Energy use not only has a significant impact on your utility bill, but it also increases your home’s carbon footprint. Fortunately, it’s easy to take measures to conserve electricity throughout the day–for both your wallet and the planet. Read on for simple, painless and economical ways you can save more energy today. 

1. Invest in Efficient Appliances

If your appliances are older than you and your family members, it may be time for an upgrade. Whether you get the latest and greatest in cold storage from True Refrigeration or you add a convection oven to that empty space on your countertop, modern appliances are a more energy-efficient option than those of the past, as they demand less power for the same, or even more efficient, output. 

2. Turn Off the Lights

As often as possible, try to rely on natural light over lamps and overhead lights to illuminate the room. Make sure you have a solid habit of turning off any lights when they’re not in use, especially during the daytime when it likely isn’t necessary to have the lights switched on at all. 

3. Minimize Hot Water Use

Hot water is an energy-intensive modern convenience that people often take for granted in more ways than one. Cut down on the amount of energy your household uses to heat up your water and take shorter showers and turn the faucets off while you brush your teeth, wash dishes, shave, or wash your hands. If you must use water, use cold water whenever you can. 

4. Invest in a Power Strip

Power strips, especially smart power strips that are programmed to detect when an appliance or device has entered sleep or standby mode, are a quick and easy way to reduce the amount of passive power your household utilizes. Plug multiple appliances or devices into these strips for easy manual power shutoff and to automate power supply levels with minimal user intervention. 

5. Schedule the Thermostat

Though it’s nice to come home to a completely heated or cooled house, make sure that your thermostat is switched off when nobody is home. If you have electric power and can accommodate a smart thermostat, program the device according to your daily schedule so you can maintain indoor comfort when you need it most and avoid needless power use the rest of the time. 

6. Wash Full Loads of Laundry

It may be tempting to throw just a couple of things in the washing machine at a time, but doing so frequently uses a great deal of power. Try to only operate your washing machine when you have a full load of laundry to put into it, and you could even cut down on the total number of times you wash your clothes weekly–which adds up to noteworthy energy savings over time. 

7. Skip the Dryer

If you’re not in a rush, opt to air dry most of your clothes rather than put them in the dryer. This not only saves energy but can also extend the lifespan of your garments, as they’re subjected to less heat and friction that can deteriorate the fabrics with more frequent dryer use. 

8. Upgrade the Insulation

From upgrading to energy-efficient windows to replacing the weather stripping around your doors, your home can make better use of your heating and cooling systems when it’s more equipped to sustain the temperature set by the thermostat. Do what you can to eliminate cold drafts, leaks or other heat-loss issues that may prompt your system to work overtime to compensate for the lack of proper indoor insulation. 

9. Unplug Altogether

Perhaps the simplest, cost-free way to conserve energy is to power everything down and choose something else to do. When it’s time to cook dinner, find ways to prepare a meal without any heat like sandwiches or salads. When it’s a family night, choose board games and card games instead of a movie or video game tournament. The less you demand from your home’s power mechanisms on a daily basis, the more energy you conserve as a whole.