Earth Day was last week. You may or may not have realized that there is often a connection between things that are good for the environment and things that are good for your wallet. In honor of Earth Day, here are three tips that can help you do right by the planet and save some money on your utility bills.
Programmable thermostats are easy to install and can save money and energy. You can program your thermostat to go down five to ten degrees at night while you are sleeping. This move alone can save you five to ten percent off of your heating bill. You can save even more if you turn the thermostat down when you go out of town for a couple of days, or even if no one will be home for a few hours. If you are replacing old thermostats with new, programmable ones, make sure that you dispose of them properly because some old thermostats contain mercury.
Get the kids interested in conserving energy resources and saving money on utilities by assigning each child an energy-saving chore. The “light police” can be in charge of making sure that any unused lights are turned off. The “window watcher” can be responsible for raising and lowering the blinds at the appropriate times of day and night to help keep heat in or out of your home. Get creative and create other jobs and fun names for them. Then, switch up the assignments each month to keep things interesting.
The third energy-saving strategy involves your hot water heater. By wrapping it in insulation that is specifically made for that purpose, you can cut the cost of heating your water by four to nine percent. Also, by turning your hot water heater down from one hundred and forty degrees to one hundred and twenty degrees you will not only save money, you will also reduce the risk of someone being burned by water that is too hot.
Photo by jdurham on morguefile.com.