Energy Efficient Homes: Room-by-Room Savings
Mar 29, 2018
As springtime and cooling season near, why not go through your home, room by room, and find ways you can make it more efficient? There are so many ways you can improve energy efficiency. Here are a few suggestions on where to start.
Bedroom
- Turn electronics off before you sleep.
- Set the programmable thermostat up to raise the air conditioning temperature 7 or 8 degrees before you go to bed. If you need to keep a little cooler, turn on a ceiling fan.
- Use efficient LED bulbs, which use 70-90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
- Close blinds in the daytime to keep the room cool for night.
Bathroom
- Install exhaust ventilation to the outdoors to remove humidity. Moist air makes you feel warmer; the drier the air, the less energy you need to cool off.
- Take showers instead of baths, but keep it short.
- Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth.
- Install efficient showerheads and toilets.
Living Rooms
- Buy efficient appliances rated by Energy Star, the government’s energy-saving agency. TVs, home entertainment centers, Blu Ray and DVD players rated by Energy Star are much more efficient than others.
- Plug your appliances into a power strip and turn it off when not in use so that the gadgets don’t keep draining power.
- Stream entertainment through a tablet or notebook; it’s more efficient than a game console.
- Install task and accent lighting. Keep general lighting to a minimum. Accent bookshelves, artwork, the entertainment system or a fireplace.
- Install an Energy Star-certified ceiling fan and light for extra lighting and air circulation.
Kitchen
- Replace old appliances with efficient Energy Star appliances, which will save 9-12 percent more on utilities. An Energy Star dishwasher will also save on water use.
- Use the microwave whenever possible for cooking.
- Keep the oven door closed when cooking; also keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible to save on energy use.
- Use LED bulbs and fixtures.
For more on energy efficiency in your home this spring, contact Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’ve been serving Orlando’s HVAC needs since 1969.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).