There are many reasons that residents love living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region. The area cannot be beat, from year-round outdoor activities to the fresh air and beautiful views. But the one drawback that most consumers take about this time of year is the ever-increasing cost of electricity. So to help community members trim a bit off their electric bills as they get ready to trim their holiday trees, the team at EarlyBird Electric created a list of tips to reduce electricity consumption and keep those winter power bills as reasonable as possible.
Save Your Costly Heated Air
Understanding that your home’s HVAC equipment uses 50% or more of the energy coming into your home makes it very clear why keeping the warm air inside the house is critical to save money and electricity. Tour your home and note any windows or doors that feel chilled and drafty. Then add weather stripping to eliminate the loss of the air that you have already paid to warm.
Go Programmable For added Comfort And Savings
Keeping your home warm when you are not there to enjoy the ideal climate is wasteful and costly. But it can be challenging to remember to turn the thermostat down each day when you leave for work or school. And no one wants to wake up to an ice-cold house each day and make a mad dash to turn up the thermostat. The solution to both of these outdated traditions is a programmable thermostat. It will maximize your heating dollars when you are home and awake while saving energy and money for 16 or more hours when you are not concerned about a slightly cooler home.
Water Heater Wisdom
If you are unfamiliar with the water heater function, you might not know that it also has a thermostat to regulate the temperature of your home’s hot water. Most units arrive preset from the factory at 140 degrees and can increase to 150 degrees. However, that temperature is likely to cause scalding if you are not careful. So unless you bathe using nothing but hot water, no cold water to drop the blazing temperature of the hot water, you can adjust the thermostat setting to 120. This adjustment will reduce the energy used to maintain the temperature of the water in the holding tank and save you money.
Another simple and affordable water heater tip is to install a manufacturer-approved water heater blanket around the holding tank. The added insulation will help keep the holding tank warmer and reduce the electricity needed to heat and reheat your standby hot water supply.
Use Appliances Wisely
We all love the modern convenience of a dishwasher, clothes washer, and dryer. But it is vital that you get the most out of the energy used to operate these devices. So only run these machines when fully loaded to save electricity, water, and money. In the case of small appliances, unplug them when not in use to save on the wasted trickle of electricity they are consuming 24/7.
For more tips on saving electricity this winter, call the licensed electricians at EarlyBird Electric at 612-236-9052.
