Energy can be expensive! Every day we rely on a variety of electrical devices to perform daily tasks. Cooking a meal, doing the laundry, keeping your house warm - all basic necessities that consume electricity and increase your monthly bill. Between all these appliances, your family may be consuming a large chunk of electricity that you aren’t even aware of until your monthly bill arrives. You may be surprised to learn that in the last three decades the average household energy usage has decreased by 21% from 114 million Btu to 89 million Btu per household, however the cost of energy continues to increase. (Source: Residential Energy Consumption Survey.) Some drivers of this trend include: improved building practices such as the use of better insulation and more efficient windows, adoption of energy efficient equipment, and population shifts to warmer climates. So while families may be using less electricity on average, they are still paying more. There are many opportunities where your family can save on energy. Let’s start by looking into how you spend most of your energy dollar.
Follow the Money - What is the Average Household Energy Usage?
If your family is trying to save money on electricity, the simplest way to reduce your energy bill is to reduce your consumption. The average family uses ~900 kWh (Kilowatt Hours) a month, which translates into about $2,200 a year. That’s a lot of money! Let’s look at the typical consumption for a single family home to see where the biggest energy guzzlers are found. As you can see, almost half of our typical energy consumption comes from heating or cooling our homes. When you add in water heating, these three activities account for 67% of your consumption. Simple solutions such as improved insulation to maintain home temperature or shorter and fewer hot showers can create big savings.
You Can Still Save Even if You Can’t Easily Reduce Consumption
While changing your energy usage behavior can make a difference, changes to your home can make an even greater impact. Reducing air leaks in your home can help keep your house cozy in the winter and cool in summer. Weatherproofing ideas such as adding double-paned windows, sealing doors, and adding proper insulation to your home, will help your home get to your preferred temperature and stay that way. By making these changes your family can both save money and reduce the environmental impact of using too much energy.
Reducing your overall consumption may be the best way to save, but it’s not the only way. Check to see if your utility has an online portal that tracks how you use energy. Taking the time to read your utility bill can make a big difference in helping you understand your usage. Educating yourself about energy and isolating the biggest energy wasters in your home can have a big impact on what you pay. Some other simple habits to adopt include: switching off devices when they aren’t in use, unplugging items that you use less frequently, or turning off lights when not in use. Even checking your TV for an energy saving setting will help keep your energy usage in check.
Producing Your Own Energy Saves Even More
Reducing your overall consumption, understanding your bill, and improving your home’s energy efficiency are all excellent ways to cut what you are paying for energy each month. Some of these tips will help you use less energy in the short term, but it can be hard to consistently change your consumption habits over the long run. Instead of paying the high rates that most utilities charge for your consumption, pay less with a more permanent solar solution. By producing the electricity that you consume on your very own roof you can get electricity at a cheaper rate and reduce emissions. If you produce more energy than you consume you could sell the excess back to the utility and save even more! This just makes sense for you, your family and the environment.
If you’re interested in learning more about solar or finding out if your home is eligible for a solar financing program, call us today to speak with one our professional energy advisers or get a FREE solar quote.
