5 Easy Ways to Save The Planet and Money

Tis’ the season of laying in bed on a cold winter night, sipping hot chocolate and watching Netflix. Unfortunately, for many Americans, cozy nights at home usually come with a hefty price tag in the shape of an oil or gas bill.

Tis’ the season of laying in bed on a cold winter night, sipping hot chocolate and watching Netflix. Unfortunately, for many Americans, cozy nights at home usually come with a hefty price tag in the shape of an oil or gas bill.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average American spends $598 for gas heat and $2,092 for oil heat annually. When taking into account that the average American household income is just over $51,000, heating begins to look like more of a luxury—but it does not have to be this way. There are countless little things you can start doing that will not only save you some cash, it’ll save the planet too.

1. Insulate your doors and windows

Believe it or not, insulating your doors and windows during harsh winter months can save you anywhere from $100 to $1,500 a year depending on how leaky your home is, according to Shrink That Footprint. When you insulate your home in a way that little air is able to pass through openings, your home will be naturally warmer. Additionally, your dollar will stretch further as the warm air generated will not escape as quickly.

All that being said, there are various levels of insulation. The most effective insulation would require a professional, but there are cheaper options, like a plastic film insulator kit, which you can buy at Home Depot for a measly five bucks.

2. Turn off all lights before leaving the house and unplug devices if you do not plan on being home for a few days.

It seems simple enough, but unfortunately, many people are still wasting money by leaving lights and electronics on before they leave the house. Americans are wasting around 50 percent of the energy they pipe into their homes and workspaces. Some of that waste can be attributed to overuse, but the rest goes to waste that is often unseen.

If you’re one of those people that likes to leave some dim lights on for convenience or enjoyment, you may want to consider this—that bad habit can cost you 30 cents a day, which is about $110 a year.  Sleeping with the television on, also a bad energy habit, can cost you upwards of $45 a day. Next time you’re heading out for vacation or away from home for more than a few days, you may also want to consider unplugging any unnecessary electronics (i.e. television, radio, lamps, router). If you do, you can save as much as $60 a year!

3. Set your water heater at 120 degrees

According to Bankrate, an aggregator of financial rate information, not only does heating your water too hot create the danger of scalding, it can cost you cash. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that a heater set at 140 degrees or higher can waste $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses to keep water at that temperature, and more than $400 to bring fresh water up to that high temperature. Who knew?

4. Trade in those old energy-sucking devices for newer, energy saving devices

Though the results may not be immediate, in the long haul, it is definitely worth it to trade in those old energy-sucking appliances and devices for newer, energy-efficient alternatives. In the U.S., many state and local governments have been pairing with utility companies to offer financial incentives for homeowners to upgrade their household appliances. According to Bankrate, these incentives usually take the form of rebate checks for homeowners, who can provide proof of purchase. To save money, you can find incentives offered in your state by checking the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) website.

5. Wash laundry with cold water

According to the Christian Science Monitor, if you wash clothes on hot and rinse on warm it will cost you approximately $0.68. On the other hand, if you wash on cold and rinse on cold it will cost you $0.04. That’s more than 15 times more expensive!

The logic behind washing your laundry with hot water is that it kills more bacteria, but the truth is, hot water also does the most damage to your clothes and can cause that favorite shirt of yours to shrink or wrinkle. The moral of the story is that not only can doing laundry with cold water help you save money on your utility bill and save energy, your clothes will also last longer. Now that’s a sweet bonus!