Compared to natural gas, oil or even in some cases, drinkable fresh water, we have the means to supply our own electricity rather easily.  We can do this through things like solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, and yes even human powered items like bikes and cranks.

Electricity makes up approximately 25% of your monthly utility bills.

So how can you save money on electricity?

1.  Turn OFF The Lights

I know, pretty obvious suggestion right.  I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but almost every time I visit a friend or family members home there are inevitably lights on in rooms that no one is currently using.  I also find at least a few homes on my way to and from work that have their exterior lights on during the day.

Small things like this add up.  You can save up to 15% of your electric bill by not having lights turned on when you are not in the room or not home.

2.  Change Light Bulbs

Replace your current incandescent bulbs with lower wattage compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).  It is said that a fluorescent bulb uses 75% less electricity than its equal incandescent counterpart and they last almost 10 times longer.

If you simply switch the bulbs in your most used rooms in the house, Living Room, Family Room, Kitchen & Bedrooms you can make a significant dent in your electric bill.

Just remember, the incandescent bulbs contain mercury so they must be recycled properly when they burn out.

3.  Turn Off your Power Strips

Did you know that items like, toasters, coffee makers, TV’s, DVD players, game consoles, stereo systems, printers, & computers continually use electricity even when they are OFF.

It is estimated that almost 75% of a homes monthly electric usage is used up by consumer electronics.

You can combat this by utilizing power strips effectively.  Simply turn OFF the power strip switch when your TV system & computer desk are not in use.

4.  Install Dimmer Switches

Install dimmer switches in rooms that do not require a lot of light all the time.  They go well in your living room, family room, dining room and bedrooms.  By using dimmer switches you can reduce the amount of electricity needed to illuminate those rooms that do not always require a lot of light.

Keep in mind that you must purchase fluorescent bulbs that are specially made to be dimmed.

5.  Help your appliances run more efficiently

Standard home appliances like refrigerators, freezers, dish washers, heating & cooling units and washers & dryers account for a significant portion of your everyday electrical needs.  They work hard to keep your food cold, your dishes clean, you home warm in the winter & cool in the summer, and your clothes clean.

> Refrigerators & Freezers

You can help these appliances not have to work so hard with a few easy adjustments.  You can put 2 gallons of water in your freezer.  This will help keep your freezer cold and not have to continually keep running.  You can also adjust your refrigerator temperature.  It should be set at around 38 degrees.

> Heating & Cooling

Make sure you keep your HVAC unit filters clean and your windows & doors closed during those months when you are utilizing the heating or cooling.  You can also set your thermostat to be at 68 degrees during the winter and 74 during the summer.  This will help your HVAC unit not have to work so hard.

> Washer, Dryers & Dishwashers

Wash your clothes only when there is a full load & dry your clothes on a line outside during the spring, summer and fall.

Try not running your rinse cycle on the dishwasher, especially if you are already rinsed your dishes before they went in.

These are just a few things that you can do to help save money on electricity.  Whether you are on the main power grid or are utilizing your own power supply it is important to regulate the usage of electricity on a daily basis.

What are some unique ways that you have found to save money on your electricity bill?

Most of us don’t realize that the majority of our water has been heavily filtered from our waste water that we so casually let flow down our drains.  Water is one of those resources that is reused over and over again, yet we never stop to think about the energy and resources it takes to filter and treat the water to make it drinkable.

The EPA estimates that an average family of 4 uses about 400-500 gallons of water per day.

It is up to us, the general population, to make the necessary changes to our daily routines to conserve the water that we use.  In doing so, the water treatment plants will be required to treat less water and therefore use less energy and resources over time.  Also, it is a good way to save money every month.

Here are 5 ways to conserve water…

1. Check for Leaks

A single small leak or dripping faucet is estimated to waste about 100-200 gallons of water a day.  Check your faucet and pipe system inside & out of your home on a regular basis to ensure that nothing is leaking.

2. Install a Well

In these modern times we have generally moved away from onsite wells that provide water to a single home.   However, drawing water directly from the ground and feeding it to your home is a good way to go “off the grid” and rely on your own energy and resources to filter and treat the water to make it drinkable.   If you are using a form of alternative energy to perform this task you are doing an even better job.

3.  Install an On Demand Hot Water Heater

It is estimated that up to 40% of the water that we use on a daily basis flows directly down the drain in an effort to get the desired temperature of water that we want.  We let the faucet run until the hot water comes from the gas hot water heater 30 feet away to the faucet wasting gallon upon gallon of water in the process.  By installing an “On Demand Hot Water Heater” the water gets heated almost immediately at the point of distribution, saving both natural gas and water in the process.

4.   Install New Toilets

Older model toilets use anywhere from 3-5 gallons of water per flush.  A new model toilet uses on average 1.5 gallons of water per flush.   It practically pays for itself.

Don’t throw the old toilets away.  Reuse them by turning them into yard art.

5.  Stop rinsing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

Most dishwashers today use 10-15 gallons of water per cycle.  Add to that the 10 gallons or so you use to rinse your dishes before you put them in the dish washer and now have used 20-25 gallons.  Dish washers today are made to be very efficient both in how much water they use and how clean they get the dishes without having to rinse them before hand. If you don’t have a dish washer, try filling up your sink half way with water instead of letting the water run the whole time.  You can save 10-15 gallons per day with this little change.

You must decide…

Conserving water is a choice that each of us must make for ourselves.  It is to often that we take things that we use everyday for granted and then complain to some government entity when it is no longer provided.  Imagine if you had to forage and provide your own water supply each and everyday.  I bet you that none of us would consume the average of 100 gallons per person per day.   We wouldn’t even  know where to look or even how to treat the water we found to make it drinkable.

Be mindful of the amount of this precious resource we use that we call “fresh water.

Often we find that the hot air that we bought and paid for is being wasted by rising right up into our attics. Stop watching your money go into your attic.

Try installing an Attic Door Cover like the Owens-Corning 541799 R-10 Attic Stairway Insulator, for Openings Up To 24.5 by 54-Inch

We have found that by installing one of these attic door insulation products that we no longer have a draft under our attic door and that the hallway is much warmer than it was before.

My first stop was to look at Solar Panels and how much it would cost to install a complete solar system with battery storage to replace all of my homes electrical needs. In doing so I quickly realized that you can go one of two ways. You can either pay a reputable company to install a complete system OR you can go the “DIY” or do it yourself route and build and install it yourself.

If you choose to install a complete solar system using a professional contractor you have the benefit of a professionally done job that comes with warranties and guarantees. They also handle any permits and work with your local electrical company to tie your system into the grid so that you can feed power back to the grid and get paid for it. This is a good option for most people and as the industry becomes larger the cost for these systems is decreasing.

The other option is to build your system from scratch by purchasing various parts from both vendors on the internet and/or local hardware stores. In choosing this option it becomes more difficult to tie your system into the local grid so often these home made solar systems are operating separately. However, by building the system yourself, you get to start small and scale up your array of solar panels and battery backup as you need it.

Wind Turbines

Wind Turbines seem to be an overlooked option when it comes to residential alternative energy solutions.  It may be because of either the cost or maybe it is the overall aesthetics of having a windmill in your backyard.  Either way, wind turbines have the possibility of generating enough power to at least supplement your energy needs in your home if not, given the size of the turbine, replace your grid power all together.

Wind power systems work similarly to solar panel systems in that they generate electricity and feed it into a battery storage system for use in your home.  Installing one of these systems can be tricky as placement of the turbine is very important.   I recommend going with a reputable company for installing a Wind Power system.  However, you can purchase a wind turbine yourself and install it with the right knowledge.

Final Thoughts

When I first started looking into Alternative Energy Solutions for my home I was intent on finding the right system to replace my current power supply.  As I delved deeper into this topic I have come to the conclusion that having both a Solar Panel System and a Wind Power System is most likely the best option.  After all, the Sun doesn’t shine everyday and when the Sun isn’t shining it is usually windy.

I haven’t made a final decision just yet, but when I do, I will be sure to let you know.

Lets start by looking at the “Big 3″.

Category 1 – Water

Category 2 – Natural Gas and/or Oil

Category 3 – Electricity

Water

There are many things that you can do to reduce the amount of water a home uses. You would be surprised at how much some simple changes to your daily routine can accomplish. You can start by only running the dishwasher less often.  Try running the dishwasher every other day instead of everyday. You can cut back on how often & how long you run your sprinkler system. You can take shorter showers and try not to let the faucet run when doing dishes or brushing your teeth, etc.

You can reduce your water consumption by upgrading some appliances or fixtures in your home.  It may take an initial investment, but the return on investment in the long run is much more than the money you are initially investing. You can start by replacing your toilets with more modern models that use the least amount of water possible. You can also replace the shower heads and sink faucets to models that put out less water flow.

If you are so inclined, you can also make some drastic changes like using rain collection barrels on your gutter downspouts. You can then use that water for your gardens and outside plants instead of running your irrigation system. You can even set up a water catchment system that includes a filtration system that can replace your city water supply and provide you with clean water to your entire home.

Nature Gas and/or Oil

Some homes use Natural Gas and/or oil to heat there homes in the winter, cook there food and provide hot water. In some cases the use of Natural Gas and Oil can be eliminated all together, but in most cases you can reduce the use of these resources with some simple changes to your life style.

You can start by properly utilizing your programmable thermostat. Most homes today have these and they are often under utilized. Very simply program it to be a comfortable temperature when you are active in the home and at a lower temperature when you are work, school or sleeping. We recommend that you lower it by at least 4 degrees when you are not home during the day.

You can also lower the temperature setting on your hot water heater. You don’t use scolding hot water all the time and yet most homes have the temperature on the hot water heater set to a very high degree. The problem is your hot water heater must constantly be heated by the gas burner to keep that temperature up. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater a few degrees and you will find that you use less resources.

The biggest thing you can do to reduce your consumption of Natural Gas and/or oil is to eliminate it all together by investing in a Solar System for your home and converting to electric heat, an electric cooking range and an electric on demand water heater.

Electricity

A homes consumption of electricity can be reduced greatly with some easy solutions. Everyone knows or should know to use fluorescent bulbs in most if not all of there lamps and light fixtures. You should turn off the lights in rooms that are not in use, and if you are using electric heat make sure that your thermostat is programmed to lower the temperature when you are not around. Unplug items from the outlets when not in use. Even though an item is not turned on they are still using electricity.

Purchasing energy efficient appliances is something that you should think about whenever you are in the market for things like, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, dishwashers and window air conditioners. There are plenty of energy efficient appliances that can greatly reduce your electric bill and save you money.

You can also go “Off the Grid” or even partially supplement your homes electricity needs with your very own Solar Panels that will generate all or most of the electricity needs for you home. In my opinion this is the best and cleanest option available today.

These are but a few ideas that can help you save money on your utility bills. It is up to you to make the change in your everyday lives and choose to consume less natural resources. Start analyzing the items you use everyday and find your own ways to reduce your utility bills each month. I promise you will thank yourself when you get your next utility bill in the mail.