If you haven’t done this already, you need to replace your incandescent and florescent bulbs with LED lights, because they sip as opposed to gulp electricity. They cost more – so perhaps wait for a big sale or seasonal rebates – but you will save money in the long run. A 60-watt equivalent, as an example, might simply need 7 to 8.5 watts for comparable visibility, or lumens, with an LED light, as well as they can last much longer.
Tech will help decrease home energy expenses
Take an A19 EcoSmart-brand LED bulb as an example. It provides an estimated energy cost of just over a $1 each year (according to a national average), that will save you roughly $84 over its 15,000-hour lifetime. A 4-pack of dimmable EcoSmart LED bulbs costs about $9.
We bit the bullet last month and replaced each and every light in and outside our home with LEDs – from pot lights and regular (A19) bulbs to tiny chandelier lights – and our utility bills dropped significantly. Fortunately when we bought our home in August of 2017, we did our landscape lighting and it was LED already.
Wi-Fi-enabled Smart LED bulbs from companies like Philips and TP-Link will be more expensive, to put it mildly, however they can save even more, as a result of your ability to set schedules and timers, remotely access your lights (turning them off via an app), or, when coupled with sensors, have the lights go off whenever you leave the room. Smart LEDs also allow you to use your voice to control them (via Amazon Alexa or Google) or you’ll be able to change between millions of colors or preset scenes.
Smart LED bulbs start around $70 for Philips HUE White A19 LED Starter Kit (60W equivalent), which includes two bulbs along with a wireless bridge (hub). A 50-Watt Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb from TP-Link costs about $20. No hub is needed; it works with your Wi-Fi router.
Smart thermostats
Utilizing an app or your voice, programmable thermostats allows you to conveniently adjust heating and cooling settings – as well as some automatically optimize settings depending on when you’re home and when you’re not.
By learning your schedule, sensing occupancy (with some models), and detecting the weather outside, it’s estimated smart thermostats could drop up to a quarter of your annual heating and cooling bills. Based upon where you live, which may be quite significant.
To explain, unless you have relatives or pets at home, there’s really no reason why your air conditioning (in the summer) or furnace (in the winter) should be cranked when you’re not there.
Switches, plugs and strips
Ever hear of “vampire power”? This means; plugged-in products “suck” electricity, even though they’re switched off. This common (but little-known) energy waste can also be known as “standby” power.
Your smartphone, as an example ,, is most likely fully charged after 40-odd minutes, but maybe you leave it plugged into a wall socket all night? This isn’t good on your wallet or the environment. Some products are worse than others, like large appliances and many home theater gear.
Fortunately some switches and power strips can completely restrict electricity, on demand, using a button or app, or through a timer. Belkin, for example, has a line of Conserve-branded switches, sockets and plugs (from $7) that shut off all power to what’s plugged into it – either using the flip of a switch or following a predetermined amount of time. In addition there are Conserve power strips for multiple items to be plugged into.
Also from Belkin, WeMo-branded switches and plugs (from $29) will not completely cut off power on devices plugged into them, however they allow you to remotely turn electronics on and off, and manage costs and usage from anywhere, via the WeMo app. Believe it or not, with the Wi-Fi-enabled WeMo Insight Switch ($34), the app will show you real-time reports on how much energy your products are consuming (in dollars and cents), plus you may get notifications if your children are watching TV too long or if your laundry is done.
WeMo devices also pair with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you’re able to use your voice to control everything.
Other ideas to reducing power, problems
Ensure you’re purchasing electronic devices branded with the Energy Star logo, as they have been tested and verified to be more energy efficient. You should see that familiar sticker on the box and in most cases on the back of the product.
Curb “idle” time on your devices, for instance having your desktop computer or game console go into sleep mode after a short time.
Wi-Fi-enabled water sensors from Honeywell or D-Link (from $59) can warn you if water is detected, say, on a basement floor – even if you’re not at home – thanks to the app.
Doing the laundry? Hold off until “off-peak” hours, as supplied by your electric company, to minimize energy costs. And run full loads, that will also help reduce your bills. Wash laundry in cold water to save a great deal more. Hang dry your laundry.
While dishwashers use electricity, they save more water (and thereby, money) than hand-washing, says the California Energy Commission. Run it during off-peak hours, though.
Unless it’s sweltering outside, think about a ceiling fan as an alternative to air conditioning.
Having good insulation is able to reduce heating and cooling costs. Look out for cracks and holes on or near windows and doors.
Solar panels can certainly be a fantastic way to augment (as opposed to fully replace) your electricity consumption. Costs to install them are decreasing, too.
Have a questions or concern? Nick, Cindy & Nicholas Davis with RE/MAX Premier Group are here to assist you with all your Real Estate Needs. We are always available at 813-300-7116 to answer your questions or you can simply click here and we will be in touch with you shortly.
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