Time to give energy efficiency a gold star on your back-to-school checklist! Use these tips to get an “A” as you save money and energy at home.
Teach your thermostat: Since you’ll have fewer people in the house during the day, set the AC temperature a few degrees higher to save on your energy bill. Better yet, get a smart thermostat and “teach” it to do this for you.
Load up your laundry: Getting back into gym class, sports and other after-school activities generates more laundry. Wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine. Washing clothes in cold water also can save the average household up to $30 a year.
Soak up knowledge … and savings: The average household spends about $300 a year on water heating. Lowering your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees is an easy do-it-yourself step that can save about 9% of your water heating costs.
Stick to a schedule: Contact your trusted HVAC technician to make sure your furnace can pass its yearly exam and will keep running all winter long. Back to school is also a good time to change your furnace filter.
Study up on more tricks to keep those bills in check all year.