Where Are Your Home's Greatest Energy Drains and How to Mitigate Them

As the summer month near, homeowners must begin to think about how they are going to conserve as much energy as they possibly can. 

This is necessary to take care of the environment and ensure that your monthly energy costs don't go through the roof. The following includes a list of some of the greatest energy drains within your home and how to mitigate them.

Heating & Cooling Devices

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, your heating and cooling devices are often the biggest energy wasters. This applies to both window A/C units and larger, more complex HVAC systems. 

Some homeowners may say that there's no going around this as most of us want our home to feel comfortable. Fortunately, due to innovations in technology, homeowners finally have a few options in mitigating the vast amount of energy that is wasted. 

For example, homeowners now have access to relatively affordable smart devices that help regulate the home's temperature depending on the conditions outside or according to the homeowner's habits. 

This means your A/C unit won't have to be on full blast while you're out at work nor have to come back to a stuffy home.

Interior & Exterior Home Lighting

Let's face it; most people are guilty of leaving multiple lights on within their homes. However, can you believe that according to the U.S. Department of Energy, over 9% of your energy usage comes from your home's interior and exterior lighting? 

Although turning off lights that you are not using certainly helps, it's simply not enough. You can further diminish the cost and amount of energy you are using by replacing your lights with energy-efficient alternatives such as LED. 

You may also seek the advice of an electrical services company to receive further information about how you can reduce your energy consumption.

Electric Stove

Few people understand just how many watts an electric stove uses (2,500 watts) each time it's operated. Add a family that you need to feed multiple times a day to that, and you can quickly see how it can become one of your home's greatest energy drains. 

Although you certainly can't go without preparing food for your family, there are a few tricks to lower the amount of energy you are using. First, it is recommended to turn off your stove before your food is cooked. 

There is often enough heat left to fully cook your food without having to waste more energy. Next, if you don't have to, don't use your stove at all and instead use your microwave to warm up food.

As you can see from the information above, there are several appliances and devices that require a lot of energy to operate. 

Therefore, it is recommended to utilize the information above and apply it to your own home in order to reduce energy consumption and some money at the end of the month.