Stop Giving Your Hard-Earned Money to Utility Companies!

Save Energy – and Pay Less to Utility Companies. Here are 6 Little-Known Ways (and some hidden benefits)

 

Allergies due to air pollution

 

Do you or your family have allergies? Allergies MAY be caused by air pollution – blame large corporations for that, yes – but what about YOU? Did you know that YOU can cause air pollution by using electricity? If you use less energy, you’ll pay less to your Utility companies – and your allergies might improve!

On this planet we call Earth, things are inter-related. Things influence or affect other things.

So in this post, I’d like to talk about how saving energy not only saves you money, but also brings other benefits. And I’ll show you that saving energy is more than just switching off some lights!

 

The Source Matters

When you switch on a light at home, where does that electricity come from, and how is it generated? It might come from –

  • Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. Burning it causes huge air pollution.
  • Oil (e.g. oil-fired central heating) and natural gas are other fossil fuels used to generate electricity. Extracting, refining, transporting and burning these fossil fuels causes huge pollution globally, in air pollution as well as oil spills and more.
  • Nuclear energy is said to be clean but waste disposal is a problem and in some cases it can be a dangerous power source
  • Hydroelectric power comes from water, it’s officially renewable energy, but damming up lakes and rivers at large scales impacts environments.
  • Wind and solar energy are renewable (no matter how much we use, there will be more sunshine and more wind). They still require resources (e.g. metals to make the wind turbines) but operate cleanly and safely and don’t pollute while generating electricity,

Depending on where you live, you might be able to choose where your electricity comes from. And if you choose renewable energy, you’re not only helping the planet and going green, you’re also reducing pollution and therefore creating a cleaner, healthier world for everyone.

And it might help your allergies too!

Plus, everyone around the world is feeling the impacts of climate change. It threatens human health, society, the economy and ecosystems. But when you are more energy-efficient, you use less power.  So you generate less pollution, so you help to reduce climate change!

Read on for some easy ways to save energy, and the 4 big times when you have the best opportunity to save!

 

6 Little-Known (Easy) Energy Efficiency Tips

1.  Keep your refrigerator away from heat – don’t place it next to an oven, heater, dishwasher, or in direct sunlight.

2.  When you place un-frozen food in your freezer, spread the packets around the freezer, don’t group food packets together (until they are frozen).

3.  Scrape dishes instead of rinsing them before loading them into your dishwasher.

4.  Because most of a dishwasher’s energy is used heating the water and drying the dishes, choose the lowest heat setting, and open the door to let dishes air dry naturally instead of using the drying cycle (choose the no-heat drying setting for this).

5.  In winter, turn the temperature of your home down. Wear an extra layer, snuggle under a soft blanket with a hot drink while watching TV – it’s cosy and fun! Or save money on a gym membership and exercise at home – you’ll stay warm and get fit! If you cool your house in summer, turn the temperature up, so your cooler doesn’t have to work so hard. You won’t even notice a degree or two.

6.  If you use CCTV cameras, add motion sensors so that the cameras will only switch on and start recording when there’s actually something to record, rather than recording empty space.

 

 

When to Save Money (And the World)

European Energy Efficiency label
Energy Guide (Europe)

There are 4 main times when you can save money.

 

1.  When You Buy New Products

When you need to buy new household electronics and appliances, be sure to buy only those that are energy-efficient.

energy star logo means energy efficiency
Energy Star logo for US products

In the USA, look for products that have the Energy Star label, because they are more energy efficient than other models.

In Europe, check the letter assigned to each appliance.   Buy only A appliances, and  A+++ is the highest rated.

 

 

 

 

2.  When you Buy a New Home

If you are looking for a new home, consider one that is energy-efficient.  In the US, look for an Energy Star Certified home.  This means it is designed and built to standards above most other homes, delivering energy efficiency savings of up to 30 percent when compared to typical new homes.

Most countries have energy efficient standards, such as the PassivHaus designs which are extremely energy efficient, using almost no energy for heating and cooling.  In the UK visit the Energy Saving Trust.

 

3.  When You Re-model / Renovate Your Home

When you are making improvements to your home, always consider increased energy efficiency.   No matter where you live in the world, there is lots of helpful advice, tools and resources to help you plan and undertake projects to reduce your energy bills and improve your home’s comfort.  For example, in the US, go to the Energy Star website, in the UK for example find out if you can get a government grant.   In Australia start with this energy efficiency site

 

4.  Every Day!

Energy-efficient practices are important too. Teaching the whole family to take small steps at home to save energy—like washing clothes at a lower temperature, buying local, turning off the lights or fan when you leave the room, programming your thermostat to save energy when you’re away—add up to big energy savings.

 

Final Thoughts

Don’t give your hard-earned money to utility companies!

Use energy-efficient appliances in your home, and be aware of the simple things you can do to be more energy efficient.

You will save money, reduce pollution for better air quality (and perhaps reduce your allergies too), and help reduce climate change.

That’s a win-win!

If you enjoyed this article, please Share, Like, Tweet or Pin it (buttons below) – thank you!

Warm regards,

signature Clare

 

 

 

 

This article was originally written in 2013, and has been updated most recently in 2023


Tags

energy efficient, fossil fuels, Save money, stop paying ulility companies


  • I really like the idea of not giving money away if I can manage to avoid it. Some really great tips which I suppose some are actually common sense when you really think about it. Trouble is, we often don’t think about it! Good to be reminded and force the thought.

    • It’s true, a lot of the tips are common sense – like not placing a fridge next to a heat source. Yet so often we look at kitchen layout and function ahead of things like that….. thanks!

  • Saving Energy is Easy & Fun With the Help of Team ENERGY STAR | Big Green PurseBig Green Purse says:

    […]  Clare at EcoFriendly Link backs up Lisa’s personal findings with some amazing national statistics. “In 2012, ordinary Americans reduced their utility bills by a staggering $24 billion” by being energy efficient, she says. When you save energy, “you use less power. So you generate less pollution and improve air quality. Climate change threatens human health, society and ecosystems…and is likely to make allergies even worse.” What she likes about ENERGY STAR is that “you don’t need to sacrifice features, style or comfort,” which is why she is referring her readers to ENERGY STAR for ideas on how to save energy and find energy-efficient appliances.” […]

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