Saving Money on Your Energy Bill

The average household in North Carolina spends about $1,200 per year on energy costs. Over half of this amount, or about $650, goes to heat and cool the home. Approximately $250 goes to heat water. About $120 goes for lighting, and the rest is what runs appliances such as refrigerators, televisions and hair dryers.

One way to reduce the use of energy in your home is to purchase Energy Star appliances. The Energy Star program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Energy Star label helps consumers identify energy- efficient appliances, computers, lighting and home entertainment equipment.

Reducing your energy use for heating and cooling provides the single most effective way to reduce your home’s energy costs. Set your thermostat on 68 to 70 in the winter and 78 to 80 in the summer. Install ceiling fans to help make the room feel comfortable, allowing setting of the thermostat at higher temperatures in the summer without compromising comfort.
For greater efficiency, perform routine maintenance of your heating and cooling systems. Clean or replace furnace
filters as the manufacturer recommends.

Conserving water helps reduce your utility bills. Repair leaking faucets promptly. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Lower the thermostat on your water heater. Water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses. Insulate your hot water storage tank and pipes according to instructions provided by the manufacturer. Because the toilet is the biggest water user in a home, consider water-saving strategies such as installation of low-flow toilets or placement of a brick in the tank of your conventional toilet to reduce water consumption.

Increase your lighting efficiency to decrease your energy bills. Replacing 25 percent of your lights in high-use areas with fluorescents can save you about 50 percent of your lighting energy bill. Fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent lamps, but they more than pay for themselves because they save energy and last six to 10 times longer. Turn off the lights in any room you’re not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on. Use task lighting instead of brightly lighting an entire room. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops.