One year after buying our first home together, I can officially say that home owning can be tough. There’s no doubt about that. But after a year of getting used to living together and being responsible for our own space, there’s definitely a few lessons we’ve learned that has made our lives (and wallets) much, much happier.
Besides your mortgage, your utilities can be one of the largest expenses of owning a home.
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And as much as this might not be the sexiest of topics, it’s such an important one and is one I definitely don’t hear enough about.
What Is Save on Energy?
I definitely didn’t know before buying a house, but I wish I did. Save on Energy programs are actually offered through your local hydro company and is powered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (which is a not-for-profit company). Most importantly though, it’s a resource for learning so much about energy efficiency and is so helpful at reducing your energy consumption through programs, incentives, and now (what’s now become my new obsession) a newly launched website of tools and resources.
6 ENERGY SAVING TIPS
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
6 ENERGY SAVING TIPS
WHAT WE'VE LEARNEDWhether you already own your house, are new owners, are renters (who pay for utilities), or are looking into buying a new home, we’ve rounded up 6 of the best tips we’ve learned through the Save on Energy hub, that we’ve put into practice, and actually work at conserving energy:
Invest In Your Smart Thermostat
These babies are the future. There’s a really broad range of what you can set your Eco Temperature to (the temperature your smart Thermostat sets itself to when no one is home). I’ve learned the most efficient is to set this to 18-21 degrees in the cold, and 24-32 degrees in the summer.
We use a Nest Smart Thermostat and love it. We love seeing the leaf that shows up when your temperature setting is saving energy (i.e. the more you see the leaf, the more you’re saving). When we go on vacation, we make sure to turn our nest “Off”. Something we also learned is to avoid cranking the thermostat up or down too much, since the Thermostat learns your habits and makes a pattern of them.
Other Smart Thermostat tips are to set a schedule (inputting your expected pattern of activity), enable its wifi function so it can pull information about the weather, and use the app (that comes with it) to control it even when you’re not at home.
Learn more here.
Think About Light
This might be an obvious one, but natural light is an amazing way to save energy. Opening the blinds not only lets in more light, but also warms your home naturally in the winter time. In the summer, keep the blinds closed to keep it cool though. If you are using lights, try turning on a singular desk lamp instead of an entire room of lights.
Learn more here.
Beware Of Drafty Windows And Doors
This is a sneaky one. When we viewed and bought our house, we had no idea our doors were drafty until we got really close to them in the winter time. Make sure to keep your weather strips updated and replaced when they’re too old to ensure none of your heating or cooling is going to waste. This is definitely something to keep an eye out for when you’re investing in your home. It’s not expensive to fix it, but make sure to keep it in mind.
Learn more here.
Cleaning Doesn’t Need To Be Reserved For The Spring
Keeping your place clean and free of dust actually helps the longevity of your house’s systems. Since we have Simba, we always try to keep it as dust and dirt free as possible. Also, when you’re using your home appliances (like your washing machines or dishwasher), try to use them during off hours to save those extra dollars.
Learn more here.
Stay In One Place When Working From Home
If you work from home, moving from room to room actually causes you to waste more energy. Subconsciously, you tend to leave more items that use energy on (tvs, lights, etc.). If you are working from home, try to stay in one spot and adjust your smart thermostat accordingly.
Learn more here.
Consider These Things When Buying a House
These are just some of the tips that have really helped us and our energy bills, but there’s so much more we’re still learning too. We figured if it helped us save energy and few dollars, it might be helpful for you too! I’ll leave the link to Save On Energy’s website below so you can learn more too (also it’s newly mobile optimized and friendly for on-the-go learning, yas)
Learn more here.
Learn more about these (and more) energy saving tips through Save on Energy’s new hub here.
Cheers to (energy-saving) adult living!
