Save on Electric - 20 Money Saving Tips

Using these 20 money saving tips, you will be able to save on electric by up to 15% without changing your life style, all you need to do is think green. With just these few tips you will have a bit more cash left over at the end of each month to spend the way you want to not the way you have to.

Cooking

1. Always go for an oven with a self cleaning option, such ovens a higher grade of insulation, so as you cook you save on energy over an oven without this option.

2. Once you have something cooking in the oven, never open the door to check on progress, this will quickly reduce the temperature of the oven. Use the oven light and the glass panel, cook and save again

3. If you are cooking for one or two of you consider having a back up toaster oven, it will be faster more economic than a large conventional oven.

4. The most economic way to cook things like vegetables and reheat meals is to use a microwave oven, keep things at the edge of the rotating plate for max. efficiency and quicker cooking times

Refrigeration

5. Overcrowded fridges never work efficiently, make sure that you stack your shelves so that the air can flow around the food. This will allow you to up the temperature slightly and still preserve your food just as well.

6. Never put hot food into a fridge, this will raise the internal temperature and you energy cost rise cooling it down again. Leave food to cool before you put it in the fridge.

7. Make sure the seals on your fridge on freezer are regularly cleaned, if they get clogged with articles of food then they will not close properly and allow cold air out. It should go without saying that flattened or spilt seals need to be replaced.

8. Make sure that your fridge or freezer are sensibly placed well away from appliances that radiate heat, and heating vents or radiators

9. When buying a freezer keep in mind the needs of your family, do not be tempted to buy one that is bigger than you need, as the unused capacity costs you money to freeze down.

10. The other consideration when buying a freezer - upright or chest? Upright models look better and will blend in with your kitchen layout, just bear in mind that they leak your expensive cold air through the bottom of the door. So if you have space put a chest freezer out the back, not as cool looking, but a heck of a lot more energy efficient.

Washing the dishes

11. Modern dish washers are much more energy efficient a quiet than models of even a decade ago, so the purchase of that new dish washer you really wanted will probably pay for itself with savings you make on your electric bill.

12. Never run you dishwasher unless it is full, just wipe the leftovers from the dishes because if you rinse them off before you put them in, a) you might as well wash them and not put them in the dishwasher, b) you will waste your expensive hot water.

Laundry

13. When choosing a washing machine, choose a front loading model- they make cost a little more but they will save you up to 50% on your electric and up to 40% on water usage. When use in combination with the new cold water laundry detergents and set on 'cold wash' the cost per load drops like a rock.

14. Clean the filter on your dryer after every load and clean the outside filter (on the wall where to hot air comes out) at least once a month the improved air flow will reduce your drying times, your electric bill and will also cut down on the fire risk of having an outlet packed with combustible dry lint.

Lighting and heating

15. Modern energy efficient, they cost a little more than ordinary bulbs but they give more light and last much longer than conventional bulbs. If used throughout the house you electric bill will be reduced by as much as 7%.

16. Do not keep turning your lighting on and off this will reduce the life of the bulb by more than half, but do not leave them on when you go out of the room for any length of time.

17. Central heating and air conditioning carefully monitor the thermostat, excess heating or cooling will cost you a lot on electric bill. Gas fires with pilot lights, make sure that you turn it off in the summers months or if you are away from the house for more than a few days in the winter.

General maintenance

18. Insulation - Check all the joints in the house especially between the wall and door frames and windows this will allow leaks into the house, it is a simple matter of caulking the gaps and increasing your energy efficiency. Maintain the loft insulation, worn out loft insulation can add 15% to your heating and cooling costs, check for any energy efficiency tax rebates and or offers from your electricity company that may cover some of the cost.

19. A quality adhesive-backed weather seal should be placed around all external doors and opening windows so that they close tightly and prevent expensive drafts. The cushioned seals come on a rolls with an adhesive backing so are very simple to install and well worth the effort for the savings you will get on your electric bill

20. If you live in an area that is prone to extremes of temperature then enclose external doors with a small porch, this two door system will maintain a barrier space between the temperatures inside and out and save you money on your electric bill.

Once your house is energy efficient then why not consider creating your own green alternative energy system and increase your savings even more.

Energy Star Lights

Energy Star lights are very good for the environment and were introduced around 1992. The energy efficient consumer products program was started to help promote environmentally friendly products. The idea is to reduce the amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

If you use Energy Star lights such as compact fluorescent bulbs in a proper lighting fixture, you could use up to seventy-five percent less energy than the old standard light fixtures used. Many lighting manufacturers are meeting the demands of the public in regards to environmentally friendly lighting products.

Consumers should consider replacing their high usage light fixtures with Energy Star lights. This will also help conserve energy and save money. Most people use the lights in the kitchen, living room, table lamps and outdoor lights the most. It would be wonderful to see every home in North America take this approach to energy conservation.

Due to the publics demand, manufacturers are producing Energy Star lights in various styles now. These include chandeliers, lamps, wall sconces and pendant lights as well.

It is not only Energy Star lights that feature the well known label, you can find it on such products as doors, air conditioners, furnaces, appliances, light bulbs, fans and many more household products. Consumers know that if they see the label on a product that they are getting something that is friendly to the environment. The demand for these products has skyrocketed in the past few years and will continue to do so.

The cost of Energy Star lights should go down as the demand increases. Right now, they are close to the same price with the energy saving product costing slightly more. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last up to ten times more that incandescent bulbs and they also use up to three times less power consumption. One of the drawbacks of incandescent lights is that most of the power used, just goes up in heat, which is a complete waste of energy. People do not use bulbs for heat; they use them for light in the majority of cases.

Energy Star lights are a great way for everyone to do their part in conserving energy. In fact, there really is no reason why consumers should not be switching to these environmentally friendly products.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs - The Sensible Alternative

The lights in an average household use about 20% of the total electricity, so anything that will reduce that power consumption will help lower your energy bill while cutting down on pollution. Fortunately, it's easy to save energy on lighting by simply installing energy saving light bulbs.

Regular incandescent light bulbs produce light by heating a small filament inside the bulb. This heat production accounts for 90% of the energy they consumer. Energy saving light bulbs are florescent, much more efficient because they don't need heat to produce light.

How much energy do they save? On average, the energy savings are about 66%. But that is not the only way you save money using these bulbs. They also last much longer than regular bulbs, so although they cost more, you still save money when buying light bulbs.

Energy saving light bulbs last about 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Even if the florescent bulb costs considerable more than the traditional bulb, the lifespan of the bulb combined with the energy savings adds up to substantial savings.

It has been conservatively estimated that you can save about $4 per year for each energy saving light bulb that you install in your house. If you replace 20 bulbs, that's a savings of $80 a year.

Just imagine if every household in America took advantage of the savings that compact florescent bulbs provide. Not only would have more buying power, we would also cut down on the pollution caused by electricity generating plants.

Greenhouse emissions are one of the biggest concerns with burning fossil fuels to produce electricity. The average household produces more greenhouse gases than a car because of the amount of electricity consumed. Installing energy saving light bulbs is one way to cut down on those emissions.

Do your pocket book and the environment a favor by using florescent compact bulbs wherever you can. It's the only sensible thing to do.

Home Energy Savings Tips: Compact Fluorescent Lamps

Because electrical lighting consumes nearly 15% of a household's electricity use, you may wish to learn about some energy efficient lighting alternatives. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are one you should consider.

Their design blends the energy efficiency of fluorescent lighting with the convenience and interchangeability of incandescent fixtures. CFLs will fit nearly any fixture designed for an incandescent bulb.

CFLs can replace incandescent lights approximately 3-4 times their wattage, which means you can save up to 75% of the lighting energy. Although CFLs cost 10-20 times more than comparable incandescent bulbs, they last 10-15 times as long. In other words, over the long term you save lots of money by paying more up front.

Compact fluorescent lamps work a lot like regular fluorescent lamps. They're comprised of two parts: a magnetic or electronic ballast, and a gas-filled tube. The gas inside the tube glows with ultraviolet light when electricity from the ballast runs through it. This in turn triggers a white phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, emitting visible light all the way through the surface of the tube.

The type of compact fluorescent lamps which use magnetic ballasts flicker when they start, like regular fluorescents do. They also weigh more than CFL's with electronic ballasts, which may make them too heavy for some light fixtures. Electronic ballasts are more expensive, but light immediately. They are also more efficient than magnetic ballasts. Most currently available CFLs have electronic ballasts.

Because compact fluorescent lamps are designed to operate within certain temperature ranges, temperatures outside the range cause reduced light output. A CFL's temperature range can found printed on most lamp packages. Although there are models offered for outdoor use, most are for indoor applications. You can install outdoor CFLs in enclosed fixtures to reduce the effects of colder temperatures and wind chill.

This type of lighting is at its most cost effective in areas where lights are left on for long periods of time. In locations where lights are turned on for short periods of time, such as in closets and pantries, an incandescent bulb may be a better choice. Since compact fluorescent lamps do not need to be changed often, they are perfect for hard-to-reach areas like ceiling fixtures.

Try out a CFL for a test run and see how much energy you save.

Electricity Dependence and Energy Conservation

Why are we so dependent on electricity? The answer is simple - electricity allows modern appliances and more convenience in our lives. What would life be like if we went back to the time before electricity? Life was much harder than, and electricity has made modern life possible. The problem with being dependent on electricity is the fact that much of the electricity we use is created in coal powered energy plants. When coal is burned, greenhouse gases and pollution are emitted that cause environmental harm. Going back to no electricity is not a viable option, but we can lower our electricity consumption and find other ways to create electricity using alternative energy sources instead of coal and other fossil fuels. Waste to energy programs are one way that needed electricity can be produced without using fossil fuels, and there are many others.

The basics of electricity production are not as complex as many believe. Electricity can be produced using many other methods besides ones which require fossil fuels. Wind power, solar power, ocean power, and geothermal power are all alternative energy sources which can produce electricity. The basic production is the same though because all electricity starts with electrons, and a conductor which allows these electrons to travel through the material. Without a conductor it is not possible for electricity to travel from one place to another. A generator is used to move the electricity in the desired direction and flow. For electricity to be produced an electrical circuit is needed. Electricity production is possible using alternative energy sources instead of coal or other fossil fuels, and this will give many benefits, including environmental benefits.

Energy conservation efforts must be used to minimize electricity dependence, while using alternative energy sources to create the electricity needed. But exactly what lies behind real energy conservation? Real energy conservation means cutting back on the electricity you use, and making sure that the electricity you do use for necessities is produced from eco friendly alternative energy sources, instead of coal or other fossil fuels. If you have older appliances, replace them with energy efficient models that do not require as much electricity, and make your home as energy efficient as possible. Try to minimize electricity use as much as possible, and use clean sources of electricity.

The benefits of using energy saving light bulbs can help with electricity conservation. These bulbs last ten times longer than the usual light bulbs, and do not cost much more. Energy saving bulbs can help save both money and energy, because they do not have to be replaced as frequently, and they require much less energy to use. In addition less waste goes to the landfill, because energy saving bulbs do not need to be replaced anywhere near as often as traditional light bulbs. These bulbs can be an efficient way to conserve energy and protect the environment from harm, and is just one way out of thousands that you can use conservation efforts to make a difference. Electricity dependence does not mean conservation efforts can not be effective. Protecting the environment, conserving energy, and using alternative energy sources to produce electricity will prevent any energy crisis and keep the environment in good shape.

Should We Use Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Most light bulbs in use today are the old incandescent bulbs invented more than 100 years ago. They are cheap and available for a wide range of power ratings. Unfortunately, only a very small amount of this power is converted into light. This makes them very inefficient. Because there are used all around the world and each room has at least one of them there is a significant amount of produced electrical energy that is wasted. It is converted into heat which is not needed. Because energy is not cheap and its production contributes to the global warming many governments have decided to replace conventional incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient replacements.

The most common choice is the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). They are designed to fit into the same fixture used for incandescent bulbs. Such lamps also include a small electronic circuit which acts as an electronic ballast. Compact fluorescent lamps are 3 to 4 times more efficient comparing to incandescent bulbs with the same luminosity. Also the rated life of compact fluorescent lamp is 10 to 15 times longer than for the incandescent ones and is usually between 6000 and 15000 hours. Despite its higher prices they can save a lot of money during its life time. Another benefit of CFLs is the type of light they produce. It is much closer to natural white light. This is because they radiate a light spectrum which depends on the phosphor coating. Usually few different types of phosphor coatings are used to create a wider light spectrum close to sunlight.

But fluorescent lighting has also some drawbacks. Lamps contain small amounts of mercury. Mercury is a very toxic element and we should take extra care not to come in touch with it. This complicates disposal of broken fluorescent lamps which should be stored in special containers for dangerous materials. CFLs do reach full brightness immediately after they are switch on. Therefore, it is not advised to use them where lighting is needed only for short times. Another drawback is that compact fluorescent lamps can not be dimmed. For such purpose we should use special CFLs designed to be used with dimmers.

Because of high efficiency and many other advantages many countries have prepared plans to replace old and inefficient incandescent bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent lamps. Typical measures include bans on production or selling of incandescent lamps. Using energy efficient lighting can save a lot of energy. And saving energy also reduces emissions of CO2. In other words, fluorescent lighting can help to reduce global warming.

Reduce Energy Costs by 80% With Commercial LED Lighting

A new EU directive has banned the use and production of traditional style filament light bulbs, businesses across the continent and in the UK are looking for alternative lighting solutions. With the advancement in commercial LED lighting, the technology has been gaining in popularity thanks to an array of benefits over incandescent and halogen light bulbs.

Nowadays LED lights are available in all forms of traditional lighting and can be used for indoor or outdoor business lighting. LED lighting not only reduces energy consumption considerably but they also have a much longer life span than traditional light bulbs, which could bring a reduction in annual maintenance cost of between 70% to 90%.

Energy consultants and energy management experts state that energy efficiency is the biggest step businesses can take towards reducing their CO2 consumption and carbon footprint. Investing in LED lighting should be considered as a long term investment that will bring significant long term savings for your business. There is even a scheme from the Carbon Trust that allows you to obtain an interest free loan to invest in commercial LED lighting, contact your energy consultancy firm and they will assist you in obtaining this interest free loan.

Did you know that lighting accounts for 40% of businesses electricity bill? With LED lights you can save between 60% to 90% of that cost and reduce your carbon footprint not to mention that LED lights last on average 50,000 hours, that's right 50,000 hours, making LED lights' lifespan 5 times longer than the best fluorescent bulbs and up to 30 times longer than halogen bulbs.

Low energy LED lighting can bring quantifiable savings to your business from day one. But before installing LED lights on your premises it is advisable to schedule a complete audit to highlight inefficient areas that will need more attention, again an energy consultancy firm can assist you with that.

LED Lighting Cost Saving Example 1

Lets consider the following situation. A business replacing 100 x 6 foot fluorescent tubes with their lights on 18 hours per day, 7 days per week, paying £0.10 per KWh will save:

£3,931 in electricity every year and another £630 in maintenance cost. Over 5 years this will generate a net saving of £16,274.

LED Lighting Cost Saving Example 2

If the replacement of all interior and exterior lighting of a given commercial building would cost £6,000 with a mixture of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, with LED lights it could cost up to £12,000 but using LEDs the company could save nearly £7,000 a year in their energy bill and will not have to change a light bulb for 20 years and investment could be recouped in less than 2 years.

In London, a city wide scheme implemented last year is changing the capital's top sight-seeing attraction lighting to reduce energy consumption as well as their carbon footprint. The London eye was one of the first attractions to change their lighting system to a brand new LED lighting system reducing power use by 69%

Some of riverside London's most iconic landmarks have been lit up by energy efficient lighting in a festival of light. Tower of London, HMS Belfast and Southwark Cathedral are among buildings that have been bathed in low energy LED lighting.

The Scheme is called Green500 and it was voted Best Carbon Reduction Project at Edie 2009 with many organisations joining in by the day.

Why Ethanol is a Great Alternative and Renewable Energy Resource

Ethanol, a biomass fuel that can be used to power cars and even generate electricity, is the very same ethyl alcohol that's used to make alcoholic drinks. It is considered a sustainable energy resource because it can be extracted from agricultural stocks and crops. Brazil is the leading country that uses biofuel or bioethanol to run their cars and it's only second to the US in ethanol production. Using ethanol is gaining popularity in countries around the world as an alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel fuel. It isn't hard to see why.

Crops such as switchgrass, sugar cane, and corn that are mainly used as feed for stock are the crops that hold the most promise for conversion into ethanol. The production of ethanol starts in photosynthesis, which makes feedstocks and crops grow. These plants are then collected, fermented, distilled or dehydrated to remove the water and burned.

The only problem associated with producing ethanol is the amount of land that would be required to grow enough of these crops to fuel the world. But currently, an alternative process of making ethanol from algae without harvesting it is being studied. If this becomes successful, a growing algae can continuously provide ethanol without having to kill the plant. Research is underway. Scientists are finding new and better ways to turn plants into fuel.

The world will eventually run out of fossil fuels. There's no more being made. Fossil fuel is not a renewable energy source. When what we have is gone - well, it's just gone, and there won't be any more. On the other hand, ethanol, which is made from plants, is a renewable energy source. Corn or grass or whatever that's used to make fuel this year will be available again next year, and the year after that, and so on into infinity. Ethanol is made from a renewable source unlike gasoline and diesel.

And we can use ethanol now. Most all of the cars on the roads in America can run on a mixture of 90% gasoline and 10% anhydrous ethanol (contains less than 1% water) just fine. That would mean a 10% DECREASE in gasoline consumption. Researchers are also arguing that using ethanol to replace petroleum in generating electricity might be more efficient that using it as a liquid fuel.

They Cost More So Why Buy Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Energy saving light bulbs have been available now for a number of years, but, whilst more and more people are investing in them, there are still many who are concerned about the cost and dubious about their energy saving claims. But Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) can indeed save significant quantities of energy and don't actually need to break the bank, so here is some information to throw some light on the situation!

On the energy saving front, CFLs, or energy saving light bulbs, use much less energy than their standard counterparts, up to 80% less in fact. They work in a similar way to traditional fluorescent lights but require a much lower wattage to achieve the same level of brightness as 'normal' bulbs. Straight away this indicates that savings can be made, and as lighting accounts for about 10-15% of domestic electricity bills, these savings will not be inconsiderable. And modern CFLs don't suffer from the same issues of older varieties, which could take a short while to reach full illumination. On top of this energy saving light bulbs can also last up to 12 times longer than traditional bulbs, saving even more money.

The cost of energy saving light bulbs has often been a cause for concern. Prices have come down, however, and some varieties of CFLs are now available at less than £1 each from certain retailers. When this is then considered against the energy savings and the fact that the bulbs will need replacing much less often than standard bulbs, the savings far outweigh any extra costs.

Due to their longer lifespan, energy saving bulbs also have the advantage of reducing waste, as it is estimated that 80 million traditional fluorescent tubes alone are sent to landfill each year. Unfortunately there are few light bulb recycling schemes in the UK so waste reduction is critical.

Energy savings, which in turn mean a reduction in carbon emissions, cost savings and waste reduction add up to plenty of compelling reasons to choose energy saving light bulbs. These are now available in many varieties including dimmer bulbs so should meet the requirements of most if not all domestic lighting needs.

Top 10 Energy Saving Tips To Cut Your Fuel Bills

If you use both gas and electricity in your home, your annual fuel bills will have risen by around £400 since 2003. This translates to an increase of around 50% in electricity prices and a massive 90% in gas prices across the UK.

The good news is that you could cut the cost of these increases in half by being more energy efficient and switching to the cheapest energy supplier.

TOP 10 ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Apply these energy saving tips and you could save hundreds of pounds in lower energy bills every year.

1. Shop around for your energy...

If you have never switched your energy supplier you could save up to £270 by changing to a new company. You can compare all UK energy providers for free by using an online price comparison

site.

2. Pay by direct debit...

You don't have to switch your energy supplier to reduce your bills. If you don't currently pay by direct debit you could save around £150 a year and even more by using an online account.

3. Get free advice...

Your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre can give you free, expert advice on saving energy and applying for any grants available in your area to help with the cost of energy improvements to your home. You can contact your local centre on 0800 512012.

4. Save money on heating...

Simply turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. Heating water for bathing and washing is another area you can save money by setting the cylinder thermostat at 60°C/140°F.

5. Keep the heat in...

Draughty doors, windows and floors can be a major source of heat loss from your home. By using draught excluders on your keyholes, letter boxes and doors together with blocking gaps under skirting boards with newspaper, you can shave £5-£10 off your bills every year! If you have old or poorly fitting windows, double-glazing can cut heat loss through windows by 50% and reduce your heating bill by up to 100 a year. At night, closing your curtains and tucking them behind any under-window radiator will stop heat escaping through your windows.

6. Use the off button...

By switching unused appliances off such as televisions, videos and computers instead of leaving them on standby can save around £37 a year. Turn off lights when you leave an empty room and let in as much natural light as possible during the day.

7. Buy a jacket...

Fitting an insulating jacket for your hot water tank only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. A jacket that's at least 75mm thick could save around £20 a year.

8. Only use what you need...

By only filling your kettle with the water you need, it will boil quicker and save you money! But the opposite applies when using the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. Try to use a full load with these appliances and wash clothes on a low temperature programme as modern washing powders will be just as effective at lower temperatures.

9. Have a light bulb moment...

Saving energy can be as easy as changing a light bulb. By replacing standard bulbs with energy

efficient ones you can save up to £9 on your annual electricity bill. Priced from just a few pounds, energy efficient light bulbs last around 12 times and pay for themselves with lower bills.

10. Give your home an energy health check...

To understand which energy saving tips and improvements will be most effective for your home, use the Energy Saving Trust online home energy check. Visit est.org.uk.

How to Replace T8 Or T12 Lights With New Energy Efficient T5 Lighting

T5 compact lighting has given T8 and T12 users an energy efficient option to fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lights can be used in many ways and places but are most commonly found in offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses, and retail spaces. Regular fluorescent lights or T8 and T12 are now becoming obsolete. The new T5's are 16mm wide, almost half the size of T12 lights. This makes them much thinner then regular fluorescent lights. Manufacturers created the T5 line to compete in the compact fluorescent lighting market. T5 bulbs reduce consumption of power by about 50% while still providing the same output of light as regular fluorescent lights.

Luckily manufacturers have also come up with an easy way to change out existing T8 and T12 bulbs for T5 bulbs using conversion kits. These kits allow you to use T5 bulbs in existing strip light fixtures. You can choose to remove the existing strip light fixtures and replace them with T5 specific fixtures.

How does the energy efficiency aspect breakdown? A 35 watt T5 bulb can replace a 58 watt T12 bulb and still supply the same amount of light. This is how they calculated the average 50% energy savings. A T5 light bulb usually lasts at least 15,000 hours losing only about 5% output in its life. A T8 light bulb usually lasts about 9,000 hours but it loses about 20% output in its life. T5 light bulbs will not need to be replaced as often as T8 and T12 bulbs so they will need less maintenance and save you money on that department also.

Although T5 lights cost more than T8 and T12 lights do, the conversion kits can save you about 70% of the cost of actually replacing the fixtures. The T5 conversion kits can easily be installed right along with the bulbs. Clip-on reflectors can also be used with T5 lighting to enhance the fixtures light output.

Replacing and updating your existing fixtures to T5 standards is fairly simple thanks to conversion kits. T5 kits will cost more initially but will save you money in the long run. Thanks to the manufacturers of T5 fluorescent bulbs, making the change to energy efficiency is a painless and simple move.