8 Money-Saving Tips for Your Home

As residents in and beyond Sacramento work save money and become more environmentally-friendly this summer, many don’t know where to begin on this journey. Thankfully, your home’s energy usage provides several easy ways to boost your budget while helping the planet. Making even small changes in your home can add up to big savings. The team at Bonney is on your side and here to help with 8 money-saving tips to reduce energy waste in your home.

Upgrade to a Digital Thermostat

Get smart about the energy you use to heat and cool your home by installing a digital or smart thermostat. These upgraded thermostat models will monitor the temperature of your home for you, or even allow you to control the settings remotely. The Department of Energy notes that adjusting the temperature of your home for when you are away can save you up to 10% of your annual heating and cooling costs. 

Get your HVAC Tuned Up

When your heating and cooling system does not receive the care it needs, it will have to work harder to function properly. This tends to drive your home’s energy bills up. Not only that, but your system will also work less effectively and encounter more costly repairs down the road. Now is the perfect time for an HVAC tune-up. This service will allow your cooling system to run smoothly and efficiently during the hot summer months. Bonney’s spring HVAC tune-up not only will reduce your utility bills and future repair costs, but it will also help to extend the lifespan of your air conditioning unit.

Switch to Low-Flush Toilets

With frequent California droughts, you have likely heard of low-flush toilets. Having one of your own can help you save money while conserving water. Did you know that 30% of all water used in homes is used for flushing? If your home has old, inefficient toilets, now is the time to stop flushing money down the drain. Rebate programs are available to help you replace older toilets with high efficiency, cost-effective models. Bonney Plumbing offers low water consumption toilets from quality brands such as Kohler, Toto, and Sloan. 

Wash Your Clothes on Cold

Changing the way you think about your laundry process can help you save money on both water and energy costs. Most people don’t know that in a wash cycle, nearly all of the energy used goes toward heating the water. In most cases, the clothes you would normally wash on warm or hot will get just as clean when washed on cold. By switching your settings to wash clothes on cold, you can help lower your energy consumption and save on your monthly expenses.

Install LED light bulbs

During the work and school days spent at home, consider spending some time outdoors and opening your blinds to let in the natural light. This can help boost your mood and help you save on lighting costs. You can also save money while your lights are on by switching to LED lighting. LED light bulbs are much more efficient and longer-lasting than old incandescent bulbs. An LED light bulb has a lifespan that is 50 times that of a typical incandescent bulb, while also using 90% less energy. So if you haven’t made the switch yet, consider speaking with an expert about how much money your home could be saving. 

Low-Cost and Efficient Home Cooling

While you pay to keep your home cool during the day, inefficiencies and vulnerable points in your home could be throwing this money out the window. Take advantage of low-cost heating and cooling solutions.

First, consider kicking your air conditioning up by a degree or two and taking advantage of low-cost cooling. You can do this by turning on your fan and closing the blinds when you feel warm. When taking advantage of the money-saving benefits of fans, it is important to remember that keeping your fan on only makes the room you are in feel cooler by creating a wind-chill effect. Fans do not actually lower the temperature of your home. This means that leaving the fan on in a room you are not in will waste money and energy rather than saving it. This is also a perfect solution for homes with whole-house fans. If you have considered installing a whole-house fan or upgrading your room to a ceiling fan, now may be the perfect time for this low-cost, money-saving investment. 

Next, you can also affordably keep your home cool by taking advantage of low temperatures at night. Consider cracking open a window or two at night to let in the cool air. In the morning when the temperature starts rising, close your windows to lock this air inside. Be sure that you have the proper safety measures and screen protectors in place before taking advantage of this solution. You will also want to make sure the temperature outdoors is cooler than your indoor temperatures to make this effort worthwhile.

Finally, take a quick look at the weather strips around your windows and doors. If they are tattered and worn, they could be letting your air conditioning out and the warm weather in. Believe it or not, changing your weather strips is an easy and affordable DIY project. 

You can keep your home feeling cool during the day without sending your energy bills through the roof. Looking forward, weather stripping can also help you combat winter chills. Coupled with a furnace tune-up, this switch will help make your home more comfortable and energy-efficient next winter.

Lower Your Water Heater Temperature

The average water heater temperature is set to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, but maintaining this high temperature can cause your system to consume extra energy. Adjusting it slightly can help you save money in an easy, free, and fast manner. The Department of Energy recommends turning down your water temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to conserve energy. This change will not impact the comfort of your showers, but it will help you save energy and money. If your home has small children, this little adjustment can also prevent accidental scalding. 

Install Solar Hot Water Heaters 

Living in sunny California has its advantages. Now is the time to save money and benefit from all of that free sunshine by using solar energy to heat your water. Solar water heaters significantly reduce your utility cost while saving 5 times the energy of traditional water heaters. The experts at Bonney Plumbing are knowledgeable and skilled in solar hot water heaters. Our team can help you implement this change quickly and affordably so you can start saving money on your water heater costs.

Bonney Efficiency: HVAC and Plumbing Care

Reducing energy consumption and water waste in your home is an easy way to lower your monthly bills and put a little extra money back into your budget. These changes can also help you make a positive impact on your community and the environment. Contact a member of the Bonney team today to make an appointment and take the first step towards a more affordable and sustainable home.