Many consumers do not correlate the energy they use with the money in their wallets. Over the next dozen years reducing energy consumption will become increasingly important. If if history can be relied on, the price of gasoline is going from $.26 a gallon, too over four dollars a gallon in the last 20 or 30 years. We can fully expect the cost of gasoline to continue to increase. That will drive everything higher including heating or homes, driving our cars, and even the price of our groceries that we purchase. They all take energy to produce and deliver to our homes and stores.
This will directly affect our wallets. So reducing energy consumption will definitely be a goal for governments, for cities. Also for the individuals over the next 10 to 15 years and even longer.
Reducing Energy Consumption – Where to Start
Many consumers wonder where they should start in terms of reducing energy consumption. It is pretty simple, just look at everything you do. Ask yourself am I using energy that I’m paying for out of my wallet.
This includes heating the house, leaving lights on, heating water for showers and baths, and the use of gasoline to drive cars. How many times have you made special trips for an item that could have waited until the next day when you’re driving past that store anyway?
Start by turning the air conditioning temperature higher, the heating temperature lower, turning lights off when you’re not in a room. Also turning the TV and other electronic Items off when you’re not using them. Avoid using your car when you could walk or ride a bicycle.
Look for energy reducing devices, such as LED lights or fluorescent lights and energy-efficient appliances. Also better gas mileage cars and so on. Everything you do and everything you purchase should have the idea of reducing energy consumption in mind.
Reducing Energy Consumption – Dollars Can Add up
It is amazing how quickly the dollars can add up when you’re saving or reducing your energy consumption. For example if you can turn the temperature on your furnace down by a couple of degrees at night you probably will save two or three dollars a day in reduced energy usage. Over the winter, let’s assume four months, or 120 days. That is close to $400-$500 in savings depending on how much you decrease the temperature and how large home you have.
This is just the start in terms of reducing energy consumption and putting more dollars in your wallet. Apply the same approach to turning lights off, washing dishes with a fully loaded dishwasher, washing clothes with a fully loaded wash machine and dryer, reducing your trips by car, walking instead of riding in a car, and combining errands to allow you to make one trip instead of several.
Analyze your savings to figure out how much you’re actually saving by reducing energy consumption in your daily life and that of your family. You may be surprised.