Energy Efficient Household Items That You Can Use Today

In America today, we spend over $100 billion eachOf course, CFL bulbs are not the only energy
year on fuel and electricity for our homes.  Evenefficient choice when it comes to lighting in your
Seascape condos, often models of efficient livinghome.  LED lights, or light-emitting diode lights,
can have utility bills that can make the ownersuse approximately 15% of the energy of a
cringe.  Nearly half of this cost is taken by thetraditional light bulb. They've been around for quite
heating and cooling of the home, with watera number of years, and are very durable.  A
heating accounting for 14% and appliancesquality LED has a lifespan of approximately 60,000
account for approximately 41%. If you'rehours, almost five times longer than the compact
interested in lowering your overall energy bills,fluorescent bulbs described above, and almost 60
there are a number of household items that cantimes longer than a traditional bulb. In fact, these
help you in your quest.bulbs use so little energy, that they are often
Changing the appliances in your home is one ofused in outdoor lanterns, since they can easily be
the easiest ways to not only reducing your overallpowered by solar energy or a small battery. As
energy bill, but also your overall impact on thethe cost comes down and more manufacturers
environment.  Two great places to start areintegrate them into household lighting, they will
your washer and dryer. Prior to 1998, washersbecome more familiar and available.
were significantly inefficient. In fact, if you haveAnother way to conserve energy and help the
an older washer, you might be paying almostenvironment is by installing a programmable
$150 more each year on your utility bill than if itthermostat.  This thermostat can allow you to
was more energy efficient.  Unlike the olderautomatically adjust your home temperature
washers, today's energy efficient models use abased on your daily routine. By making sure the
small amount of water since they don't have ahouse is warm or cool only when you need it to
central agitator.  Advanced top loaders and frontbe, you can potentially lower your energy bill by
end loader machines use a sophisticated washalmost a third.  When you're not using your
system to spin and spin through a smaller streamSeascape home, you'll be helping the environment
of water.  These newer designs dramaticallyby conserving energy by just pressing a few
reduce the amount of hot water used in thebuttons.
wash cycle, reducing your water consumption,By installing and learning how to program an
and the cost of heating it. Plus, the higher spinenergy saving thermostat, you can make sure
speeds of these more efficient motors allowyour home furnace, and air conditioning systems
more moisture to be extracted from the clothes.operate only when they are needed.  Depending
This means less time spent in the dryer. Theseon your family's schedule, you will be able to see
are just a few of the many reasons whysignificant savings in your electric bill, and the
Seascape resort condos make use of these morereduction in power usage will also make your
efficient machines.environmental impact less. The key is to make
Of course, a washer or dryer can be a sizablesure that you use the programmable thermostat
investment.  If you want to start on a smallerso that your home is heated and cooled only
scale, there is still a lot that you can do as awhen you need it to be.  Programmable
home owner. One of the easiest and quickestthermostats on the market today are extremely
ways to reduce your utility bill and help theuser-friendly and often come with
environment without sacrificing is by changingpre-programmed settings that match average
your light bulbs.settings for daily, weekly and monthly schedules. 
Surprised?  You shouldn't be. Incandescent lightIf your daily schedule tends to change, a 7 day
bulbs are remarkably inefficient, both in theirmodel programmable thermostat is the best
manufacturing, and in the amount of light emittedchoice.  It gives you the most flexibility for those
by the bulbs themselves. There are a number oftimes when your children come home early from
more energy efficient choices available.  Two ofschool or your mother-in-law stops by for Sunday
the most popular are Compact Fluorescence Lightdinner.  Seven day programmable thermostats
Bulbs (CFLs) and LED lights.usually have four possible temperatures period for
CFLs use significantly less energy to produce thethe day, so you can change things as you need
same lighting effect.  In fact, a CFL bulb can useto. If your schedule isn't as dynamic, other options
only 13 watts of electricity to provide the samefor thermostats are available.
light as a traditional 60 watt incandescent bulb. These are just a few of the easy to use
According to the Department of Energy, anhousehold items that can help reduce your
Energy Star qualified CFL bulb can use up to 75%environmental impact as well as your energy
less electricity, and can last up to 10 timesuse.  There are many more, and a number of
longer.  Since lighting can account for almost 20%websites can give you great ideas.  One of the
of the cost of your electric bill, using these moreeasiest to use and understand is the
efficient bulbs can be a great way to not onlyGovernment's Energy Star website,
save energy, but also a lot of money.  In fact, ifenergystar.gov.  You'll be able to read about
every home in America replaced just onewhich items have be awarded the Energy Star
traditional bulb with a CFL bulb, enough energycertification, and get helpful hints on what you can
would be saved to light nearly 3 million homes indo to make your home more energy efficient.
just one short year.