Save Energy for the Holidays
November 6, 2009 by The Frugal Home
Filed under Frugal Home, Frugal Living, Holidays, Save the Earth on a Budget
Come January many will be wishing that they had saved a little energy for the holidays once their electric bill comes in. Don’t wait until later as there are many ways that you can save money on your electric bill and save the earth at the same time.
You may want to hang lights everywhere that you can, but you may also want to think about how many you are using and how you go about using them.
Think about reducing the amount of lights you use. While you may want to, you don’t necessarily have to light up the entire neighborhood or double as a landing strip for the nearest airport.
When you do use lights, trade in your old ones for some new LED lights. Not only do these lights reduce the chance of a fire because they do not give off any heat, but they also use very little energy compared to the old style of outdoor lights.
While you’re changing to LED’s, you might want to pick up some compact fluorescent light bulbs for your home. These will cost you more upfront but they will last years longer than the regular tungsten lights.
Purchase an electronic thermostat, pick a temperature, and keep it there. The amount of energy you use by moving the thermostat up and down is huge. Use heavy thermal curtains to keep your house warmer and throw on a sweater and socks when you get cold instead of turning the heat up.
Have an energy check performed on your house to get a good idea of areas in which you are losing heat. A bit of silicone around an old window may make all the difference in a drafty room.
Take a look at budget billing in your area so that you have a set amount to work with each month.
Save energy this holiday season to save money and the earth.
What are you doing this holiday season to save energy?
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Thanks for the useful tips, one of my new year resolution is to be much more energy efficient around my house and at work. I have already purchased a large amount of fluorescent lightbulbs!
I am saving energy at home however I am having problems with my kids who can’t do the same thing. They’re always using the air-condition for 12 hours straight and lights were ON even if no one using it. Every now and then I always asked them to follow my house rules so that we can save energy and still no changes happened. I am so tired on teaching and training them. What should I do?
Staffordshire Terrier – I would have to say that asking them only to follow the house rules every now and then probably isn’t the best way of going about things! If they refuse to reduce their electric impact when you have asked them to, then make them pay for the extra energy they are using. It won’t take long for them to start turning everything off!
My roommate and I disagree over the use of CFLs in our house. She is completely for them, and I am completely against them. I’ve become aware that I’m sensitive to the use of fluorescent lighting (it gives me headaches, makes me tired, etc.), and she only cares about the money we would save.
Does using these lightbulbs really reduce the amount of the electricity bill by a significant amount?
@Russian girl – I don’t have a problem with a sensitivity to CFL’s so I cannot really comment on that, but CFL’s use up to 75% less electricity than a normal light bulb. They also last up to ten times longer. You can read about them here, http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf.
When we used regular light bulbs we were often changing them a few times a year. We began the switch to CFL’s four years ago and haven’t had to replace any we have bought yet. That’s right, we are still using light bulbs we bought over four years ago. They even moved houses with us. They may cost more up front but in the long run they cost nothing next to the old light bulbs.