It's summer once again and temperatures rise as quickly as energy bills. San Antonio has an electricity rate 22 percent below the U.S. average, but failing to use energy conservation could mean you aren't benefitting from the savings.Take the first step to saving energy by learning which rooms account for the most waste.
Living Room
Your living room acts as the social gathering spot in your home. You have a big screen television, sound system, DVR, video game consoles, and computers serving your entertainment needs.With all those appliances connected to the outlets, you could be wasting energy and not even know it.These devices draw power as soon as they are plugged in, which may increase your utility bill by 10 percent. Televisions are the biggest culprit, using energy in standby mode, alongside computers and entertainment centers which are left plugged in without second though.This concentration of electronics puts the living room at the top of the list as the biggest energy consumer.
Kitchen
Kitchens are packed full of small and large appliances alike that use up plenty of electricity. Some of them might include, but are not limited to:
- Stove
- Oven
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Stand mixer
- Blender
- Food processor
Refrigerators and ovens are notorious for radiating heat, causing the AC to kick in more than needed in an effort to keep the home cool. Using them sparingly or setting the temperature to use less energy could help in reduce the heat radiated from these appliances.Leaving these appliances plugged in after you finish them might also draw energy, resulting in unnecessary electricity being used. It's always best to unplug all appliances after use to keep the energy usage to a minimum and conserve energy in the kitchen as much as possible.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms might not use that much energy in comparison to the living room, but they do have a few energy vampires that use up energy. Televisions use up a large amount of energy due to how commonplace it is to fall asleep while watching it in your room. Room lights, lamps, as well as the alarm clock all drive up the energy bill resulting in higher costs.Apart from sleeping, many people also use bedrooms for charging their smartphones, tablets, and computers, resulting in a higher amount of energy being used throughout the day.
Garage
While garages might be the last place people think to save energy, there could be a few culprits that could be adding to your energy bill.Leaving the light on whenever you arrive home is one the biggest, as well as leaving power tools plugged in which slowly drain power and could use energy unnecessarily.These two simple actions could be costing you some additional dollars in the long run.
Reduce Your Energy Consumption
Lowering your high energy consumption is something that you can do easily now that you know what rooms draw the most power.Power strips are a great way to help control electricity by easily switching them off whenever you leave the house. Check for plugged in small kitchen appliances when you clean up after a meal as well to keep the kitchen energy consumption to a minimum.Interested in reducing your overall electricity usage once you handle the simple fixes? Insulation and window replacement help you get the most out of your heating and cooling systems so they aren't overworked throughout the year.Contact Green Energy of SA today to get your home insulated and ready for the summer with lower energy bills.
