Free Energy Survey Saves Money On Your Energy Bills

Reducing energy usage can mean significant savings on your monthly utility bills.

If your utility bills are sky high and you can’t figure out how to lower them, it may be time for you to take an Energy Survey to figure out where your biggest energy-wasters are.

Other than making sure that lights aren’t left on and faucets aren’t dripping, do you know what can be done to create measurable energy savings? Perhaps it’s time to take Edison’s handy online energy survey to see where you can save some significant dollars.

The energy survey asks questions are about your household energy usage, and then provides tips tailored especially for you to maximize your savings. Remember that Santa Clarita’s energy bills have tiered rates, meaning that the more that you use, the higher the rate they charge you per unit of energy used.

Here are some simple steps that you can take to reduce your energy bills:

Heating and Cooling: Simple steps like installing ceiling fans and using central air conditioning system less during the summer can save you hundreds of dollars a month in the hot Santa Clarita Valley. Be sure to check your thermostat in the winter and summer as well so you’re not running the heater or air conditioning more than necessary. Remember that leaving windows and doors open when the heater or a/c is on will suck that heated or cooled air right out of your house, so be sure that all windows and doors are closed when the unit is on. Clean or replace filters regularly to maximize efficiency of your HVAC unit and reduce the amount of pollutants in the air. Edison’s guidelines are to set the air conditioner to 78 degreees and the heater to 60 degrees to maximize energy savings.

Lighting: Switching to CFL (compact flourescent) lighting is said to save 75% in energy usage over regular lighting, and the CFL bulbs are supposed to last up to 10 times longer as well. And, while you’re thinking about lighting, make sure you’re not leaving the lights on when you leave a room.

Insulation: Be sure that the weather stripping and caulking around your doors and windows is in good shape. Insulate your hot water heater and the pipes running from the water heater to the wall as well. Adequate insulation in the attic can also help to save money on heating and cooling costs.

Appliances and Electronics: Believe it or not, appliances and electronics drain a lot of energy even when they’re not in use. The little LED displays and instant-on remotes mean that those electronics are draining energy on a continual basis. You can stop this energy drain by either unplugging these devices when not in use, or by using a power strip with an on/off switch for groups of electronics like the TV and video games. Old fridges and freezers in the garage can be huge energy hogs as well, so if they’re not in use, it may be time to have them removed and recycled. Earn some extra cash by claiming your recycling rebate for old, working fridges courtesy of SoCal Edison. As with lighting, be sure to turn TV’s and other electronics off when you leave a room.

As you can see, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to create big savings on your utility bills. Saving energy is good for the environment as well as being good for your household budget!