In 2018, two thirds of American’s energy usage was actually waste. WHAT? That seems crazy. That means that your fuel costs, like driving your car or mowing your lawn could have been 66% lower. That means that your utility bill that you get every month could have been ⅓ or the cost it actually was! The average 2 bedroom household in Ohio pays about 250$ a month for energy costs. You could theoretically be saving around 160$ a month if you were a no energy waste home. Sounds pretty good? It does to us too, here are a few ways to reduce energy waste in your home.

LED Light Bulbs

Help cut down on your energy waste with LED light bulbs. These fantastic inventions use less power for the same amount of light output. The annual energy consumption for these bulbs is about 30 times lower than fluorescent or incandescent. LED bulbs also emit less heat which can add up seeing as the average household has around 45 light fixtures. One of the best reasons that LED lights are better than their counterparts, is their lifetime. These bulbs can last for 50 times longer than regular light bulbs, about 5 years! WOW. Saves you time and money and saves the earth’s energy.

Upgrade Your Appliances

Choose ENERGY STAR rated appliances whenever you can. It’s quite easy to see the rating, most will have the large yellow sticker proclaiming their ENERGY STAR rating. These standards are set by the EPA and give you insight how your appliance performs compared to the national standard. The higher the score the better the performer and the less energy waste.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats have been increasing in popularity lately and for good reason! These tech savvy tools can help you regulate your energy by learning your patterns of behavior. What time you leave for work, what temperature you like to sleep in, etc. By doing so, the thermostat can keep your HVAC system running efficiently, without the spikes and dips that force your system to work harder than it needs and keeps your energy waste higher than you'd like. 

Motion Sensor lights.

The Clap-On was really ahead of its time wasn’t it? We now have light timers that can shut off lights in rooms that might be forgotten about. This is especially useful in kids rooms who can often surprise you with their level of energy waste. They also can be great for outdoor areas or garages! These lights can be easily installed, no professional electrician required. 

Unplug

This can be used in two ways. Unplug your mind from screen time, and unplug your devices when not in use. Vampire energy is a very sneaky energy waster. Even when devices are off, they can still suck minimal amounts of energy from the power grid. So, after you're done charging your phone, unplug it. Same goes for lamps that are rarely used or video game consoles. 

Reducing energy waste is a no brainer because it leads to saving money as well! Follow these simple tips for a hefty savings every month and continue to check back with the Kratos Gas & Power blog for more interesting ways to conserve energy and save money!