Energy Conservation Tips

Energy conservation is a major issue with a global impact. Utilizing our resources conservatively is not only great for the environment, but it’s also financially beneficial. So whether you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint by creating less of a demand for fossil fuels and natural gas, or you just want to cut down your monthly bills, we always seek to provide our clients in Palo Alto, San Jose, Cupertino, Los Altos and the surrounding areas with useful energy saving resources. Read on to see what you can do to fight back against climate change and improve your energy conservation.

Saving energy with home appliances

This begins with choosing the appliances that are the most energy efficient. You should, for instance, look for the Energy Star label before purchasing an appliance. Furthermore, selecting the right size of an appliance is pertinent. For example, don’t spend more money on a larger water heater, that will in turn result in a larger monthly energy bill, when a smaller water heater could do the trick. Keep in mind that as technology advances, modern appliances are always built to use energy more efficiently than older models.

When it comes to utilizing any electrical device, you know it is best to turn off these devices and light switches when they are not in use. This ensures maximum energy savings. However, any device that is plugged in still draws energy from the outlet, even when off. For smaller electrical devices it best to use power strips that can be completely shutoff for this reason.

Using large appliances efficiently can greatly reduce your energy consumption. Any appliance that utilizes water – washing machine, dishwasher, you should set it to either warm or cold water and not unnecessarily hot. Switching from hot to warm will save a substantial amount of energy. Ensure that you keep your dishwasher full before running it and use the energy saving setting. You also need to turn down the water heater thermostat. Normally, these thermostats are set to 140F while 120 F could do pretty much the same. All these are the basic but necessary steps to conserving energy with home appliances.

Little investments that save energy

Not much is needed to make a major difference in your monthly bills? Something as simple as changing a lightbulb can make a drastic difference. Standard fluorescent lightbulbs waste most of their energy producing heat. This is not only inefficient, but it can also require your HVAC system to kick on more frequently than necessary. Replace these bulbs with more modern and efficient LED bulbs that can last longer and conserve more energy. Another great small investment you can make to save energy is an insulated jacket for your water heater. This can help your water heater retain its heat and only set you back a few dollars.

Save energy with proper home heating and cooling

If you’re looking to conserve the most energy as possible, your HVAC system is a great place to turn. Start with your thermostat. You can place your thermostat all the way to 78 in the summertime and 68 in the winter if you utilize smaller accessories such as fans and space heaters. These smaller devices use far less energy and can help you feel just as comfortable, without placing so much strain on your HVAC system. You can also ensure that your system is working efficiently with routine maintenance and regularly changing filters that protect your system.

Home improvements to conserve energy

As you plan any major home improvement, remember to consider the return on investment of energy saving products. First, you can insulate your walls and ceilings. In fact, if you live in a colder climate, you should think of super insulating as it saves a lot of energy. You can modernize your windows by replacing standard ones with double glazed, argon filled windows.

Finally, it is important to equip yourself with an incentive to preserve energy even in the least of your activities. You can, for example, ride or walk instead of driving for short distances, reuse, reduce, recycle etc. This way, you will not only save energy but also preserve the environment which is the major source of energy.