Most Common Sources of Home Energy Waste in Sacramento
โIn these uncertain timesโฆโ No, letโs try that again. The fact is, thereโs never a good time for wasting energy โ and with it, wasting our hard-earned money. If youโd like to save money on your utilities, and especially if youโre already trying and your bills donโt seem to budge, how can you identify where the waste is coming from in order to do better?
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Sources of Energy Use
Of course, not all energy used is wasted. We canโt simply turn everything off and live a dark, uncomfortable existence. So letโs start by getting a handle on where most homes use the most energy. While the particulars can vary by home type, theย US Energy Information Administrationย breaks the averages down along these lines:
- Heating and cooling: 51%
- Water heating: 19%
- Lighting: 5%
- Refrigeration: 3%
- Other (small appliances, TV, washer/dryer, etc.): 21%
A few things should jump out at you from the statistics above. To begin with, your HVAC system is contributing more than its fair share to your energy spend. Whatโs more, some of the things youโre probably doing to save money (like shutting off the lights when theyโre not in use) arenโt hurting, but theyโre also not helping as much as you mightโve thought. Okay, so where do we start?
Sources of Energy Waste
As we mentioned earlier, itโs not as though you can just stopย New Window heating and coolingย your home. Hot water also isnโt a luxury, and since candles are a fire hazard weโll stick to electric lights, thank you very much. So letโs go item-by-item to see where the waste comes from.
HVAC
Weโll lump heating and cooling together, since the ways youโre probably wasting money โ and the ways you solve the waste โ are similar in both cases. Start with your thermostat, since setting it a few degrees warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter (78 and 64 degrees respectively, but every degree helps) addresses a prime cause of waste.
Poor insulation doesnโt help either, since a home that isnโt tightly insulated is letting cold air out in the summer and inviting it in during the winter. That makes your system work harder and cost you more money year โround. New insulation doesnโt come cheap, but itโs a worthwhile investment. Itโs also worth paying attention toย HVAC maintenanceย (a well-maintained system is a more efficient system), and even toย HVAC replacementย if your system is older and less efficient.
Water Heaters
When it comes to water heaters, we suggest starting with your fixtures. If it leaks, replace it; even a slow drip adds up to thousands of gallons per year, and if itโs coming from your hot water, the heaterโs running more than it needs to. Keep showers brief, keep your water heater set to about 120 degrees, and consider a trigger showerhead since theyโre a great way to control water use (if not, a low-flow showerhead helps too). Interested in going a step further? Talk to us about on-demand water heaters andย water heater replacementย if your systemโs old.
Lighting, Refrigeration, and โOtherโ
If youโre not already using energy-efficient lighting, this is a great time to start. LED bulbs especially boast high output for much lower energy use, making them a great alternative to incandescents; they also outlast CFLs. Your refrigerator, like your HVAC system, needs maintenance, and should be replaced if itโs getting up there in years. If you canโt afford a high-efficiency washer and dryer right now, cut back on smaller loads and also time your washing and drying to give your HVAC system an assist โ during cooler times of day, so your heat and AC alike get a bit of a break.
Another source of savings that might surprise you: if you have an older cable box โ especially if youโre running them in multiple rooms โ call your cable company and see if theyโll upgrade you to a more recent model. Cable boxes and TVs use a lot more energy than you might realize, especially since many of them arenโt ever truly โoffโ when theyโre not in use.
Getting Help Controlling Your Energy Spend
Obviously,ย Contact Ace Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioningย canโt help with every trouble spot; some of the items weโve outlined above are best left to a contractor, and others require attention to things outside our purview. But when it comes to addressing your plumbing, heating, and cooling needs โ from plumbing repairs to HVAC installations โ weโre here, and happy, to help Sacramento homeowners stretch their money further. Call us today!