Your Yearly Cleaning – One More Step to Add!

When you decide to do your yearly cleaning like most of us do, consider adding one more thing on your to-do list; an energy check. Checking a few things and possibly doing a few energy repairs could help lower your bill significantly all year long. Now who wouldn’t like that?!

Light Bulbs – Are your bulbs looking dim? More than likely they have dust on them being this is something we don’t regularly clean. Wipe then down to get the dust off and throw away the incandescent ones. Compact fluorescent bulbs come in many sizes and are known to use less energy while lasting up to ten times longer as well.

Replace those dirty air filters as they can make your air conditioner work even harder costing you even more than usual.

Consider vacuuming under and behind your refrigerator to remove all that dust that can decrease the efficiency of your fridge. If you have an extra fridge or freezer in a different room that you do not use often, turn it off when you aren’t using it.

When cleaning your windows, check the panes to make sure there are no leaks or loose panes. These will allow cool air to escape from your home in the summer and warm air during the winter. Nobody likes that to happen, raising their electricity bill. If you are able to, consider replacing any old windows which will pay off in the energy savings.

Same goes with any doors leading out of your home. Front door, back door, patio doors, check to make sure they are sealed all the way and there is no way for air to escape, etc. Try to limit the use of which doors to use when running your air or heater. This will also help reduce your energy bill. The less doors opening and closing, the less amount of air or heat that escapes.

When cleaning major appliances like your fridge, oven or washer, check to see if they are Energy Star Certified, using a lot less energy and may be costly but well worth the price even if there is nothing wrong with the appliance you own. More and more people are turning to Energy Star items and it seems to be paying off in the end.

And last but not least, open your windows! If it is warm enough outside to enjoy the fresh air then open those windows and leave the thermostat set so it does not kick on or turn off if you can’t set it. A programmable thermostat can save you up to a hundred dollars a year on your bill. May not sound like much, but every little bit helps.