Conserving energy at home isn’t just good for the environment — it can also help lower your energy bills and save you money each month. Simple things like making smart decisions when choosing appliances, being mindful of your daily energy consumption, and adopting some simple energy-saving habits are just a few of the ways you can conserve energy at home.

Here are 9 ways you can reduce your energy consumption and lower your energy bills:

1. Utilize Natural Light

One of the easiest ways to conserve energy at home is to embrace the use of natural light whenever possible. Simply opening the curtains and letting sunlight in can go a long way toward reducing your electricity usage, which is great for the environment and your bank account. Studies have shown that natural light also increases serotonin levels in the brain, which means you’ll feel happier and more relaxed, too.

To increase the use of natural light, try arranging your workspace and heavily used areas of your home so that sunlight fills the area during the day. You can also purchase lightweight curtains or blinds that provide privacy while still letting natural light filter through.

2. Turn Off Lights and Electronics When You Aren’t Using Them

It happens to everyone; you come home and suddenly realize the TV, radio, or kitchen light has been on all day. It’s human nature to forget things from time to time, but by limiting this behavior, you can save a lot of energy, and therefore, money. To help conserve energy with minimal effort, try abiding by the following tips:

• If you tend to fall asleep in front of the TV fairly often, you can typically program the TV to shut off after a certain time so it’s not on all night.
• Computers use a lot of energy, so be sure to put them into sleep mode, hibernate, or shut them down at the end of the day.
• Try to get into the habit of turning lights off when you leave rooms. This will help you avoid leaving them on all day if you leave the house.

3. Replace Traditional Light Bulbs with LEDs

LED bulbs are a little more expensive than traditional incandescent lights, but they are up to 80% more energy efficient. Additionally, they have a longer lifetime and generate a lot less heat.

Walk around your home and see how many incandescent bulbs you can replace. LEDs come in many different shapes and sizes, so no matter what type of lamp or light fixture you have, there’s probably an LED bulb that will fit in it.

If you have fluorescent lighting bays, you can also get LED bays to replace them. However, these can be a bit pricey, are a little more difficult to install, and may require the assistance of a trained electrician.

4. Get a Smart Thermostat

By efficiently controlling the temperature in your home, you can ensure that your HVAC units aren’t working harder than they need to, and you aren’t using more electricity or natural gas than necessary. Smart thermostats can learn your schedule to keep your house at an optimal temperature when you’re typically home, and then automatically adjust for the times you’re away or asleep.

5. Ensure Your Home is Properly Insulated

It takes a lot of energy to heat and cool your home during the winter and summer, respectively. So, if your home isn’t properly insulated, your HVAC appliances will be working much harder than they need to be, which can cost you quite a bit of money.

To ensure your home is properly insulated:

• Make sure doors shut flush with the frame. If there are any gaps, consider buying weather stripping to limit escaping air.
• Ensure your windows are properly sealed. Window treatments are cheap and can reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 25%.
• Check the foundation in your basement for any cracks that might be letting air in or out. You can fill these with expanding foam.
• Track down where cold drafts are coming from in the winter. These areas are also likely letting cool air out in the summer.

6. Put Decorative Lights on a Timer

If you put up lights for Christmas, Halloween, or any other event, you know how easy it is to forget to turn them off. This can end up wasting quite a bit of energy.

For the most part, people are only going to see your lights during the evenings. By plugging your lights into a timer, you can ensure that they’ll only be on and using electricity for a few hours each night instead of 24/7.

7. Identify and Unplug Energy Vampires

Energy vampires are appliances or electronics that continue to draw power even when they’re not being used. This ‘phantom power’ can account for 5 to 10 percent of your power bill. Energy vampires include items like:

• Devices that use ‘power bricks’
• Game consoles
• Coffee makers
• Wall chargers
• Printers

The best way to combat energy vampires is to unplug them when they aren’t being used. However, unplugging each item individually when you’re done using it can be a hassle. But, one easy way to manage your electronics is to purchase power strips that allow you to shut off power to multiple devices with the flip of a single switch.

8. Reduce Appliance Use

Using your appliances less might take some getting used to, but you can save a lot of energy by reducing how often you use them. For example, many people do laundry more than needed. By washing fewer loads per week, you can conserve a significant amount of electricity.

Similarly, wait until your dishwasher is full before running it. Just like your washer, cutting down on the amount of times you run your dishwasher can save a lot of energy.

Using your washer and dishwasher less also leads into our next tip:

9. Use Less Hot Water

It takes a lot of energy to heat a tank of water, so being mindful of how much hot water you consume at home can also have a big impact on your energy bill. To start, make sure that your hot water heater is well-insulated, so it doesn’t lose much heat.

If you’re fond of taking baths, consider reducing the number of baths you take, as filling the tub tends to use more water than showers. When you do shower, try to limit your time in order to use less hot water.

These are just some of the ways you can conserve energy at home. By following these simple tips, you can help reduce your electricity usage and lower your energy bills.

However, even if you’re using LED bulbs, turning off lights when you’re not home, and using your appliances responsibly, you still might have a sizeable carbon footprint if your home isn’t powered by green energy. But don’t worry, choosing the right residential green electricity plan for your specific needs is easy! Just click the link below.