Spotlight on Domestic Electricity Usage and Monitoring - Know Your Facts

There are basically two separate ways to approach energy conservation in your home and they are as an owner and as a renter. You see, if you don't own a home then you are definitely limited as to what you can actually do to the home. You're not completely cut off, just limited. However; if you are a homeowner there is a lot you can do to cut the power bills.

Start With the Outside of your Home Then Work Your Way In

To start with, a light colored home, "preferably white" reflects off the suns rays far more efficiently than a dark colored home. Then there is reflective sheeting that you can put on all the windows to keep the suns heat out. On the low tech side, plant some trees and shrubs to grow up and shade the roof and exterior walls of your home.

Make Sure All Your Exterior Doors are Well Sealed

The next item on the agenda as you move into the interior is to weather-strip the exterior doors and make sure that there is a door brush on the bottom of each one as well. Next is an insulating cover on the water heater and also remember to turn down the temperature on it as well. You don't need it blazing hot!

Climb Into Your Attic and Be Careful Not to Fall Through

Up in your attic, a thermostatically controlled attic fan will keep all the hot air blown out of your attic and they're easy to install on the vent. Next head down to your local hardware supply sore and pick up some bales of cellulose insulation to blow in and most all hardware outlets will let you use their blower for free. R-19 used to be the accepted norm for attics but now it's basically as much as you can stack in. R-30+ is not at all uncommon.

Just a Couple of More Items To Scratch Off Your List

While you're in your attack and before you blow any insulation in, if it's an older home shine your flashlight around at all the ducting and see if any has come apart anywhere. It's rare but it has been known to happen. Next head out to your air conditioning unit and make sure that its heat exchange panel is free of debris. Take a garden hose and "blast" it clean.

Big Old Refrigerator "Bad" - New Smaller Efficient Fridge "Good"

If your refrigerator is "old and big" consider buying a new smaller one. A faulty energy inefficient refrigerator can really bleed you out over time. Making the decision to purchase a sensibly sized, newer refrigerator just makes good sense. It heats the home less, uses less power and its nice and new. It will pay for itself over time.

Here's Something Your Grandma Did That You Should Check Out

If you have an electric clothes dryer and you're single then lose it. It's simply a convenience that makes no difference to you either way. Simply run a plastic coated clothes line somewhere across the laundry room or out in your yard and throw your clothes over it after you're through washing them. Try it once and you'll see it's no big deal.

New Devices Stop Your Home Appliances and TVs from Robbing You

Also on the high tech front, there is a huge selection of affordable and super user friendly devices that you can use to really take a bite out of your electricity bills. In fact some of these newer devices are so affordable and work so well that they easily pay for themselves in less than a years time. Add to that, that there's no wiring or adapting involved, so you simply take them out of the box and put them right to work in your home.

Chris Tyrrell writes for Ecofreak, an environmentally friendly online shop specialising in energy monitor products. Visit the website for more details.