This post brought to you by IGS Energy. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Daily Mom.
Energy bills can really be a bummer on your budget. Wasting energy is also incredibly bad for our environment. While you could reduce your energy consumption and energy bills by going off the grid, that’s probably not going to work for most people. Fear not, we have some great tips for taking control of your home energy.
Get Your Kids Involved
It is a battle every parent faces, getting kids to turn things off when they are done. We’ve got a couple ideas to get your kids on board with saving energy by turning stuff off.
- If you have a type A, bossy kid, let him be in charge of making sure things are turned off when not in use. A kid that loves to tell people what to do will be all over this responsibility, and everything in your home will be switched to off pretty quickly.
- Put little reminders around the house for forgetful children (or adults); post-it notes by light switches, a note on the front door to check the lights before you leave, etc. Put little tags on electronic charger cords. Those chargers pull electricity when not in use so they need to be unplugged.
If your kids get on board with taking control of your home energy, you will see your power bill decrease.
Ensure You Turn Things Off Before You Leave
You already have a routine for leaving the home in the morning. You make sure everyone has their backpack and lunch, you put the dog in his crate and you make sure you lock the door and close the garage. Why not add a quick run through of the house to check that everything is off to the routine? You can even enlist the kids help here too. Everyone has to check their room before you leave and you can check the common areas. By always checking, you will actually find that the lights and other power sucking things will be less likely to be left on in the first place. If you make checking for things left on a habit, turning things off in the first place will become the habit ultimately.
Utilize fans and curtains
Fans help with heating and cooling costs. Did you know you can reverse your fans in the winter so they push heat down to keep your home warmer? In the summer, utilize fans to avoid turning the air conditioning up even higher. Here is information on using ceiling fans properly to save heating and cooling costs.
Curtains can aid in lowering heating and cooling costs if you use insulated blackout curtains. A one time purchase of this type of curtain will help you control how much energy you use on heating and cooling your home for many years to come.
Refrigerator and Freezer tips
To keep your food fresh, but avoid wasting energy, your refrigerator should be set between 35-38 degrees. Your freezer should be as full as possible. An empty freezer uses more energy to maintain the set temperature. Try to avoid standing in front of an open fridge for too long! To make sure you aren’t searching for food for too long, be sure you place your food in the proper place every time.
Use an Independent Energy Supplier
In some states, customers have the amazing opportunity to purchase their electricity and natural gas from an independent energy supplier. Traditionally, consumers have no control over where the energy for their home comes from. That’s not the case if you live in a deregulated state. You can learn more about energy choice and deregulation . You can literally control who you get your energy from just like you control where you get your groceries.
How it works:
- An independent energy supplier is a company that sells the energy that the utility delivers.
- You still have a utility company that delivers electricity and natural gas to consumers. You can chose your supplier though.
- Choosing an independent energy supplier gives you control of the energy in your home because you can set a fixed rate for a time period for your electricity and gas. If you continue to use your utility company as a supplier, prices fluctuate with the market and other conditions. You don’t know what to expect and it can be impossible to accurately budget for your energy bill. Using an independent supplier eliminates this problem with fixed flat-rates.
The largest independent supplier of natural gas and electricity in the country is IGS Energy (#IGSEnergy). They offer natural gas and electric supply products, high quality customer service, green energy products, and flat bill options that give you predictability and control in your monthly budget.
Enrolling with IGS Energy is simple. You can enroll directly on IGSenergy.com, through their local home energy consultants, in person, by mail, or over the phone. IGS offers their incredible services in ten states currently. This company is committed to serving the communities it is a part of. We love a company that gives back. Read more about IGS Companies community support. The company just had a community service day where their employees used a business day to serve in the community.
So what are you waiting for? Go here to see if you are lucky enough to be able to take control of the energy in your home by using an independent energy supplier like IGS.
Give a few or all of these ideas a shot and see how the newly gained control over your home energy will save you money and save the environment at the same time. If you have any other tips to help control home energy or if you’ve experienced a positive result from making these changes, let us know!
For another way to gain control of your budget, try buying generic. You can save a ton of money buying store brand skincare products and you won’t notice a difference. Read Skincare Products: Comparison Shop to Save Big for the real deal on this money saving possibility.
Photo Credits: Liz West, Derek Gavey, Tony Alter, Shannon Deema, Kaktuslampan
Sources: Energy Saving Tips in Your Daily Routine
