Average Household Energy Consumption

Average Household Energy Consumption

Green vs. Green

What exactly is energy you ask?? Energy is divided up between economic sectors residential, commercial, transportation, and industrial and it’s insane how much we rely on energy to drive cars, light homes, manufacture products, and use cell phones. Our reliability on them is consumed so much, we don’t even know how much we’re using and wasting. It’s sad to say that the U.S. uses the most energy than any other country and the progression of our use will continue to grow at least until 2040 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, (why they stopped at 2040, I have no idea).This chart below shows how much each state uses energy. With that being said, Alaska spends $7,700 per person, which is about $4,200 more than the average (with mad math skills, average is about $3,000.) However, Arizona beats that average by $815, being the most efficient with their energy spending of $2,600 a year. So with all heavy information said, how can you as the consumer and the customer save money and conserve energy to save our environment from this trend we famously quote “Global Warming?”

www.energy.gov

Brighten up Swap out your bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They typically cost roughly $10 each, but uses about a quarter less of wattage than incandescent. This will save you about $30 a bulb or if you want to see a bigger difference, 10,000 hours or 416 days. However, did you know that incandescent lights use 90% of energy and only 10% results in light? Geez what a waste! I’ll be getting my CFLs today!

Keep lamps away from the thermostat. When this much heat is conducted from the bulbs near the thermostat, the heat produces enough of it to cause your furnace to run less or your air conditioner to run more. Dust it off! Clean the bulbs on the overhead lights, ceiling fans, chandeliers, floor lamps and even lamp shades! The dust that covers shades and light fixtures creates a layer of grime that blocks the light from shining through therefore making the energy work harder to light the room. Be cool Change your air filters! Duh! If you haven’t touched your filter in 3 months or more, it’s time to change those bad boys to keep clean air circulating and the dust particles at bay and of course for energy savings! Unlike myself, I tend to forget to change mine out, but a helpful reminder is always handy ;). Good example of what your filter should look like:

 

Close vents in rooms that you aren't using. If you've got that spare bedroom/office that is hardly used, close any airways that let cooling and heating out. That way energy is used to heat and cool rooms that you actually use. Switch your ceiling fans. During the summer, switch the fan counter-clockwise at a higher speed to move the breeze around. During the winter, switch the fan to a clockwise setting at a lower speed to distribute heat.

www.azpartsmaster.com

  If you have windows facing the south or west side of your house or apartment, use blinds and/or curtains to block the sun from coming in, but that should be common knowledge only because we don’t want the sun blinding us or possibly melting us!

www.wiredstudios.net

Wash it, Wash it Cold Wash clothes in cold water because 90% of the cost is used just to heat the sucker up. Only use hot water for those filthy clothes you have to pick up by your fingertips and really smells. Also, wait to wash clothes when you have a full load. Fill the clothes up to as high as the water reaches.

www.household-management-101.com

These few tips may help lower your energy bill and save some pennies for that beach bumming vacation you've been dreaming about all winter. There are multitudes of ways to save and to help our lovely mother earth, and by you doing one little change can make a difference! Happy Savings!