Looking to Save Energy This Winter? Check Out These Simple Tips

When the temperatures outside begin to drop, most homeowners decide to crank up the heat. But while the inside of your home may be nice and cozy, you may see a drastic increase in your energy bill. Fortunately, you can stay warm all winter long while making conscious decisions to reduce energy usage at home. So if you're looking for ways to save on energy this winter, here are a few simple tips.

Seal air leaks: If your home is kind of drafty, that may be one reason your energy bill gets so high. Air leaks can allow warmed air to escape, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to replace it. By sealing air leaks and ensuring your home is properly insulated, you can save up to 20% on your heating and cooling expenses. Seal leaks around window and doors for increased home comfort and lower energy bills.

Open the curtains: Instead of turning the heat all the way up, why not use a heat resource that's completely free? Utilizing the heat from the sun can be a great option in the winter. Opening blinds and curtains in your home will allow the sun's warmth to enter your home. Not only will you get some much-needed sunshine, but your home will be naturally warmed.

Keep air vents unblocked: With air vents being tucked into corners and behind furniture, it can be pretty easy to forget about them. But if the vents are blocked by items like furniture or curtains, it can drastically reduce the amount of air that can get through. This, in turn, forces the HVAC system to work harder to get the air through, increasing energy use. To reduce energy usage, keep air vents unblocked so air can flow freely.


Use heat wisely: One of the easiest energy conservation tips for the winter months is to use your heat wisely. This involves both lowering temperatures and only heating certain areas. If you turn down the temperature when you're not home or sleeping, that will help save on energy. Furthermore, if you have rooms that are rarely used, make sure the vents are sealed off so the heated air can be used in rooms that need it.


Saving energy can be easy when you put your mind to it. Hopefully, these simple tips will help keep your home warm and your energy bills low all winter long.

Do You Know the Uses of These 3 Renewable Energy Options?

All around the world people are utilizing renewable energy options in order to do their part in energy conservation. But how are these renewable energy sources actually used? This article is going to discuss a few of the most common uses of the most common renewable energy sources in use today.

Geothermal: Geothermal energy is derived from the heat of the earth. This heat can be sourced close to the surface or even from reservoirs of hot water miles beneath the surface. This energy is harvested on a large scale by geothermal power plants, which are becoming far more popular with each passing year. However, for smaller buildings, a geothermal heat pump may be used to heat the building and even help keep it cool using the earth's natural energy.

Geothermal energy is also being used to heat water at fish farms, aid with a variety of industrial processes, help to run greenhouses and grow plants, or simply heat commercial buildings and reduce energy use.

Ocean Power: The ocean is able to produce two types of sustainable energy, mechanical energy from the motion of the waves and thermal energy from the sun's heat. Systems that rely on warm water temperatures can easily convert ocean thermal energy into electricity. And ocean mechanical energy utilizes the tides caused by the rotation of the earth and gravity.

Unfortunately, use of ocean energy is limited by geography and regulatory guidelines. However, cold water from the ocean can be used to keep buildings cool and areas near the ocean can utilize the ocean energy for energy needs and power generation.

Hydrogen: Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe but does not actually occur naturally as a gas on earth. However, this element can be found in organic compounds and water. Additionally, hydrogen may also be produced under certain circumstances by some bacteria or algae. Fortunately, this element is high in energy but produces little pollution when burned. But until costs come down and the durability of using hydrogen improves, there will be little commercialization.

Hydrogen is commonly used to refine petroleum, produce fertilizer, treat metals, and process foods. It can also reduce energy costs when it powers marine vessels and remote buildings. Car companies are also experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells, which emit water vapor instead of harmful greenhouse gases, and the first U.S. hydrogen fueling stations are currently being tested in California.

Over half of renewable energy in the U.S. is used for producing electricity, and around 13% of all electricity generation in the U.S. came from renewable energy options in 2015. While this is certainly a great start, more and more people are trying to figure out ways to utilize more renewable energy options. Using renewable energy options can not only save people money on energy costs, but it's better for the planet too.

Beat the Summer Heat Without the Big Energy Bill

Americans look forward to summer vacation all year, but the warmer weather can also bring it's own set of challenges. The heat is great for a beach vacation, but it also makes the average energy bill go through the roof. Air conditioning represents the largest use of electricity in American homes, and that statistic is unlikely to change with the record high temperatures that the United States has already seen this year. Alternative energy companies encourage consumers to think differently about their power suppliers for environmental reasons, but there are also economic advantages involved.

Three Ways Homeowners can Slim Down Their Summer Electricity Bills:

Install a programmable thermostat

Even before alternative electricity suppliers become involved, homeowners can reduce their summer spending by installing and programming a smart thermostat. This appliance can maintain your desired room temperature to keep you comfortable. Heating and cooling systems will kick on and off as needed, rather than working continuously. 

Motivated homeowners can even set temperature changes according to time of day, so that their system isn't burning energy to keep the house cool while everyone is away at work. The result is an efficient heating and cooling system that expends less energy. Programmable thermostats save consumers an average of 10% on their yearly energy bills. 

Update your appliances

Alternative energy companies often suggest an energy audit, or an appliance-by-appliance look at where your home uses electricity. Out dated TVs and old refrigerators can be significant drains on your energy bank. It may be more cost effective to replace those appliances than to pay for their inefficiency. For instance, modern refrigerators are 60% less expensive than they were in 1975, and they use 75% less energy. 

This means you can abandon that weird ice cave in the back of the freezer and save. Heating and cooling systems are especially big drains, so think about your hot water heater, oven, and microwave in addition to your fridge. Updating appliances is a great way to slim your energy bill before you consider alternative energy companies.

Consider alternative power companies

The energy market is slowly shifting and becoming more competitive.  Previously, regulated markets meant that only one power provider supplied all aspects of a home's energy and the cost was controlled publicly. Deregulated markets allow companies to become innovative and compete to offer the best services for the best price. The deregulation of electricity markets isn't about making the power supply less controlled; it's about letting new technology improve the market. Look into your options and decide what's best for your energy needs. 

How to Stay Cool This Summer Without Breaking the Bank

It seems like winter just ended, but -- depending on where in the country you live -- you might already be thinking about cranking up your air conditioning. With that, however, comes the high electric company bills most homeowners dread. The average American household uses 903 kilowatt hours of electricity each month and pays $107 per bill; however, if you’re a heavy air conditioning user in a region with high energy costs, you already know your bill can get much, much higher than that. And, of course, high energy use has broader implications as well. The U.S. used 13 times more electricity in 2013 than it did in 1950, and that’s a significant environmental concern. But with a few simple steps, you can moderate your energy usage this summer without sacrificing comfort, meaning you can stay cool without feeling guilty or anxious about the bills to come. Here are five do's and don’ts for maximizing your energy savings: 1.     DO: Use a Programmable Thermostat This may seem obvious, but it makes such a difference in energy conservation that it’s worth mentioning again. It’s estimated that a programmable thermostat can offer you a full 10% energy savings annually. 2.    DON’T: Use Unnecessary Heating You might think you’re not turning on the heat in the summer -- but are you baking, cooking on the stove or taking steamy showers? All that heat goes into your house, meaning your AC has to work overtime to keep the temperature down. Grilling is a great choice for more than one reason, but you could also use your microwave more or try to plan no-cook meals. 3.    DO: Look Into New Window Coverings The sun plays a significant role in heating up your house in the summer. Invest in solar screens, special curtains or new shades to keep it at bay. 4.    DON’T: Forget to Switch Your Fans One of the easiest summer energy solutions is giving your AC a hand with some simple household fans. But if your home does have ceiling fans, be sure to switch their direction. In the winter, fans should move clockwise to pull cool air up; in the summer, however, fans should move counterclockwise so that you feel a cool breeze blowing down. There's probably a switch on the side of your fan that you can flip to accomplish this. 5.    DO: Take Advantage of Cold Spots One easy way to get an energy reduction in your climate control use is to give up on getting your whole house the same temperature. Instead, take advantage of natural cool spots, such as the basement or rooms at the back of the house, and hang out there. How else might homeowners get some energy savings this summer while staying cool? Share your suggestions in the comments.

3 Ways to Save Energy Without Lifestyle Inconveniences

With energy costs and environmental concerns rising side by side, trying to use green energy sources and promoting overall energy conservation are no-brainers. In some cases, this might require some moderate sacrifice when it comes to conveniences, such as turning lights off every time you leave the room, or unplugging small devices (such as coffee makers) when they’re not in use. But often, the biggest savings require almost no lifestyle changes whatsoever. Here are three such ways to help the planet and lower your monthly bills: Get a Programmable Thermostat- Programmable thermostats can contribute to a 10% annual savings on heating and cooling costs in the average household -- without you having to sacrifice any comfort when you’re at home. These thermostats -- most of which are easy enough to install by yourself -- can hold multiple profiles, so you won’t even have to make manual changes based on whether it’s a weekday (when no one is home for quite a few hours in the middle of the day) or a weekend (when you might want it a little warmer or cooler to keep it comfortable all day long). If you really want the latest in technical improvements, you can even get a thermostat that connects to your smartphone. This will allow you to make adjustments to your preset profiles no matter where you are. Buy New Appliances- If you’ve been trying to save money by getting along with your old appliances, your efforts may actually be counterproductive: The average refrigerator sold today costs 60% less than its 1975 counterpart and uses 75% less energy. That means a moderate investment can save you big time on your electricity bill. And as a bonus, today’s refrigerators have about 20% more capacity, on average, which can allow you to get rid of that extra fridge or freezer. Green Energy Providers- You may be living in a deregulated energy market and not even know it. You may even be wondering what energy deregulation is. Essentially, deregulation has divided the production of energy from the distribution of energy, breaking up utility company monopolies. This means you can choose from alternative electricity suppliers even though your utility company stays the same. Often, these alternative companies focus on renewable energy sources, so you may be able to make better choices about where your electricity comes from and promote green energy without any noticeable difference in your service. Contact your electricity provider to find out what options may be available for you. Do you have any more easy energy solutions to share? Join the discussion in the comments.