5 Energy-Sucking Items in your Home

You want to learn how to save money on your electricity bills. (And you’re happy about the fact that this also means you’ll be wasting less electricity and therefore doing your part to green the earth.) But where should you start?

One way to start is to focus on the items in your home that waste the most energy. By making sure that these items are energy-efficient you’ll be doing the most that you can to reduce energy waste in the shortest amount of time. You can start doing smaller things after that.

Be aware that there are five major items in your home that waste the most electricity:

1. Air Conditioners. If you live in a place that’s warm even for a portion of the year then you know that your electricity bill goes sky high every time that you turn the AC on. Learn how to stop wasting money on your AC bill and you’ll really learn how to stop wasting electricity.

2. Heating. It’s not just the AC that is going to waste electricity in your home; the heating system does the exact same thing. Getting the temperature under control in your home in an energy-efficient way is crucial to saving electricity.

3. Washers and dryers. These machines suck up a lot of energy but it’s actually easy to reduce energy waste with them. Use them less frequently, choose a front-loading Energy Star washer and always wash on cold to get started saving money.

4. Refrigerators. This appliance is one of the most energy-wasting items in your home and yet you have to keep it plugged in at all times. The key to reducing waste here is to choose the right new refrigerator. Get a small, new Energy Star refrigerator with a top freezer and no frills (no ice maker, etc.) and you’ll start seeing a savings on your electricity bill.

5. Lighting. Switch to energy-efficient lighting. Turn lights off when not in use. Use CFLs (energy-saving light bulbs). Open up the windows and take advantage of natural light.

Stop being wasteful when it comes to using these five items and you’ll start making a real difference in the amount of energy that you use in your home and you will reduce your electric bill.