How to Save Electricity at Home

Saving electricity at home is easy if you understand the amount of energy that each of your major appliances needs in order to operate effectively. When you have this information, you'll be able to determine the best ways to save electricity at home.

Your air conditioning unit uses more electricity than anything else - 16% of your total electricity used. If you live in a hotter region such as Arizona and Texas, this cost may be as high as 60-70% of your summer electric bill. Here are the best ways to save electricity at home when using your AC: Keep your AC at 80 degrees F; turn your AC off when you leave your apartment or going to work (if there is no one at home, why run the AC?); change your filter regularly.

The second biggest user of electricity in your home is your refrigerator. Unlike most appliances that can be turned off when not in use, your refrigerator has to stay turned on if you want to keep your food and beverages fresh. The best way to save on electricity with your refrigerator is to ensure that it is a newer, more efficient model. Newer refrigerators are about four times more energy-efficient than models manufactured prior to 1990.

Using compact fluorescent light bulbs is one of the best ways to save electricity at home. You'll save 70% in electricity usage. Another plus factor is that they last ten times longer than the normal light bulb.

You no doubt have a washing machine. You can save a fortune on electricity simply by turning down the temperature setting. When you wash your clothes, about 90% of the energy used goes to heating the water. Why use hot water when you do your washing when you can use cold water instead?

Choosing the correct type of washing machine can also save electricity at home. For example, a front-loader uses about 63% less water than a top-loader, and therefore requires less electricity to heat the water.

Most homes still have the old-style tank water heaters. These heaters waste a lot of electricity because of what is known as "standby losses." The tanks lose a great deal of heat to the surrounding air and more electricity is used to keep the water hot. Instead of the old-style tank water heater, rather use a tankless unit that heats the water as soon as you turn on the faucet. These tankless units will also last twice as long as the old-style water heaters.

A very effective way to save electricity at home is insulation. Insulate your attic. This will prevent heat from escaping in winter, keep you cool in summer, and will thus save energy when heating or cooling your home throughout the year. You should also ensure that no heat is escaping from your doors or windows. If so, then use weather stripping and caulk the windows.

Heating your home in winter can often lead to a huge waste of electricity. When you go to bed at night, turn down the heat. You can turn it back up again in the morning. When you leave your home, turn off the heat as you leave. Only heat those rooms that you use most. Do not leave the dampers on your fireplace open if it is not in use. Adjust the dampers to your rooms to ensure that the heat distribution is appropriate. You don't want to waste heat unnecessarily.

These are the best ways to save electricity at home. Follow this advice, and you'll be well on your way to saving a fortune in energy bills.