Can I tell you how excited I am about Fall? I truly love this time of year. I don’t know if it’s the college football on Saturdays, which is a family tradition for us with ALL. THE. FOOD.
Or y’all… the hot air balloons that literally fly right over our house this time of year. They’re amazing and such a treat!
They’re so close we can actually hear the people talking in the baskets.
And the kids have found or been forced into the childhood joy of raking leaves only to jump in them later.
We also plan to do lots of camping in our new hideaway.
Fall is also a great time to start thinking about energy savings around the house as you prepare for the cold of Winter because let’s face it…
Really I don’t mind Winter, but someone in this house does {her name rhymes with smashley} and we think mother nature was kind to her last year by giving us a mild first Winter here in Franklin.
What I do dislike is the extra expense that comes with Winter. I mean I really don’t see why leaving the thermostat on 58 is really a problem, that’s why we have those fancy coats and boots, right?
So today in honor of keeping warm, preparing for Fall/Winter and saving money (because saving energy means saving money) we thought we’d talk all things energy awareness. Not to mention October is, after all, National Energy Awareness Month.
And who doesn’t want to save on energy costs?
But even more than saving cost, learning to be energy efficient helps future generations.
If you’re from the South or have any relationship to it, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Were you raised in a barn?” a few times in your life. You’re probably also familiar with the saying, “Don’t let the bought air out!”
While they may be a little folksy or corny, I think that those two sayings highlight a great place to start talking about energy savings. One of the biggest energy users in the home is the HVAC system. So it makes sense that it’s probably the best place to start looking for savings. We focused on this area some this past summer. So make sure to check out those tips.
Our friends at American Home Shield , the nation’s largest home warranty provider, emphasize that it goes much deeper – even things as simple as checking the damper to make sure it’s closed when the fireplace is not in use.
Or diving into deeper issues like insulating more areas of your home, or even removing old insulation and replacing with newer and better foam spray insulation.
It’s the details that matter.
One of the best places to start is understanding the energy use in your home or having an energy audit. An audit will help you understand the patterns of energy use in your home as well as potential places to save on energy use.
The value of an audit, is it makes you aware of the “state of your home.” It’s easy to do what we’ve always done, either because of lack of knowledge or simply being busy.
We had an audit done on our home by our local utility company. It was free and the State of Tennessee even gave us a rebate to apply to our power bill based on our score. And anything we fixed that the auditor suggested, they gave us another rebate.
He even threw in a few energy efficient bulbs. Score!
Sometimes you see the sticker shock of fixes and think it’s not worth it, but once you average out the yearly savings up front, money seems small in comparison to the long term savings. It’s the things we don’t really think about that matter in the long run.
The audit can also reveal some smaller changes that can have long term impact on your energy footprint and cost. Here’s a few ideas:
Bulbs – Examining the bulbs you use and switching to more energy efficient bulbs will not only save on the monthly bill, but you’ll be replacing them less. A double savings.
Laundry – Or maybe it’s understanding your wash cycle better. Can you reduce the number of loads you wash in the dishwasher or washing machine? Clothes don’t have to be washed after each wash… surely you learned this as a college freshman, right? No stains, smells good, not too baggy, it’s good to go. We can’t tell you how many times a week we correct the kids for throwing their one-time-worn pj’s into the dirty clothes. Bonus: It also helps your clothes last longer.
Dishwasher – Learning to properly load the dishwasher, not only for cleaning purposes but also for maximum load. Ashley thinks I’m a little neurotic about this because I may or may not unload and reload the dishwasher behind her. It’s real live Tetris for adults.
Dryer Lint – You probably know that cleaning your dryer lint screen is not only necessary to prevent a fire, but also a great way to save money. Have you ever thought about the other components of the system, especially if you have a pet?
Gross, right? Cleaning out the duct work from the dryer to the external vent is a great way to help prevent fires and save money. Better air flow equals less energy used.
Sorry, I had to throw in a pretty picture, that lint grossed me out.
As you think about Energy savings and Energy awareness, we want to give you an actionable plan.
1. Conduct an energy audit on your home whether you do it yourself, have the local utility company do it or have another RESNET home energy rater do it. Learn more here.
2. Make the simple changes first; light bulbs, programmable thermostat, turn the water heater up, clean lint vents, etc.
3. Use a tax refund or extra money to begin replacing old appliances with energy efficient ones.
4. Insure those purchased products with a home warranty from a trusted brand like AHS. You don’t want to be left high and dry with limited manufacturer warranties.
5. Enjoy the savings on other things!
We are using our savings for fun Halloween costumes this year, so stay tuned for that one. (Past creations here) And let us hear your favorite ways to save on energy! Because we’re always looking for more.
{We are excited to partner with American Home Shield to talk all things home. All thoughts and opinions are solely ours.}
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful post. And great tips as well. Looking forward to more of your posts!
Wishing you a day filled with grace