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5 Simple Goals to Help Save Money and Energy in the New Year

Ahhh, the New Year’s Resolution.  For most people new year’s resolutions revolve around exercise and diet, which makes sense.  There’s not better way to justify weeks full of sugar, alcohol, and rich foods in between Thanksgiving and Christmas if you know that come the new year everything is going to change.  But, as we all know, new year’s resolutions rarely last.

Ashira Prossack, in an article for Forbes, recommends setting new year’s goals instead of resolutions.  Why? “…because goals are specific, whereas resolutions tend to be broad and vague. Goals are much more actionable, which is what makes them more effective.”

We’ve decided to take Prossack’s advice and set some goals for the new year.  Though we still have a main resolution, to live more energy efficiently and save money, we want to break it down with specific goals to help achieve that.

5 Simple Goals to Help You Save Energy and Money in 2020

1. Stop window and door drafts

Window and door drafts are big time energy wasters.  Think about it–during the winter months those leaky areas are letting cold air in while also letting the warm, indoor air outside.  This means your home’s temperature is lowered and your furnace or boiler needs to work even harder to make the indoor air reach the desired temperature.  The same kind of thing happens during the warmer months as well, though we tend to notice cold air coming into the home in the winter more so than warm air in the summer.

This year, find the drafty areas and seal them up!  There are some easy DIY ways to block these drafts.  You can create a fun draft stopper, use styrofoam in the door jam, re-caulk the windows, hang heavy curtains, add in weather stripping etc….

2. Create a thermostat program

We all know that adjusting the thermostat can save money.  According to Energy.gov you can save up to 10% on energy bills by simply adjusting the temperature back 7-10 degrees for at least 8 hours per day.

However, sometimes that is easier said than done.  For example, in an attempt to save energy and money I turned my home’s thermostat down a few degrees one morning.  Unfortunately, by noon, I was so cold that I turned it right back up.  For others, the problem comes from not remembering to manually switch the temperature on the thermostat throughout the day.

The goal this year is to create a thermostat program.  For some that might mean dig out the instruction manual and program your thermostat to automatically change the temperature throughout the day.  For those without a programmable thermostat, that might mean writing out the temperature program, and taping it by the thermostat in order to remind others in the home what it should be set at throughout the day.

3. Time your showers

Taking shorter showers is an easy way to save money.  However, not all of us know how long our showers are, so we have no idea if we are actually taking a shorter shower.  Here’s the goal:  start timing your showers and see if you can shave minutes or even seconds off of your time.  Want to make it more fun?  You can start a competition in your house with all of the family members.

4. Change out all of the lightbulbs

LED lightbulbs are some of the most efficient lighting options, and they are readily available at any hardware store.  It is time for you to switch out all of your home’s lightbulbs and replace them with LED ones.  Pick a day, write down all of the different kind of bulbs you need, and head off to the hardware store.  Once you get home, switch the lightbulbs right away!

5. Invest in warmer layers

If you are serious about turning down the heat in your home, than you should be prepared.  Invest in some warmer layers to wear around the house such as slippers, sweatshirts, and heavy blankets.

What are your simple goals for the new year?

Are you interested in learning more about our residential services?  Contact us at FLAME Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electrical!

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