A few weeks ago, I shared some tips on how to please the environment and your wallet through greening your home. While conducting research for this post, I came across an interesting article. According to recent reports, products with the Energy Star label may not be as energy efficient as you may think.
Even though the government is providing tax credits for purchasing certain Energy Star appliances, and the Department of Energy and EPA are planning on “cracking down” on energy efficient standards, what should you do in the meantime?
In order to keep your monthly utilities bill at a minimum, I would recommend making a small investment in an electricity usage monitor. With such a device, you can simply plug it into an outlet and figure out how many kilowatts per hour each of your appliances uses. Then punch in the kilowatt per hour cost, and voila! You can calculate your energy expenses by the day, week, month, or year.
It’s kind of like reading the nutritional information for a double cheeseburger. Once you truly know what you’re consuming, chances are you’ll be engaging in some behavior modification.
You’ll start to realize how much every little bit counts when it comes to energy efficiency. This is especially true when it comes to vampire power, or appliances that are plugged in but aren’t being used. A few old lamps around the house could be costing you more than you think.
You can find these helpful devices for as low as 20 bucks, making the small investment definitely worthwhile in the long run.
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