energy saving tips

Energy Awareness Month Energy Saving Tips

Disclosure: I received a Nest thermostat and have the opportunity to win a trip to BlogHer by participating in the Reliant Blogger Challenge. Regardless, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own.

Have cold temperatures hit your part of the world yet? I noticed friends up north posting about snow today. Brrrr. I was still able to ride with the sunroof open this evening when I was out. I do believe colder temps are on the way next week though. I dread the cold. For a few reasons really. 1… I hate being cold. And 2… because I hate the cold I insist on running the heat and staying really warm in the house. But I really dislike the higher bill. Fortunately, I found a great new way to help be more aware of energy usage.

Reliant Blogger Challenge

I am one of those people that rarely back down from a challenge. I am all for good, clean competition. So, when I was offered the opportunity to take part in the Reliant Blogger Challenge I was excited. You want me to be more energy efficient in order to save money… and possibly win a BlogHer’14 sponsorship?

Challenge accepted!

I mean, I am the one that runs through the house turning off lights everywhere. If the TV is left on, I make sure someone gets upstairs to turn it off. No running the A/C at crazy cold temps during the summer. The kids know how I am and I am hopeful they pick up on it all. Especially now. We have a challenge to win!

energy saving tips

Luckily, the Texas fall weather has been perfect. Warm enough during the day that we can open a window if needed… and just the perfect cool temperature at night for sleeping. No heat or air required. But, as I mentioned, that will most likely change next week. Fortunately, Reliant shared a few tips with us on saving on our electricity costs. Let’s take a look at ways you can cut down on energy usage this winter using these

Energy Saving Tips:

  1. 68/78 degree rule – The ideal temperature for heating is 68° in order to best conserve electricity. If the A/C is needed, set the thermostat to 78° or higher. Did you now that your thermostat controls almost half your home’s energy bill? That is where the Nest Thermostat will come in handy during the challenge. Using the Energy History view on either our computer or through the phone app, we can easily monitor our energy usage and much more. The coolest part? The Nest learns your home’s schedule during it’s first week of use. Plus, if you forget to adjust the thermostat before you head out, you can do it from your phone with ease. Basically, the Nest Account allows you to control and adjust your Nest Learning Thermostat over the Internet, and the app gives you access to your Nest Account on a mobile device. Love this thermostat already! Nest Mobile app
  2. Ceiling fans – Rotate your fans clockwise to push the warm air back down during the cooler months. Also, when a room is not being used, make sure to turn off ceiling fans. (I did not realize this).Fact: fans cool people, not rooms. Plus, you should adjust the thermostat when using a ceiling fan to help save additional costs.
  3. Laundry – (This is one area where we were already doing all that was suggested). Wash your clothes in all cold water. Dry your clothes outside to conserve electricity when possible. Only run the dryer when you have a full load or can run multiple loads at one time. The heat will build up and not need as much electricity. Also, use the cool-down cycle to allow clothes to finish drying with the remaining heat in the dryer.
  4. Turn off lights – When no one is in a room, the family is not at home or at times when the light is just not necessary, turn them off. Simple!
  5. Replace your bulbs – By replacing your bulbs with energy-efficient lighting, you can effectively cut your energy usage down. We made this change in the summer of 2012 and were able to see a nice difference in our monthly bill.

What tips do you have for conserving energy?

Be sure to follow myself and the other 4 Texas bloggers on our quest to save money and cut our energy costs over the next few months. You can follow along by watching the #ReliantChallenge hashtag.