14 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Energy Costs

There’s no secret to reducing your home’s energy costs…it’s as simple as reducing your consumption. No, we don’t mean mandatory candlelight dinners; save those for Valentine’s Day and your wedding anniversary. The home maintenance experts at Handyman Connection of Boise are here to share 14 easy tips on how to reduce your home’s energy costs by taking a more thoughtful approach to energy consumption:

1. Switch off your electrical devices when you are finished using them. Make this a smart household habit for all lights and devices, from computers to game consoles and TVs.
2. Unplug appliances like an extra refrigerator in the basement or garage that contains just a few items. Better yet, donate the (now) unused appliance to charity.
3. Move electrical gear to a power strip so that you can easily switch off multiple devices at once when you’re not using them, such as when asleep or away from home.
4. Enable the “sleep mode” feature on your computer, allowing it to use much lower power during periods of inactivity.
5. Configure your computer to “hibernate” automatically after 30 minutes or so of inactivity. The “hibernate mode” turns the computer off in a way that doesn’t require you to reload everything when you switch it back on.
6. In winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees or less during the daytime, and 55 degrees before going to sleep (or when you’re away for the day). During the summer, set thermostats to 78 degrees or more.
7. During the heating season, leave shades and blinds open on sunny days, but close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. Close shades and blinds during the summer or when the air conditioner is in use or will be in use later in the day.
8. Set your water heater thermostat between 120 and 130 degrees.
9. Set your refrigerator temperature at 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit; your freezer should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the power-save switch if your fridge has one, and make sure the door seals tightly.
10. Don’t preheat or “peek” inside the oven more than necessary, as it lets out all the heat, which can then increase the cooking time. Check the seal on the oven door, and use a microwave oven for cooking or reheating small items.
11. You don’t need to pre-wash dishes to get them clean. Simply scrape off the food and put the dish right into the dishwasher. Wash only full loads in your dishwasher, using short cycles for all but the dirtiest dishes. This saves water and the energy used to pump and heat it.
12. In your clothes washer, set the appropriate water level for the size of the load; wash in cold water when practical, and always rinse in cold.
13. Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each use,
14. Dry heavy and light fabrics separately and don’t add wet items to a load that’s already partly dry.

When it comes to home maintenance, you have a partner you can trust at Handyman Connection of Boise. Our trained professionals can help and provide you with the home maintenance assistance you need to guarantee great results. Contact us today for your free, no-obligation estimate!