Get an Energy Audit
Energy audits are usually easy to get. Call your utility or electric provider, or a local company who provides energy audits, and request one for your home. An audit is an assessment done by a professional to find out where your home is losing energy and what improvements you can make to ensure you’re getting the most electricity for your money.
Improve Insulation and Sealing
When your home doesn’t have enough insulation or weather stripping, air can escape from your home and allow outside air to come in, which makes your AC and heating work harder to control the temperature of your home. Poor weather stripping can even harm the indoor air quality of your home by allowing pollen and outdoor pollutants to travel inside.
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats give you greater control over your AC and heating. Not only can you program your home’s humidity as well as temperature, but you can even schedule your temperature control. This means you can easily avoid using too much electricity during peak hours. If your utility provider has a demand response program like TXU’s iThermostat or Austin Energy’s Power Partner, they might even give you an incentive to help them balance energy use during high demand hours.
Use LED Light Bulbs
Standard compact fluorescent light bulbs are the most common bulbs used in lamps and overhead lights, but they aren’t the most energy efficient option. Switch the compact fluorescent bulbs in your home to LED light bulbs. LED light bulbs are more energy efficient, and they’re better at mimicking natural light. LED bulbs have recently gone down in price, making them a small investment that will quickly pay for itself.
Unplug your Unused Devices
If you’re leaving devices plugged in when you aren’t using them, you’re losing money on electricity. These devices still use energy when they’re turned off, which can inflate your electric bill. Look around your home a few times a day and unplug anything that you aren’t using. You can also invest in power strips, which stop using electricity when they’re switched off. It might be a little annoying to always have to plug something in before you use it, but this simple trick can cut quite a bit of money from your electric bill.
Switch to Solar Energy with Kosmos Solar
If you want to drastically reduce or even eliminate your electric bill and do your part to help the environment, consider making the switch to solar power with Kosmos Solar. Our friendly team is always working hard to give you the best solar panel installations we can, and your satisfaction is our top priority. Call or visit our website for a free quote on our stellar solar installation services today!