5 Ways to Save Energy For Little or No Cost

Before you spend a lot of money upgrading equipment, make sure you’re not missing out on easy ways to save energy. Many energy-saving strategies cost little or nothing at all, require little time and can pay for themselves immediately or within a year or two.

So what are the no-cost, low-cost energy-saving tactics you might not currently be doing? Here are five:

1. Unplug equipment at night or when unused for long periods. Electronics continue to draw power from the outlet even when they’re turned off. This so-called phantom energy can amount to 30% of a home energy bill. To prevent wasted energy, unplug your equipment or buy power strips and click them off.

2. Set power-management or “sleep mode” settings on all computers. Many computers and monitors sit idle for hours, wasting energy and driving up your electric bills. You can save about $40 a year just by enabling the power management settings so the computer goes to “sleep” after a certain number of idle minutes. (Read our recent blog post to learn more.)

3. Install low-flow faucet aerators. “Low-flow” faucet aerators replace some of the water that comes out of a faucet with air – effectively lowering your water heating bills, your water bills and your sewage bills. Low-flow aerators – which tend to have flow ratings of 1.5 gallons per minute –generally save 25% or more water in the faucets they are installed on.

4. Seal air leaks. Air leaks can account for 15% or more of a home or workplace’s heating costs, which easily run $500 or more annually. Sealing those leaks is generally pretty affordable and can pay for itself in less than two years, according to the Department of Energy.

5. Use a programmable thermostat. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, using a programmable thermostat to set back the temperature 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours during a 24-hour period can save roughly 10% on heating and cooling bills – or up to 1% savings for every degree room temperature is turned back. Using a programmable thermostat, which you can usually buy for $50, makes setting back the temps in your home or office at times when they’re not in use particularly easy.

Want help finding no- and low-cost energy saving ideas for your business? Energy Smart provides no-cost site visits to Minnesota businesses and helps businesses identifying energy-saving opportunities. Contact us at (651)292-4653 to schedule a site visit.