Tips to save electricity

Conserving electricity serves the double purpose of helping stop global warming and saving a lot of money over time. Insulating your home and changing your daily habits are effective ways to reduce the amount of electricity you use. You can implement some energy-saving measures immediately, such as turning off and unplugging unused lights and appliances. Following are the some measures that could help create a better environment:

1. Purchase Energy Star Appliances: Energy Star is a government-backed rating system for energy-efficient appliances. The Energy Star label ensures that products you purchase have been tested and verified for performance efficiency. In addition, the Energy Star rating ensures that higher purchase costs will be recouped through electric bill savings.
2. One can make an instant change in the water consumption by installing low-flow fixtures. Replacing older toilets with a low-flow toilet will help save up to 75 percent of water use per flush; for even more savings, choose a dual-flush model with options for solid and liquid flushes.
3. Turning the heat and water heaters down when out of town and away from the house could prove highly beneficial. One could reduce energy use by 10 percent each time you lower the thermostat by 10 degrees for an eight-hour period; do so when sleeping or at work to reduce the electric bill.
4. Embrace natural lighting: Using natural light whenever possible instead of relying on artificial light can greatly reduce the amount of electricity you use during the day. The same is true whether you work in an office or spend your days in your house. Exposure to natural light also increases happiness, giving you an even greater incentive to raise the blinds.
• Try to arrange your workspace so that natural light floods your desk. Keep the overhead lights off when possible. When you need extra lighting, use a low-powered desk lamp instead.
• Buy curtains or blinds in a light shade that provides privacy but still allows light to come through.
5. Seal and Insulate: Insulating the exterior walls and roof of the house and sealing air leaks would save as much as 20 percent on your heating and cooling costs. In hot, sunny climates, add a reflective radiant barrier directly on top of your existing attic insulation to save in cooling costs. Air leaks are often easy to find as they are easy to feel, though many air leaks in basements, attics and crawlspaces go unnoticed.