How to Save Energy in Your Home

Your home’s electricity use plays a big part in your personal carbon footprint. Taking steps to reduce the amount of energy you use in your home is one of the most important and effective ways you can help protect our environment. Here are some simple ways you can reduce your energy usage—lowering both your energy bill and your carbon footprint:

1. Manage your thermostat wisely

The best way you can reduce your energy usage? Be mindful with your thermostat. 

On average, more than half of residential energy consumption comes from heating and cooling. This means that being smart with your thermostat is one of the most effective ways you can reduce your energy usage.

Don’t use more heat or AC than you need to. Adjust your thermostat when you’re out of the house, when you’re on vacation, and even at night to save energy and money.

2. Invest in a smart thermostat

By allowing you to adjust the temperature from your smartphone and automatically self-adjusting based on the current weather, smart thermostats can help keep you comfortable when you’re home and save energy when you’re not.

3. Switch to Energy Star appliances

Increase your home's energy efficiency by upgrading to an Energy Star-certified dishwasher, refrigerator, or dryer. Check out energystar.gov to find products and rebates.

4. Don’t waste energy while doing the dishes or your laundry

Use cold water to wash your clothes, hang your laundry to dry instead of using the dryer, and turn off the heated drying setting on your dishwasher to save a surprising amount of energy.

5. Turn down your water heater

Water heating accounts for about 18% of the average electricity bill and is typically the second-biggest contributor to your energy usage (behind heating and cooling). Turning down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F) can help reduce your energy consumption.

6. Have your HVAC system serviced

Having your heating and cooling system inspected, cleaned, and serviced at least once a year helps ensure it’s working at maximum efficiency. 

7. Replace your air filters 

By improving airflow and increasing the efficiency of your cooling systems, this simple step could lower your energy consumption by up to 15%! 

8. Clean your air ducts and vents

Cleaning out all the dust and dirt that has accumulated makes things easier for both your lungs and your heating and cooling systems. You’ll save energy and may even increase the system’s lifespan.

9. Seal any air leaks

Caulking, sealing, and weather-stripping cracks and openings around your windows, doors, or any other openings can help keep air from leaking out of or into your home, helping your heating and cooling systems run at maximum efficiency.

10. Seal your air ducts

Leaky air ducts can reduce the efficiency of heating and cooling systems by up to 20%. Sealing and insulating ducts can prevent you from wasting a significant amount of energy and money.

11. Replace your insulation 

Update the insulation of your attic, doors, windows, floors, roof, and walls to help prevent air from entering or escaping your home—helping your HVAC system run more efficiently.

12. Switch to energy-efficient lighting

Did you know LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescents? Swapping out your incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs can save a ton of energy and money over time. 

13. Change the direction of your ceiling fans every summer and winter

Switch your ceiling fan’s blades to rotate clockwise in the winter (to help push warm air down) and counter-clockwise in the summer (to help push cool air down). This simple step can help you save on heating and cooling costs!

14. During the summer, use ceiling fans and portable fans 

Try using fans to help keep your home cool instead of blasting the AC. Using fans in places like your bedroom or your home office can help keep you cool while allowing you to keep the thermostat up a degree or two.

15. Avoid using your oven during the summer 

In the hot summer months, use your microwave, toaster oven, air fryer, or grill whenever you can so your AC unit doesn't have to work as hard.

16. Use window treatments to combat the strong summer sun

Try energy-efficient window treatments or coverings such as blinds, shades, or films to naturally keep your home cooler during the summer.

17. During the winter, let sunlight in

Take advantage of the sun’s warming rays in the cold winter months. Allow sunlight to naturally warm the rooms that receive direct sunlight during the day. 

18. Only heat necessary places during the winter

Try to avoid heating areas of your home that don’t need to be heated (and might not be insulated), such as your garage, attic, basement, or crawlspace.

18. Use rugs to insulate floors during the winter

Putting rugs in rooms with hardwood or tile floors can help make the rooms feel warmer, allowing you to keep the thermostat a bit lower.

19. Utilize your blankets and sweatshirts in the colder months

Getting more comfortable with bundling up inside your home can help you keep the temperature a tad lower. At night, try using an additional blanket on your bed while lowering the temperature by 1-2 degrees to save energy while you sleep.

20. Be diligent about turning your lights off

Get in the habit of turning off the lights when you leave a room or leave the house (as well as other electronics, like your TV). Once it becomes a habit and part of your routine, it will be such an easy way to save energy over time.

21. Unplug and get outside! 

Give your electronics a rest, and go outdoors to enjoy fresh air as often as you can. You can always appreciate everything that Mother Nature has to offer, no matter what time of year.

Small steps like these can make a big difference in your home’s energy consumption—helping you save both energy and money. Once you’ve taken these steps to cut back on your energy usage, make sure the energy you do use comes from clean, green sources. By choosing CleanChoice Energy for your home, you can play a role in fighting climate change and creating a cleaner planet for us all. Learn more about how you can choose 100% clean, renewable energy for your home today!