Home Energy Saving Tips
As a customer of MXenergy, you’ll save money on your home electricity and natural gas bills but there are additional ways you can save energy and put money in your pocket. Check out our practical energy saving tips that will help you create a more energy efficient house.
Lower Your Thermostat
Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense, according to the US Department of Energy.
One degree of savings adds up. For every degree you lower your heat in the winter, you'll save up to five percent on heating costs. Slip on a sweater and set your thermostat to 68 degrees (or lower) during the day and early evening. Setting the thermostat back to 55 degrees (or off) at night or when you're out-of-town saves 5-20% on your heating costs.
How Energy Efficient is Your Home?
Energy efficiency revolves around finding the weak spots in your house that lead to drafts and stuffy rooms. Our energy bills can be traced directly to our inefficient windows, heating and cooling equipment, and insulation. You may need to consult a contractor if you have severe swings, but often it's easy to pin-point problems - and make your home more energy efficient and comfortable.
How Can You Save on Home Electricity, Natural Gas and Water?
- Unplug the appliances in your room when you leave, such as your cell phone charger and your stereo. Even though they aren’t on or you aren’t using them, they are still sucking up energy!
- Turn off the TV when you aren’t watching it.
- Make sure there is no cold air coming in through your closed window during the winter. If there is, try to fix it. Not only will you be warmer, but you’ll be saving money by not letting the heat escape through your windows.
- If it’s during the daytime, open your shades and turn off your lights.
- Remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Don’t leave the doors open to the outside for too long, and try to keep the heat/air conditioning contained in the house to conserve on the amount of energy you have to use.
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
- When doing the dishes, wash all the dishes first, then rinse.
Have a Green Vacation
So you're going on vacation. Leaving your energy efficient home and your hybrid car in the driveway. Time to put your green focus on holiday? No.
In fact, there are many services and companies that now cater to the green traveler – those that still want to have a great vacation, but maintain their dedication to helping the environment. Whether you call it Eco-Tourism, Sustainable Journeys or just want to make sure that your vacation doesn't make a negative impact on the environment. GreenVacation Hub is one of several resources available to you when planning an eco friendly vacation.
U.S. News & World Report recently ran a quiz for people to understand "How Green is Your Vacation? "
Why ENERGY STAR® Rated Products Are A Good Thing.
Products in more than 60 categories are eligible for the ENERGY STAR. They use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment. Here's a list of some qualified ENERGY STAR products. You can also visit the MXenergy Store to purchase some of these products for your energy efficient house.
