3 Steps to Conserve Energy in Your Home

It seems as if we see the terms 'green energy' and 'renewable energy' everywhere these days, but how much of a role can you play in those goals as a homeowner? The answer is, you can play a pretty sizable one! Not only would you be helping out the environment by following steps to minimize your Eco-footprint, but also you can actually benefit from it in terms of money saved. There are five main tips to follow when you decide that energy conservation is something you want to take part in:

Talk to your electricity provider.

Many energy suppliers and electricity providers now take their own measures to conserve energy, and you should first check to see if yours is one of them. If yours does not take action on their own, you can consider planning your own energy conservation accordingly.

Account for what you use.

Chances are, you aren't cataloging where you're using energy in a typical day. In order to figure out where you can conserve energy, you should first take a few days to a week and make a list of where you're using energy and for how long. You may be surprised to see how long you leave the TV on when you're not watching it, or how much energy you could save by shutting your computer down every once in a while.

Conserve!

Now you're ready to cut down on your energy use. Electricity providers say that you can save almost 10% on your heating and cooling just by using a programmable thermostat. Or, you can take shorter, cooler showers and save 14 to 18% on water heating costs. Throughout the summer, look for air conditioning alternatives -- it could save you about 19%.

Don't forget: even the smallest things add up! Start saving energy and money now!