Did the pandemic flip your life upside down? Companies and workers alike had to get creative to keep the wheels turning, with many employees switching to working from their humble abodes.
Since COVID-19 began, more than 47 million Americans switched to working from home, and residential electrical usage has spiked.
As many of us experienced firsthand, with the whole family cooped up in the house your electricity bill goes up. Is there a way to work from home and still be able to save money on the electric bill?
Continue reading to find out our top 7 tips to save on energy in Iowa easily.
Saving Energy in Iowa
1. Switching to Solar to Save Even More Money
Did you know that a total of 173,000 terawatts (trillions of watts) of solar energy hits the Earth continuously? That amount eclipses the world’s total energy use 100,000 times over. That’s a lot of energy that is completely free and renewable. You can use that energy to your advantage to save even more money on your electricity bill! Switching over to a clean and renewable energy source like solar could save the average household about $1,390 per year.
2. Use Your Thermostat Effectively
An easy way to save some electricity is to set your thermostat to be more aligned with the outside temperature. While it might mean needing to put on a sweater in the winter, keeping your home a little cooler or warmer than what you’d normally set your thermostat can increase your savings.
Since Iowa has some pretty cold winters, we’re not saying to set your thermostat to 32 degrees. The best way to save is just nudging your thermostat down a bit – for instance, 68 degrees rather than 76. When you leave home, turn off your heat to decrease the usage of your furnace even more and avoid driving up your energy bill.
3. Unplug Devices and Unused Electronics
Sometimes you can get sidetracked and may leave many of the everyday appliances that you aren’t constantly using plugged in, like coffee makers, microwaves, and blenders. This can really rack up your energy bill.
Simply unplugging unused electronics is a great habit to get into that will help you in the long run and save you money.
Interesting fact: Chargers for your laptop and phones continue to consume energy while plugged in even if a device isn’t connected.
When turned on, your game consoles, televisions, and other electronic devices/appliances account for about 4% of energy use. You might assume that turned off that amount should drop. However, standby power can still account for about 10% of an average annual energy consumption.
4. Shine Bright with LED Lights
LED lights are designed to consume 75% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
This means they’re automatically more energy efficient, while also lasting longer than traditional light bulbs. LEDs can be a little more pricey to buy in the store at first but will pay off in the long run with a longer life span and lower energy consumption.
It can make a big difference since light bulbs and fixtures make up approximately 10% of all of the electricity used in the United States today.
5. Use Mother Nature for Natural Ambiance
Similar to tip number 3, you can save on your power bill by simply using more natural light.
It’s as simple as opening up windows and blinds to let the sun light up your house. You’ll save money by waiting to turn on any lights until the sun starts to set.
6. Use a Power Strip
Reducing the number of outlets you use can help save you money!
By using a power strip for your home office needs with devices like your printer, laptop, and phone chargers all plugged into it, you can reduce your energy consumption.
How? As we mentioned in our second tip, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use saves money. With a flip of a button, you can stop excess energy usage rather than having to unplug every single device one by one.
7. Energy Efficient Appliances
Switching from your current appliances to more energy efficient appliances will save you more money as soon as you start using them, and for years to come.
Appliances that are great candidates for this are Energy Star appliances. For instance, an Energy Star washing machine uses 37% less energy than other washers, while a dryer with an Energy Star rating uses 21% less energy.
Let Solar Help You Save Energy in Iowa
Hopefully, our tips to save energy while working from home can help you save. Want to avoid the hassle of smaller savings and save big with clean and renewable energy? It’s time to think about going solar!
As the top local company here in Des Moines, Purelight Power is here to help you relieve one more stress of yours.
Take our quick 30-second survey to see if your roof qualifies for solar with nothing out of pocket.
