How To Save Energy In Your Home

Your energy bills are too high, and you are desperate to find some ways to cut utility costs. Are there lifestyle changes you can make? Any inexpensive swaps that would make a difference? Or does saving money require a significant financial investment?

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of homes with spray foam insulation in and around Greencastle, Pennsylvania. One of our main drivers is helping our customers save money on their energy bills. Insulation may seem like too big of a step to take, so this article will break down different levels of investment you can make and what kind of returns you can expect.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• Some low-cost, low-reward energy savings solutions
• Some products you can swap to save energy
• Some higher-cost, higher-reward solutions for energy savings

Energy Solutions That Are (Practically) Free

When trying to conserve energy and lower our utility bills, we sometimes need solutions that don’t require a high upfront investment cost. These recommendations are perfect because their financial cost is zero or close to it. Instead, these solutions may require a change of behavior or habit.

While these solutions are cheap to implement, they offer limited returns. You may see some benefits from these fixes, but they will save less energy than more costly solutions.

Let’s examine these “free” solutions in more detail.

Unplug Electronics Not In Use

Leaving everything plugged in is convenient. When our appliances are connected to power, we don’t have to wait long for them to load or power up. Unfortunately, some electronics and appliances use energy even when powered off.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, enough of these appliances can add hundreds of dollars to your energy costs every year.

While it may be inconvenient, unplugging electronics when you aren’t using them can lower your energy bills. If unplugging and plugging back in is a hassle, you can invest in a surge protector power strip. A quality surge protector will cost between $50 and $100 but will also allow you to “unplug” a whole line-up of electronics with the flick of a switch.

Use Colder Water

Whether washing your clothes or showering, hot water requires a lot of energy to heat. Using warm or cold water in your washing machine can save a lot of money on your energy and water bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, water heating consumes about 90% of the energy to operate a clothes washer.

You may want to avoid taking a cold shower, but limiting the amount of scalding water you use can also make significant energy-saving impacts. If you decide to shower in warm water instead of hot water, also consider showering for shorter periods of time.

Setting your water heater to a lower setting can eliminate energy waste. Most water heaters have tanks that maintain their set temperature at all times. You may not be using hot water, but energy is still being consumed to maintain the temperature that was set.

Change Your Thermostat

Homes use the most energy during the summer and winter when temperatures are more extreme. As tempting as it may be to set your thermostat for comfort, every degree of difference between your home and the outside world is more and more expensive.

Each degree of additional comfort comes at an increased cost in energy consumption. This rule is especially true of heat, which could escape from your home into the cold air outside. If you keep your home at 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the summertime, bump up the thermostat to 69 or 70. In winter, bring down the thermostat a few degrees and wear cozy clothes.

Turn Off The Lights

Turning off the lights as you leave the room will not cost you anything. As you move from room to room, flip the light switches accordingly. If you are leaving the house, there are few reasons why you would need to leave any lights on.

If you’re wondering how much energy you could save from turning off your lights, Energy Saver has an article explaining the different types of light bulbs and how to calculate your potential energy savings.

Products You Can Swap For Increased Energy Savings

Unplugging devices and changing your habits around the house can only make so much of an impact. If you’re looking for solutions with more measurable results, you may want to consider swapping some of the products you use. You will spend more money upfront by making these switches, but the cost savings in energy bills will pay for the higher initial cost.

Swap To LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs will cost more than double the price of incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. However, an LED light bulb will last significantly longer than these older technologies. LED bulbs use energy more efficiently, are less of a hassle to dispose of, and need to be replaced less frequently. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs and can also last 25 times longer.

Change Your Appliances

If you recently invested in a new washing machine, dishwasher, oven, dryer, or refrigerator, changing your appliances may not be the most financially sound choice. However, if your home has had the same appliances for years and could stand an upgrade, this swap could offer significant energy savings.

Many utility companies offer rebates for energy efficiency, including rebates on qualified appliances. Certified to use less energy, replacing an old machine with an ENERGY STAR® one can save money on monthly utility bills. With a rebate from your gas or electric company, getting a better appliance is also cheaper than it would have been otherwise.

Upgrade To Efficient Windows And Doors

Natural ventilation places like windows and doors in your home may contribute to energy inefficiency. Old windows and doors allow air infiltration, where air leaks randomly and uncontrollably into your home. Any time air enters your home, air is also exiting your home. You can stop expensive conditioned air from escaping by replacing your single-pane windows and old doors.

Replace Your HVAC System

Your HVAC system may need some repairs, or it may need to be replaced. Either way, contacting an HVAC contractor will determine if your HVAC system contributes to high energy bills. Repairs will be less expensive than replacements, but having a functioning HVAC system is vital. If the system is efficient, it will save energy and maintain your home environment more effectively. The right HVAC equipment can also improve indoor air quality.

New Investments With Big Energy Efficiency Results

If your energy bills are too high after making swaps and changing your habits, you should invest in a home improvement project. These projects are the most expensive option but have the greatest return on investment.

Insulate Your Water Heater And Pipes

Heat is always traveling from warm to cold. If your water heater and pipes are not insulated, then all the heat you pay for dissipates as your water sits and travels. By insulating your pipes and water heater, your water will stay hotter for longer, at less monthly cost.

Insulate Your Attic

9 out of 10 homeowners we speak with would benefit from attic insulation. Either their attics are not insulated, need more insulation, or have ineffective insulation. Attics are a great place to insulate because they generally require no remodeling work. Attics are also responsible for over half of all energy loss in a home. An effectively insulated attic is as simple as hiring a professional contractor to put in the right amounts of spray foam or blown-in cellulose.

We recommend spray foam insulation for attics because of the many benefits it offers. Longevity is one benefit of spray foam that other insulations cannot compete with. Spray foam is a permanent insulation solution that also air-seals your home.

Air sealing maximizes energy efficiency, so by insulating with spray foam, you get the best performance possible and never have to think about it again.

Insulate Your Crawl Space

Crawl spaces are another area in your home that can offer energy savings without requiring remodeling work. While these spaces are small, their impact on energy efficiency can be considerable. Any space in your home that is not livable and still receives some temperature control efforts from the HVAC wastes energy.

Encapsulating your crawl space can make the area useful and save you money on utility bills.

Insulate Your Basement

Insulating a dry basement with closed cell spray foam will prevent the cool underground temperatures from wreaking havoc on your HVAC system and home. If your basement is leaky, it is vital to address leakage problems first with waterproofing solutions. Spray foam is not a waterproofing product.

Depending on the size of your basement, you could claim the maximum amount of tax credit from the federal government for insulation upgrades. This tax incentive is applicable to any area of the home, including basement insulation. A project that costs $4,000 will receive the full amount of $1,200 in tax credits. By taking advantage of this tax program, you will see immediate ROI from the spray foam and be reimbursed for a portion of the job cost.

Use our guide to calculate an estimate for insulating your basement with spray foam.

The Bottom Line About Saving Money On Your Energy Bills

There are many reasons to save energy, from lowering utility bills to supporting the environment. No matter why saving energy is important to you, there are steps you can take to use less energy. Generally, the more you invest upfront, the more savings you will benefit from.

You may choose smaller steps like thermostat adjustments and LED light bulbs. Or, you may insulate your attic with spray foam. Maybe you’ll finally replace your old washing machine with a certified appliance and a rebate from your electric company. Whichever options you choose, we hope you’ll be able to save money on energy in your home.

Want to do more research on spray foam insulation before committing to an insulation upgrade? Use these resources to learn vital information about spray foam.

• Pros and Cons of Spray Foam Insulation
• Can Spray Foam Insulation Fail?
• How Much Does Spray Foam Insulation Cost?