to 12 watts to produce the same light output as a 50-watt incandescent lamp.

13. Cover Up your Hot-Water Pipes

Consider insulating your water pipes so you can turn down your water heater without sacrificing comfort. As water traverses the pipe, it loses heat between 2 degrees to 4 degrees Fahrenheit due to the surrounding air. You can reduce heat loss and save energy by wrapping pipes you have access to using pipe sleeves or strips of pipe wraps.

Maintain a Comfy Home and Save Energy Simultaneously

You won’t have to sacrifice comfort to lower your energy consumption with these tips. Aside from reducing your utility bills, you will also be helping the environment by keeping the air cleaner and conserving resources.

Go green and find an energy-efficient home at Oberer Homes, where you can live comfortably for a higher cause.