subject: Residential Solar Systems And Other Ways To Cut Home Energy Expenses [print this page] Many people know that installing residential solar systems for their homes is one of the most important steps in reducing energy costs. For people who live in remote places, it is even easier to go off grid completely. However, if you live in a place that is densely populated and your home area is limited, you can just be content with integrating alternative energy sources with traditional ones. So, if you still dont have solar panels and other solar systems in your home, you better start to seriously consider getting one. In order to further bring down energy costs, what you can do is to follow the steps below.
Dont Forget to Insulate
Apart from installing residential solar systems, sufficient insulation is also something that homeowners put in the backburner. But it is actually crucial in contributing to the reduction of monthly electric bills. If your home has an attic, you need to make sure that it is properly insulated in order to help minimize cost. Attics that are not properly insulated can be as hot as a furnace during the summer months. This means that your cooling units have to work doubly hard in order to maintain cool temperature inside your home. However, if you invest in solar attic fans, you would not have any problems during the hot summer months. Your heater air ducts, exposed PVC, and copper hot water lines should also be insulated, particularly the ones that can be found in the basement. For those who own older types of water heater, it is important to use a water heater jacket as insulation. This is important so that heat would not escape into the open.
Try To Do Things Manually
Even if you already have residential solar systems, you still need to be conscientious when it comes to using your electrical appliances. If there are some things that you can do manually, then go ahead and do them instead of relying on electrical devices all the time. Besides, doing things manually can also help you burn more calories (which may even play a vital role in your weight loss goals). You should consider hanging your clothes to dry every once in a while. For those who do not have big yards, you can just use portable clothes racks to do the trick. Moreover, instead of using your dishwasher all the time, you can try to wash your dishes by hand. Just make sure that you use gloves so that your hands will not dry out.
Mind the Light
One of the things that many people in this country forget is the importance of turning off the lights and other appliances that are not in use. If you just put your PC to sleep and turn off all the peripherals of your computer, you will be saving a lot of money on your electric bill at home. Try to encourage all members of your family to do the same.
