high energy bills

How to Cut Down on Energy Costs for Your Home or Business

November 22 2016

High Energy Bills

Today’s energy prices continue to rise and with a new administration in place, there’s no way to predict how much higher they’ll go. Good news is, there are energy-saving opportunities that currently exist in your home or business – here’s how you can avoid those high energy bills:

#1 CHOOSE ENERGY STAR® APPLIANCES

Home appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, and laundry machines account for about 13% of a household’s energy costs. The cost of operating appliances over its expected lifetime – a second price every year over the life of the appliance as part of your monthly energy bill.

Purchasing an appliance with the yellow Energy Guide label can make a difference. ENERGY STAR® qualified clothes washers and refrigerators are about 20% more energy efficient than standard models, and ENERGY STAR-qualified dishwashers only use about 5.8 gallons of water per cycle.

#2 OPERATE YOUR APPLIANCES DIFFERENTLY

At home, be sure you only run your dishwasher with a full load and scrape (not rinse) the food off your dishes. Also, consider using cold water to wash laundry when possible and dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.

Defrost your freezer at least twice per year, clean it out regularly and check to make sure the seal on your refrigerator door is airtight.

With today’s more efficient supplies and appliances, these simple steps will help your appliances run more efficiently, and factoring in lifetime energy costs when purchasing new appliances, you can add to the savings identified in an energy audit and save even more money on your high energy bills.

#3 REPLACE OLD LIGHTING FIXTURES & BULBS

Offices, stores or factories depend on well-lit rooms, shelves and warehouses, but the electricity can add up if your fixtures and bulbs are not energy efficient. Getting the right lighting equipment installed can save an average of 15 percent on your bill.

Another way to save is to replace old fluorescent light fixtures with newer, more efficient models, LED or other energy efficient light fixtures. A compact fluorescent light uses 75 percent less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb.

Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights.

Install automatic, occupancy sensor room-lighting controls to turn lights on or off depending on occupancy or time of day.

#4 UPGRADE COMPUTERS AND OTHER OFFICE EQUIPMENT

Turn off your computers and any other office equipment when you’re not using them, especially overnight and weekends. This change can save you as much as $44 per year, per computer, depending on what you currently pay. A new “smart” power strip senses the absence of office workers and turns the attached equipment off accordingly.

For offices, UPS systems (Uninterruptible Power Supplies) can be installed. These systems combine surge protectors and battery packs. If you install a UPS system, it will allow your computers to run for a short time when the power goes out to prevent information loss.

Choose settings that automatically switch the computer monitor into sleep or “power-down” mode when you have not used it for 10 or 15 minutes. Shorten the delay time before your monitor automatically goes into sleep mode.

Here are some other ways your business can conserve energy:

  •         Use Rechargeable Batteries for Office Equipment
  •         Purchase Fuel-Efficient/Hybrid Vehicles
  •         Tune-Up Your HVAC System Annually
  •         Choose More Energy Efficient Water Fixtures

To get more cost-saving ideas and to view select energy-efficient fixtures, stop by our Hanover Supply showroom to consult with one of our expert associates.

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