If you want to lower your energy bill this year, you need to start making changes today. The following appliance upgrades can help you slash utility costs, improve your comfort and provide added convenience. These simple changes can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars in savings annually.
Save Money With Energy-Efficient Appliances
There are several advantages to getting energy-efficient appliances. The kind of appliances you buy depends on the benefits you are looking for, your price range, and how long you plan on living in your home. By installing energy-efficient appliances, you can achieve some of the following benefits.
Save money on your electricity bill
Increase the value of your home
Enjoy added convenience and comfort through better heat systems and smart thermometers
Reduce your carbon footprint
Limit your water usage
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats help you make better use of the warm or cool air your HVAC system produces. A WiFi-connected thermostat syncs with your phone’s GPS so that it can adjust the temperature based on your location. When you’re away from home, the thermostat adjusts to a more cost-effective temperature. When you’re on the way home, it bumps changes the temperature again so that your home is just as comfortable as you left it.
By merely reducing your thermostat for 10 degrees over an eight-hour period, you can save up to 10 percent on your yearly heating and cooling costs.
High-Efficiency Heat Pumps
High-efficiency heat pumps use less energy to heat your home in the winter. They can also reduce the humidity level in the air, which boosts the effectiveness of your air conditioner. During the winter, your heat pump can reduce your electricity usage by around 50 percent. If you are using an old furnace or standard heating system, it is time to get an upgrade.
New Dishwashers
The majority of the energy used by your dishwasher is to heat water. If you look at the Energy Guide label, you can see how much power the dishwasher takes to run each year. To save money with your current dishwasher, you can do things like skip the “rinse hold” selection on your machine when you have only a couple of dirty dishes. This selection uses three to seven gallons of hot water each time, so you can save on water and electricity costs by not using it.
When you have the time and money to replace your dishwasher, you can use the Energy Star label to see which dishwashers are the best. To achieve this label, the dishwasher must use 4.25 gallons per cycle or less. If you have a dishwasher that was made before 1994, it probably uses 10 gallons or more with each cycle.
Tankless Water Heaters
Traditional water heaters are incredibly inefficient. An old water heater uses energy to heat an entire tank of water. Then, it uses even more energy to keep this water warm. Even if you are gone on vacation, your water heater continues to maintain the water's temperature and waste electricity. If you want to reduce your energy bill, get a tankless water heater. This alternative option only heats water when you need it, saving you about $108 per year.
Clothes Washers
Clothes washers use a lot of energy to heat water. If you are using a washer that is more than a decade old, you may be wasting around $180 a year on unnecessary energy and water costs. If you get a clothes washer that has an Energy Star label, you will use around 25 percent less energy. You will also reduce your water consumption by 3,000 gallons.
Refrigerators
Unlike many of your appliances, refrigerators run day and night. Since your refrigerator is on all the time, it can make a significant difference in your electricity bill. Old fridges cost homeowners an estimated $5 billion more each year in utility fees. By getting a new fridge, you could end up saving yourself hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of the refrigerator. All you have to do is look for the Energy Star label to make sure you are getting an energy-efficient appliance.
Kern Heating & Cooling is your one-stop resource for energy-efficient upgrades to your central air system. To schedule an appointment, call (847) 383-0350.