Home Energy Saving Tips
Tips for cutting down energy costs in your home

With the rising costs of gas and electricity, it’s always better to cut energy costs whenever possible. This article has simple, easy tips for several common areas of the house to save energy costs in your home.
The Attic
Weather-trip and insulate your attic door if the fit of your attic access door is not right. Also, insulate your attic space by adding loose fill or from rolls. Ventilate your attic space to promote good circulation and proper ventilation. Consider adding a ridge vent if you are having a new roof installed.
The Bathroom
The bathroom has the potential to waste a lot of energy per month. You can turn off all faucets tightly and fix leaky faucets. A statistic: a leak that costs one drop per second wastes over 250 gallons of water a month, plus the energy used to heat it. You can also save energy by taking showers instead of bath, and using lukewarm water whenever possible. Installing water-saving shower heads will also cut down on waste. Simple habits such as turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving can make a huge difference. Also, cleaning particles from aerator screens and removing particles from nozzles or the screen can help make your bathroom more energy efficient.
The Bedroom
Try using draft guards on the bottoms of the doors that open into unconditioned areas. You can also use ceiling fans for cooling instead of an air conditioner. Also, close heating vents or radiators in rooms you do not use. This does not apply if you have a heat pump system—if this is the case, then leave all doors and vents open to ensure airflow. You can lower your thermostat at night and use extra blankets during winter instead. However, if you have a heat pump system, cut energy costs by putting the thermostat on a comfortably low setting both day and night.
The Living room/Den
Try to use fans instead of air conditioning whenever you can. You can put on more layers of clothing around the house to keep warm to save heating costs. You can also keep your fireplace damper closed when there’s no fire in the fireplace. Close glass fireplace doors as well. Remember to turn off all stereos, television sets, and electronic appliances whenever you’re not using them. Another way to improve efficiency in wintertime is to use ceiling fans set on reverse to circulate heat that builds up in the ceiling. Always keep vents and radiators clear of drapes and furniture. If the vents are located in an inconvenient spot, buy and install a deflector so that hot and cold air can circulate properly.