Spending more time at home during quarantine gives you more time to reconnect with your family, and it’s an opportunity to go over your home maintenance checklist. You’ve probably noticed that your energy bills are going up and that you’re putting more wear and tear on your appliances now that everyone is at home during the day.
Here are a few tips to reduce your energy use during quarantine and save money.
Rethink heating and cooling in your home
We’ve seen our lives change drastically over the past few months, and with working from home during the summer you may be finding yourself running your central air for extended periods of time. If you’ve noticed a spike in your utility bill due to your AC running more often, consider upgrading to a more energy efficient system or installing solar panels on your home. You can also reduce your energy bills by improving insulation in high-traffic areas (like your home office or family room) and use space heaters, fans or even open windows instead of running the heat or air.
Revamp your laundry process
During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities recommend washing clothes regularly. In consequence, many households are seeing their water bill rise, and they’re are putting more wear and tear on their washer and dryer.
Here are a few tips for saving money on laundry:
- Wait until you have a full load, and prioritize washing the clothes you wore outside of the house.
- Wash with hot water to kill germs, and switch to a cold rinse cycle to save energy.
- Reduce your environmental impact by using an eco-friendly laundry detergent.
Cut back on water and electricity consumption
Spending more time at home means that lights stay on more often. Savings can add up if you replace incandescent light bulbs with LED ones since they only use a third of the energy. Better yet, use natural lighting as much as possible.
Additionally, look for electronics and appliances you can unplug during the day. Standby power accounts for around 10% of total residential electricity use, so unplugging systems can help you achieve cost savings easily.
Furthermore, a lot of households are stocking up on food to reduce trips to the grocery store. Your fridge and freezer are probably full and might be using more power. One thing you can do is organize food to avoid blocking ventilation in these appliances.
Frequent washing might also cause your water bill to go up. There are a few steps you can take to reduce water and energy consumption in this area:
- Install water-efficient faucets and upgrade your showerhead.
- Cut back on watering your lawn.
- Lower the temperature of your water heater by a few degrees.
- Encourage everyone to take shorter showers.
- Don’t leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth.
Home Maintenance
Spending more time at home is the perfect opportunity to focus on home maintenance. Investing in new windows, plumbing, or heating repairs, or upgrading your insulation can help you reduce your energy bills. The quarantine could also be an opportunity to research solutions like going solar to save money and reduce your environmental footprint.
Dividend Finance offers efficient and affordable home improvement financing solutions. Visit our website or talk to your installer today about financing with Dividend Finance.
