Most of us have memories of our parents complaining about “every light in the house being on”, but did you know that on average in 2023 lighting is typically only responsible for 5% of the average home energy bill?
The key to lowering your energy bill is first to understand what is responsible for the majority of your costs. We’re going to break down the smallest and biggest contributors to your home energy bill and detail ways that you can try to reduce these expenses.
Refrigeration
Despite being plugged in 24/7 and many US homes having multiple refrigerators or freezers refrigeration costs are on average only responsible for 3% of an energy bill. So while there may be many good reasons to upgrade your fridge, it’s unlikely that a new fridge is going to drastically lower your energy bill in a meaningful way.
Lighting
While we’ve already discussed lighting only being responsible for 5% of a US home’s typical monthly energy bill, there are still some good reasons to swap out your incandescent bulbs for LEDs. One major advantage of LEDs is that they have a much longer lifespan than traditional bulbs. How much longer? Well, if a family were to replace all the incandescent bulbs in their home the day their child was born with LEDs, those lights would likely last until that child reached middle school.
Water Heating
On average water heating is responsible for 19% of a home’s monthly energy bill. The main sources of water heating are your washing machine, dishwasher, and showers or baths. Studies done by the US Department of Energy indicate that washing clothes in cold water cleans them just as well and can cut down the cost of energy per load by up to 50%. Investing in a modern washing machine or dishwasher can also help to cut down on overall water use by these appliances as well as help you to save each month.
Electronic Appliances & Devices
People often don’t realize how much power their home appliances and electronics use, even when they’re not in use. Home electronics and devices are responsible for up to 21% of a US household’s typical monthly energy budget.
Ensuring that your TV, Computers, Video Game, and Entertainment systems all have sleep mode settings to turn off or enter power save mode after at least thirty minutes of inactivity will help to reduce your energy costs per month.
Even phone or device chargers draw power when plugged in and not in use. Getting into the habit of unplugging chargers while they’re not in use can also help to reduce your home’s energy usage in the long term.
Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling are typically responsible for 51% of a US home’s monthly energy bill. It is the largest share of the bill by far, and contrary to popular belief, changing the thermostat a few degrees isn’t going to drastically change the impact that heating and cooling systems have on your home energy bill.
In fact, an easy guideline to remember is that every degree change represents 1% of potential cost change. So you could save 10% by having your home 10 degrees colder than it currently is, but it’s likely that you’ll be uncomfortable.
We’ve covered more free ways that you can save on your home heating bills in another blog post that we recommend for anyone unable to upgrade their system but needing to save on their energy bills.
HVAC System Maintenance
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve the efficiency of your heating system and reduce monthly energy costs is to have it maintained before it’s heavily used in the winter seasons.
Inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of a system will ensure that any problems are noticed immediately and can either be fixed or replaced. These same principles apply to cooling systems before the start of summer as well.
Installing Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats allow you to more accurately temperature control your home and ensure that your system isn’t running when it doesn’t need to be.
Often energy companies will offer rebates for the installation of smart thermostats, helping you to save even more on the initial cost and enjoy the savings long-term.
SPAN: The Future of Home Energy
RSC Heating & Air Conditioning is also the only certified SPAN Smart Circuit Board installer in Lancaster County. If you’re ready to take your home energy cost reduction to the next level SPAN represents the cutting edge of home energy technology.
Designed to retrofit onto virtually all circuit boards, the span.io panel provides you with an inside look at how much energy each circuit is using in your home and identifies how you can reduce cost savings. Homeowners can expect up to a 15% cost reduction from their monthly energy bills just from installing a SPAN Panel and allowing its intelligent AI systems to identify energy savings for you.
That’s not all, SPAN.IO is expandable. If you have an electric car, you can add a home electric car charger attachment to your SPAN.IO panel. This allows you to easily charge your car without the need for installing a large wattage hook-up. SPAN.IO is also compatible with all major solar systems, allowing you to store and maintain more of the solar energy you generate to power your home.
Installing a SPAN.IO system brings your home to the cutting edge of now, and the future with its ability to be upgraded and expanded to accommodate all of your home’s potential green energy upgrades.
Upgrading Your Heating and Cooling System
Ultimately, while maintenance and smart thermostats and circuits will benefit any HVAC system, sometimes it’s just time. If you’re in need of a new HVAC system, our specialty at RSC is the installation of top-of-the-line world-class Carrier HVAC systems.
In fact, we’re a thirteen-time Carrier presidential award winner for excellence in service and customer satisfaction. We are the leading Carrier experts in Lancaster County and the larger Susquehannah Valley.
With over 30 years in business, we’ve helped thousands of homeowners upgrade their HVAC systems, live more comfortably, and reduce their energy costs. We’ve even partnered with Wells Fargo to offer 0% financing for the installation of new Carrier HVAC Systems.
Break Down Your Monthly Home Energy Bill to Save Smarter
Overall, there are both small and big ways that you can save on your energy bill. Some are free and easy to implement while others are more of an investment in your home and its comfort systems.
If you’d like to schedule HVAC system maintenance, evaluation, or an upgrade, click the button below, and we’d be happy to evaluate your system and let you know your options.
