Saving energy not only lowers your carbon footprint but it also saves you money! Installing LED light bulbs, faucet aerators, energy-saving showerheads, programmable thermostats, and advanced power strips makes your home more energy-efficient without requiring you to leave your home or spend a penny. That’s right; with a no-cost virtual Home Energy Assessment, you receive all of these items at no-cost to you! These 5 instant savings tools are simple adjustments you can make at home to get big savings instantly and accumulatively over the years.
LED Light Bulbs
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting makes up about 10% of home energy expenses. If your home still has incandescent bulbs, it’s time to make the switch to a much more energy-efficient option. The worst part about old incandescent bulbs is that only about 10% of the electricity that they consume results in light and the rest is turned into heat. On the other hand, energy-saving LED lightbulbs use 95% of their energy as light, according to the Consumer Energy Alliance.
Another benefit of LED bulbs is that they can last for 25,000 hours or more, which is 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs. That is a life of more than 3 years if they were used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the U.S. DOE.
The U.S. DOE says that “switching entirely to LED lights over the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs, reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50%, and avoid 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emissions.”
When you sign up for a Mass Save® Home Energy Assessment, you get 25 of your incandescent bulbs replaced with LED light bulbs at no-cost to you! That means you don’t spend anything to light your home the energy-efficient way.
If every U.S. household replaced just one light bulb with an energy-efficient light bulb, it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year!
Energy-Saving Showerheads
Did you know that water use and energy use are connected? Energystar.gov explains it this way: “Electricity or gas is used to heat water, so the less hot water you use, the less energy needed. In addition, your water company uses energy to purify and pump water to your facility, as well as in the treatment of sewage, so part of your water and sewage bill is really an energy bill.”
Saving water reduces your water and energy bills and installing a low-flow shower head is one way to start saving. According to thespruce.com,
· Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water every minute
· A typical shower uses about 11 gallons of water
· A standard low-flow showerhead uses 1.5 gallons per minute or less
· In a home with four people who shower daily, you could save up to 2,000 gallons of water yearly
A common misconception about low-flow shower heads is that they give inadequate water pressure. While in the past that might have been true, technology has advanced and designers have used innovation to find a way to conserve energy while also providing more than drip of water to bathe in.
Get no-cost energy-saving showerheads for your bathrooms here as part of the generous incentives that the sponsors of the Mass Save® program are offering Massachusetts residents.
Faucet Aerators
A standard faucet in your kitchen or bathroom can be responsible for up to 15% of household water use. A faucet aerator is a small, round device that helps reduce water consumption in your home in a way that’s barely noticeable to the household. It works by using a combination of water and air to make a more consistent, splash-free stream of water. Did we mention it saves water and energy, too? Of course it does!
Here are some statistics from thespruce.com about using a faucet aerator:
· It can limit your water flow to 1.8 or 2.2 gallons per minute
· By introducing small bubbles to the water, it allows the faucet to run longer while using less water
· It can lower the fixture’s water usage by about 4%
· Making the switch could help you save more than 500 gallons of water every year
All you have to do to get faucet aerators at no-cost to you is schedule a Mass Save® Home Energy Assessment. You will get a custom home energy report, learn about the things you can do to make your home more energy-efficient, and receive a bunch of no-cost items that will save you energy and money like faucet aerators.
Save additional water by adjusting your daily habits and start turning off the water while brushing your teeth, washing only full dishwasher loads, and taking shorter showers. Everything you do to be more water-conscious helps you be a better steward of the environment.
Programmable Thermostats
Comfort is a big part of what makes your home feel… like home! According to the U.S. DOE, heating and cooling your home use more energy and cost more money than any other system in your home—typically making up about 54% of your utility bill. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce energy use and the costs associated with keeping your home comfortable.
Here are some impactful energy efficiency statistics about heating and cooling your home:
· You can reduce air conditioning energy use by 20-50% by switching to high-efficiency air conditioners and taking other actions to lower your home cooling costs. (energy.gov)
· Energy efficiency upgrades and a new high-efficiency heating system can often cut your fuel bills and your furnace’s pollution output in half. (energy.gov)
· You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. (energy.gov)
Energy-efficient upgrades such as installing a programmable thermostat can help you manage home energy conservation. You can easily adjust your indoor temperature and create automatic settings according to your typical routine. You will save money and energy by utilizing the advanced technology that a programmable thermostat has to offer such as saving energy while you sleep and then returning temperatures to normal before you wake up in the morning. It also works well when you’re on vacation and want to save energy while you’re gone but would also like to return home to a comfortable space.
No-cost programmable thermostats are offered by the sponsors of the Mass Save® program and you can also access rebates up to $100 on Smart thermostats. Sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Assessment here to get all of the perks or call (781) 417-5779 to schedule over the phone.
Advanced Power Strips
Did you know that leaving a computer on all day can cost about 21 cents/day, or about $75/year? Making sure that your TVs, computers, and video game consoles are switched off or unplugged when you’re not using them can help you save energy and money.
Vampire power, standby power, phantom load, and ghost load, are all terms to describe energy lost and wasted due to your electronics being left on or plugged in when not in use. A National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study found that “a quarter of all residential energy consumption is used on devices in idle power mode.”
The NRDC suggests plugging your electronic devices into a smart power strip to make it easier to switch off when not in use. The truth is that you have probably upgraded your electronics as time has gone by, such as computers, TVs, or cellphones, so why not update what you plug them into? An advanced power strip not only supplies you with the surge protection you need but it also allows you to save energy with an easy flip of a button before you go to bed at night or when you leave for vacation. This means a lower carbon footprint and more money in your pocket!
The sponsors of the Mass Save program offer advanced power strips at no-cost so there’s no need to head to the store or make an online purchase. All you need to do is take 2 minutes to sign up for a Home Energy Assessment!
Once you complete a Home Energy Assessment, you will get advanced power strips, LED light bulbs, energy-saving shower heads, faucet aerators, and programmable thermostats at no-cost to you! It’s an easy way to learn about how your home consumes and loses energy and you get access to generous rebates such as 75-100% off approved insulation and 100% off air sealing. Learn more about the benefits of Home Energy Assessments here or go ahead and save your spot here!
